MIT opens childcare center in Graduate Tower at Site 4

  the Institute welcomed some of its youngest students to the new MIT Technology Childcare Center (TCC) Kendall in the Graduate Tower at Site 4 (Building E37), in accordance with Massachusetts’ Department of Early Education and Care and Department of Public Health regulations and safety protocols. Located at 45 Hayward Street, the approximately 8,000-square-foot, state-of-the-art facility is designed to serve 58 toddler and preschool children. TCC Kendall’s infant classroom will remain in the Koch Biology Building (Building 68).

NADAAA and Perkins+Will designed the new center’s interior with the developmental needs of young children in mind — including vibrantly colored walls, matching acoustic ceiling tiles, and an abundance of natural light throughout each classroom. The center features a cozy nook for the children’s library, an indoor activity space to allow for gross motor movement, and a dedicated room for toddlers and preschoolers to focus on art and STEM-based projects.

The classrooms have direct access to an outdoor classroom that includes raised garden beds for children to practice hands-on gardening and other fun and creative activities. TCC Kendall’s unique on-site playground is adjacent to the classrooms and features a playhouse, sandboxes, multiple climbing structures, and open space for children to play and ride tricycles.

“The creativity of the project team is demonstrated in the thoughtful and playful design,” says Kathy Kasabula, child care program specialist at the MIT Human Resources Center for WorkLife and WellBeing. “Together the team created a space that will nurture the curiosity of MIT children for many years to come.”

The design and development of this new, high-quality center was a five-year project involving close collaboration among members of the Office of Campus Planning, MIT Campus Construction, the Center for WorkLife and WellBeing, NDAAA, and Perkins+Will.

“It was truly remarkable to see the dedication, commitment, and heart that went into building this dynamic and innovative environment for our youngest learners,” says Christos Maravelias, senior project manager for MIT Campus Construction. “TCC Kendall will be a vibrant contributor in the transformation of east campus. As with MIT’s other childcare centers, these young children are immersed in and surrounded by invention and creativity, and I’m sure they will make their own mark on the world one day.”

TCC Kendall joins two other MIT childcare facilities on campus — the David H. Koch Childcare Center and Stata Childcare Center — and the Lincoln Laboratory Childcare Center in Lexington, Massachusetts. Known collectively as TCC, these four childcare facilities are available to provide care for 271 children on campus and 111 children in Lexington. TCC is administered by the MIT Human Resources Center for WorkLife and WellBeing, and is managed in partnership with Bright Horizons Family Solutions.

“MIT’s commitment to providing high-quality, on-site childcare to its staff, faculty, postdocs, and graduate students allows parents to focus on the important work that supports the research mission of MIT,” notes Ronnie Mae Weiss, senior manager at the Center for WorkLife and WellBeing. “The addition of this new childcare center is just one aspect of the Institute’s expanding support for its working families.”