Nurtury Learning Lab
More than an early learning center, the LEED Gold certified facility brings together education, family support, and community programming to strengthen children, families, and the neighborhood.Situated in the heart of the Mildred C. Hailey Apartments—formerly the Bromley-Heath development—in Boston’s Jamaica Plain neighborhood, Nurtury serves as an innovative hub for community services with a model child development center at its core. As the second-oldest early childhood education program in Massachusetts, Nurtury Learning Lab is also recognized as the first early care and education center to be located within a public housing development.
Client
Nurtury
Location
Jamaica Plain, Massachusetts
Services
Architecture, New Construction, Interior Design, Landscape Architecture, Site Design, and LEED
Size
22,500 sq ft (Interior)
5,000 sq ft (Exterior)
Certification
LEED Gold Certified
A Welcoming Neighborhood PresenceSituated within the dense brick urban fabric of the post-war housing complex, the Learning Lab brings a renewed sense of freshness and vitality to the neighborhood, transforming a key urban space that had been occupied for 15 years by an abandoned building. The design balances the look and feel of a high-quality, professional educational institution with a warm, friendly, and welcoming presence for families and visitors.
The building’s subtly colorful brick, clear cedar rainscreen cladding, and double-height glazed atrium create a distinct identity and playful presence, marking the center of the development and anchoring principal view corridors and site entries.
“The team was able to help us take our dreams and make them possible in a way that we just didn’t have the experience to imagine.
Wayne Ysiguerre, Former President & CEO
Learning and Community Under One RoofA LEED Gold certified building, the 22,400 SF center supports 193 infants, toddlers, and preschoolers alongside an extensive STEM-influenced after-school program. The facility includes community spaces, social work offices, classrooms, a greenhouse, outdoor natural playspaces, and gardens.
A double-height multi-purpose room supports gross motor skills and instructional opportunities while doubling as a flexible community venue for movie nights, lectures, and large-scale events. The residential-style teaching kitchen—prominently located in the light-filled lobby—welcomes families and neighborhood residents for cooking classes and workshops, even if they do not have a child enrolled.
Advancing Early EducationA series of indoor and outdoor workshops, a greenhouse, an art studio, and dedicated training facilities for early education providers further enrich the curriculum. Through thoughtfully designed observation areas and an innovative documentation center, the Learning Lab also operates as a research environment, advancing early childhood education practices and supporting future public policy advocacy efforts on behalf of children and families.
