Valleycliffe Daycare
Nestled into a treed landscape near the Stawamus River in Squamish, BC, Valleycliffe
daycare is a new daycare facility on a shared site with an existing elementary school.
Squamish is a rapidly growing community and the District of Squamish has an
unique opportunity to leverage an existing SD#48 site and to enter into a long-term
lease agreement whereby SD48 hosts the daycare site and a non-profit childcare
operator (Sea to Sky Community Services Society) will provide 36 childcare spaces,
including 12 Infant/Toddler and 24 Group Care (30 mo to school age).
Accessible, affordable, and quality childcare spaces is a key focus for the District
of Squamish. The new daycare spaces will reflect the natural surroundings and
incorporate wood elements such as mass timber into the design. Due to debrief
flow hazards, the building will have an elevated flood clearance level. The landscape
design will activate the outdoor spaces for the 30 month to school age children.
StudioHuB architects has a strong working relationship with both the school district
and SSCSS as well as overall daycare design strategies, including licensing, heath
authorities, daycare play space strategies and pedagogies as well school district
requirements and local FLC and other site challenges.
Project was delayed for six months, between tender and construction phases,
because of indigenous artifacts found on site, which required provincial approval
and archaeological over site for excavation.