Boston University Children’s Center

Boston University Children’s Center

Brookline, MA

Kaplan recently completed renovations to an existing historic 17,000 SF house and the construction of a 3,000 SF addition to create an expanded Children’s Center for Boston University in Brookline, Mass. Designed by studioMLA Architects, the full-time early childhood education program can now accommodate 92 children across seven classrooms and began welcoming families in the fall of 2020.

With a goal of tripling the size of the former center, a three-car garage was demolished to make way for a 3,000 SF addition to the existing Tudor revival style mansion. The two-story addition features a reception area, dedicated toddler room, and pre-K classroom. The existing mansion required major structural upgrades and Kaplan spent two months bolstering the original framing to meet current building codes. Per the guidelines of the Brookline Preservation Commission and the Town of Brookline, several features of the original building were preserved and restored to retain the historical character of the site. The house also received new utility services, and all new MEP systems. The renovated house now accommodates five classrooms, an open concept infant/toddler living room, and a third floor dedicated to administrative use.

Designed to be harmonious with the neighborhood and existing house, two playgrounds were built to complement the indoor learning space. A backyard playground features a tree house and learning garden and an infant place space was built on a restored historical porch. Additionally, a one-story garage on site was converted into an auxiliary classroom featuring sensory stations and a greenhouse.

In 2020 the project was awarded the Eagle Award from the Associated Builders & Contractors of Massachusetts (ABC MA) in the Institutional category for all contract amounts. In 2021 Kaplan received the Pyramid Award from the national chapter of the Associated Builders & Contractors in the Institutional category of contracts between $10MM-$25MM.

The project is LEED Gold certified.