A pillar of the community, the new Family Health Center & Well-Baby Clinic in the Capital of the Negev, spans over 1,000 sqm, acting as a multipurpose support space providing psychological services for the children and their families.

The center is composed of secluded therapeutic rooms, a multi-purpose hall, as well as a central communal playing space acting also as an observation area for the children’s specialists.

The goal was to design a space that supports the families' emotional well-being, with special focus on the child’s first years. An adequate therapeutic environment that will promote optimal parenting behavior as well as supporting the care team.

The brief, assigned by the city municipality, was to create an experiential space, a learning- through-play environment for children to develop their literacy skills. The design concept was inspired by the theme of literacy which promotes children to develop their ability to read, write, speak, and listen, and thus elements of books, alphabet letters and numbers were interwoven in the space.

Our challenge was to design a holistic space with an eclectic combination of colors, textures, and playful objects to invite children to explore their curiosities and imagination, fostering a unique experience that each child can customize to their own needs. Focusing on addressing sensory play, the use of custom oversized soft toys and objects, tests the idea of proportion, encouraging children to interact using their bodies.

The materials chosen for the project are child-friendly and colorful. We wanted a space full of natural light. The chosen materials are mainly plywood for the custom-made furniture, a library with integrated nooks, wooden blocks, and big-size books, as well as a soft-touch bright palette on acoustical surfaces making the space cozy and harmonious.

The family-inclusive center reflects values that align with our studio’s child-centric design philosophy; a spatial environment can have a profound positive impact on children’s growth and happiness, especially in their first years.