Caddo Nation Child Care Center

In response to strained childcare infrastructure the Caddo Nation launched new economic development entities in 2021 to better serve the Tribe’s children. The Caddo Nation Child Care Center will serve as a tangible realization of these initiatives by creating a new space to create and implement a vision for future generations of young Caddo citizens.

MASS partnered with the Tribe to develop a concept design that took many aspects of Caddo culture into consideration, integrating the Care Center into the surrounding landscape through planned trails and outdoor playground areas. The new center will include classrooms, a cultural hub, a cafeteria, and an indoor-outdoor aquatic center. The site will also include three separate playgrounds, parking, pedestrian circulation, and landscaping. 

Health, safety, sustainability, and cultural-specificity will drive the design approach for the Caddo Nation Child Care Center. Passive and active heating, ventilation, and air conditioning strategies will reduce the building’s energy loads and prioritize fresh and clean air to minimize the spread of infectious diseases. The design will organize perimeters, entryways, circulation, and storage areas through direct and indirect means. Systems and materials will be selected to minimize the building’s embodied and operational carbon, improve indoor environmental health, and elevate Caddo culture. The design will respond, support, and embody the value of the Caddo Nation, informed by the question: how can spaces of play and interaction strengthen childrens’ Native identity?