Paradise Park, which offers integrated services to families withchildren under five, was named winner in the category at a ceremony lastweek held by the British Council for School Environments.
Sharon Wright, an independent associate with the BCSE, said, 'ParadisePark is a beautiful building and the judges were really impressed. It'sreally welcoming, which would make people want to go there and accessthe services. It's also great on little details such as low windows sochildren can see out. It's been very thoughtfully developed.'
Paradise Park features a 'vertical garden' that runs the full length ofthe building and links it to the park. The 1.1m building isdesigned to make the best use of natural daylight and features widewindows offering views of the park. The premises also offers communityfacilities including a cafe, Sure Start services, and a base forIslington Play Association.
Patricia Alert, assistant head of Paradise Park, said, 'The design isunique. It stands out in the local area, but the walls help it to blendinto the park. The design and the park-based location are very calmingfor the children.'
The centre was designed by architects DSDHA, who have designed two otherchildren's centres in Dagenham, Essex.