Clifton Early
Childhood
Education
Center
This 13-acre campus, nestled into the valley of the Western Slope between an elementary school and a residential neighborhood, draws its aesthetic from the colors and striations in the local landscape.
The campus includes a public library branch (developed by others), and a multifunction facility that addresses a multitude of community needs in a single building. Located in the same building but operating independently, there is an early childhood education center, a workforce training center, and a community hall. RDG worked with Mesa County to determine the ideals to be embodied by the center and created a building that interweaves the community's families, the center's staff and county leaders.
The new Clifton Early Childhood Education Center will provide high-quality childcare for children ages 6 weeks to 5 years and care for older children when school is not in session. Each of the 12 classrooms has direct access to outdoor learning environments designed for age-appropriate play and exploration.
Administrative spaces, a computer lab, and meeting rooms offer flexibility for this hub of community activities and services, as well as the community hall and event space. Metal panels in saturated tones of desert reds and dusk blues serve as wayfinding markers to different program areas in the building, and perforated metal panels create plaza spaces that connect indoor and outdoor activities.