Early Childhood Design and Build Scheme
Introduction to the Early Childhood Design and Build Scheme with accommodation guide, performance specification and indicative designs.
Signature Homes Ltd - since October 2002 - is the Ministry's preferred contractor for the design and construction of early childhood centres nation-wide.
The scheme provides the opportunity for early childhood providers to select a building design from a catalogue of options or work with Signature to produce a modified design to meet their particular needs.
Signature has set up a website cataloguing the various design options..
Signature is able to provide a price for the standard designs in the catalogue, though the final price for a project is determined by the extent of site-works and interior fit out to be provided. Before work commences Signature will provide an "all up" cost on each individual scheme.
The design options in Signatures catalogue are based on a modular approach that can be adapted in a number of ways to allow for different numbers of children, site constraints and other variations.
The Design and Build Scheme was developed to fulfil a need within the sector for quality buildings at an affordable and up-front known cost. The buildings are designed to the Ministry's standard Early Childhood Centre performance specification which ensures they comply with the Early Childhood Regulations 1998 and meet the Ministry of Education's Design Standard Guidelines.
It should be noted that the design and build is a voluntary scheme and as such early childhood providers are under no obligation to use it.
In assessing any alternative solution, providers can use the requirements of the Ministry's standard performance specification and indicative designs using the links provided below as a guide to best practice.
If Centres have been successful in obtaining Discretionary Grants Scheme funding based on another building design, but wish to switch to one of the Design and Build Scheme options offered by Signature Homes then the contact person is Gavin Hunt at Signature Homes on 09 415 2468, fax 09 415 2467, or email Gavin@signature.co.nz .
Centres will need to manage any alternative design within the approved amount of the discretionary grant.