Portable building inspired by Reggio

Portakabin, manufacturer of relocatable and modular buildings, has designed its Lilliput children's centre to take less than half the time of a traditional building to construct and to adapt to the needs of individual children's centres.

Rob Hall, Portakabin business development manager for education, said, 'The new centres meet all permanent building regulations, Ofsted guide- lines and national daycare standards. They provide facilities for the whole community including parenting support, employment advice, and after-school and breakfast clubs, as well as a base for childminders and social workers.

'We have used the Reggio approach as the foundation for the design, as this philosophy is based around an open, community-encompassing building, which is exactly what children's centres are all about.

'Each Lilliput children's centre is designed to meet the individual requirements of the customer, which may include a reception area, pushchair park, kitchen, a breastfeeding room, an advice or interview room, a classroom, laundry, nappy changing, a feed preparation area, and sleep, sensory, quiet and play zones, as well as bathroom facilities.'

The Lilycroft/Farcliffe Children's Centre in Bradford, West Yorkshire, is one of the first to get the new Lilliput building. Joint partnership manager Jackie Greenwood said, 'The services we offer include early years care and education, outreach work, family support, childcare training and health services including ante-natal classes.

'The Lilliput building met our needs both in space and design and accommodated us financially. It was able to link to our original building and is a very adaptable model. We were able to specify where we wanted doors and low windows to create a user-friendly centre that has been designed with children and families in mind.

'The actual building work took just over eight weeks to complete and the children were excited to watch the work.'