Roxbury, MA Kaplan Construction has been selected to fit out a 40,000 s/f early childhood center and headquarters for Horizons for Homeless Children, a nonprofit organization dedicated to improving the lives of young homeless children and their families. Construction is expected to start later this spring and be completed in early 2021.

Located at 1785 Columbus Ave. and designed by studioMLA Architects,  the new early childhood center will consolidate three existing centers into one. Serving 225 children ranging in age from two months to five years, it will include a STEAM (science, technology, engineering, art and math) activity space, a family library and literacy center, flexible community and training space, and an art room. Indoor and outdoor spaces will incorporate trauma-informed design strategies to better serve children and families living in difficult situations. Two outdoor play areas totaling 10,000 s/f were designed with the help of an occupational therapist and will be constructed on dedicated above-ground surfaces. Kaplan will only be able to access the space from street level and will take on the added challenge of having to clear a 10-foot-high wall over the roof’s parapet.

The project team members include:

• Owner: Horizons for Homeless Children

• Developer: Watermark Development, Inc.

• Construction Manager: Kaplan Construction

• Architect: studioMLA Architects

• MEP Engineer: AHA Engineers

“We are very excited to expand our reach and provide services to more children and their families in a space expressly designed for the needs of families experiencing homelessness ,” said Kate Barrand, CEO of Horizons for Homeless Children. “Kaplan has a long and successful history of building quality childcare centers for both for-profit and nonprofit organizations. They really understand our mission and how our spaces will be used.”

The early childhood center will be a part of the 140,000 s/f Horizons Center, a unique public/private joint venture that will create a single and accessible home for social services agencies dedicated to transforming the education, health, and well-being of at-risk children and families in Boston. The venture is an investment in the local community, and will bring 400 new jobs to the Jackson Sq. area. 

With more than 15 childcare projects in its portfolio, Kaplan has worked on both new construction and renovation projects for early education clients, including multiple centers for Bright Horizons Family Solutions and the Center for Partnership in Early Education in Brookline.