TEL HI Childcare Center
Garrett Rowland
Product Spec Sheet

ElementBrandProduct Name
CarpetInterface
LightingFocal Point
Interior LightingTech Lighting
Element 3" Adjustable downlight, Bulle Pendant
Mosaic tiles Florim Ceramiche
Neutra 6.0
PendantsGraypants
Scraplights
Custom Wall ProtectionKoroseal
Fusion FRP

Product Spec Sheet
Interior Lighting
Element 3" Adjustable downlight, Bulle Pendant by Tech Lighting
Mosaic tiles
Neutra 6.0 by Florim Ceramiche
Pendants
Scraplights by Graypants
Custom Wall Protection
Fusion FRP by Koroseal

TEL HI Childcare Center

ZGF Architects LLP as Architects

Children, parents, and staff entering the new childcare center for a confidential client in San Francisco’s Mission Bay neighborhood are transported from a concrete urban environment to an imaginative and sensory-rich world.

photo_credit Garrett Rowland
Garrett Rowland

The four-classroom facility serves infants to pre-kindergartners in a space that encourages exploration and discovery inside the city limits. Operated by TEL HI, a leading nonprofit focused on serving San Francisco communities, the childcare center opened in early 2021.

photo_credit Garrett Rowland
Garrett Rowland

The design team leveraged best practices from childhood development research to inform a simple design framework for the facility. Children are encouraged to learn through play, connect with their environment through the senses, and allow their imaginations to flourish. Layered natural materials create organic moments for sensory play and learning. Hand-crafted millwork inspires delight, and a continuous connection to the surrounding Bay Area outdoors offers opportunities for growth and adventure—highly valued qualities in the city’s dense urban setting.

photo_credit Garrett Rowland
Garrett Rowland
photo_credit Garrett Rowland
Garrett Rowland

Abstract geometric shapes throughout the facility recall animals native to Northern California. Each of the four classrooms is identified by custom, animal-inspired signage and large door portals that signify transition into a teacher-focused space. Inside, natural materials and daylight-infused layouts keep the perspective on the child experience.

photo_credit Garrett Rowland
Garrett Rowland

A custom millwork installation in the public entryway addresses multiple needs—providing acoustics, supporting lighting, and supplying additional storage while integrating subtle elements of discovery and play. The upper millwork ribbon grows into a “tree” punctuated by globe pendant lights that create a sense of wonder.

photo_credit Garrett Rowland
Garrett Rowland
photo_credit Garrett Rowland
Garrett Rowland

The childcare center’s urban setting also required a new approach to connecting kids and teachers to the outdoors. The 4,300 SF outdoor play area provides separate, age-appropriate play areas for infants and toddlers and evokes the setting of San Francisco’s Wharf and marine architecture. The custom-designed wooden play structure highlights natural materials within a nautical theme.

photo_credit Garrett Rowland
Garrett Rowland
photo_credit Garrett Rowland
Garrett Rowland

Team:
Architect: ZGF Architects
General Contractor: Truebeck
Childcare Operator: TEL HI
Photographer: Garrett Rowland

photo_credit Garrett Rowland
Garrett Rowland

Materials used: 

Carpet: Interface/ Human Nature Carpet tile
Rubber Flooring: Noraplan/ Environcare 3mm sheet rubber
Markerboards: McGrory Glass/ Magnetic Glass Markerboards
Custom Wall Protection: Koroseal/ Fusion FRP wall panels
Countertops: Dupont Corian/ Solid Surface
Countertops: LG/ Hi-Macs Solid Surface
Custom Millwork: Mission Bell Manufacturing
Custom Acoustical Ceiling Clouds: AcouFelt/ AP24
Lighting (Decorative): Graypants/ Scraplights Pendants
Lighting (Decorative): Tech Lighting/ Bulle Pendant
Lighting: Finelight/ Recessed Linear
Lighting: Lightolier/ Recessed Downlight
Lighting: Focal Point/ Focus Wall Wash
Lighting: Tech Lighting/ Element Downlight
Mosaic Tile: CasaMood/ Vetro Neutra
Glass Hardware and Door Systems: CR Laurence
Furniture: Community Playthings
Upholstery: Design Tex/ Beguiled By The Wild Upholstery
Plumbing Fixtures: Kohler
Shelving Systems: Rakks

photo_credit Garrett Rowland
Garrett Rowland

Read story in ItalianoEspañolFrançaisPortuguês and Deutsch

Products Behind Projects
Product Spotlight
News
Sports Hall by Grido architekti references functionalism of 1930s Czech architecture
14 Feb 2025 News
Sports Hall by Grido architekti references functionalism of 1930s Czech architecture

Czech architectural studio Grido architekti has designed a sports hall for the pupils of an elementa... More

UNStudio’s new Chongqing development balances demand for high-rise living with health and well-being of residents
10 Feb 2025 News
UNStudio’s new Chongqing development balances demand for high-rise living with health and well-being of residents

International architecture and design practice UNStudio has completed 18T Mansion, a high-rise resid... More

Archello houses of the month - January 2025
5 Feb 2025 News
Archello houses of the month - January 2025

Archello has selected its houses of the month for January 2025. This list showcases 20 of the m... More

Polish Embassy in Berlin by JEMS Architekci is a “testament to architectural diplomacy”
4 Feb 2025 News
Polish Embassy in Berlin by JEMS Architekci is a “testament to architectural diplomacy”

A project that was thirteen years in the making, the new Polish Embassy in Berlin officially opened... More

Ika.architekti builds fun and functional DIY sauna in Brno
31 Jan 2025 News
Ika.architekti builds fun and functional DIY sauna in Brno

Brno-based ika.architekti has built an upcycled sauna using an array of old materials. The project i... More

Francine Houben, Isabel Van Haute, Stephan Chevalier and DaeWha Kang named as Archello Awards 2025 jurors
27 Jan 2025 Archello Awards
Francine Houben, Isabel Van Haute, Stephan Chevalier and DaeWha Kang named as Archello Awards 2025 jurors

Archello is pleased to announce the first group of its esteemed jurors for the newly launched Archel... More

HGAA expands restaurant in Bãi Cháy with a building that embraces nature
27 Jan 2025 News
HGAA expands restaurant in Bãi Cháy with a building that embraces nature

Vietnamese architectural studio HGAA was included in Archello’s list of the 25 best architectu... More

Mole Architects elevates “mundane” 1960s English bungalow with new extension
27 Jan 2025 News
Mole Architects elevates “mundane” 1960s English bungalow with new extension

Cambridge-based architectural studio Mole Architects has completed the upgrade and extension of an e... More