Work
Soin Early Childhood Center
Client: The Miami Valley School
Location: Dayton, Ohio
  • 70,000sf expansion reintroduces an early childhood school on the main campus.
  • Spaces are designed to support the Reggio model by providing large and small spaces for different modes of learning.
  • The garden courtyard provides a safe, supervised outdoor play area.
Interesting Fact: The new Early Childhood expansion is centered around the core Reggio Emilia spaces of the Piazza, Atelier and Cucina.

Building upon the Miami Valley School’s tree logo, the Soin Early Childhood Center underscores its outdoor learning philosophy within the central gathering area known as “the nest.” The design includes three PK classrooms, which extend the learning environment and create more teaching opportunities and a safe and supervised garden courtyard that doubles as a play area.

"We utilize numerous pedagogies including the Reggio Emilia Approach and the Waldorf Method. SHP thoughtfully incorporated all of our learning methods into our new school. Every space was designed specifically so children could see the outside world from every angle."
– Julie Patel, Director of Early Childhood Center, The Miami Valley School
"Soin is highly flexible, with multiple spaces that can be used for work and play. The design, by nature, emphasizes Miami Valley Schools' outdoor learning approach and will generate an ideal learning environment for kids ages 3-5."
– Mike Shoup, Senior Project Designer, SHP

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