Daycare & Autism Clinic

Location: Burnaby, BC, Canada
Zoning: C4 Service Commercial District
Building Type: Daycare & Autism Clinic
Site Area: 7,325 m² (78,846 ft²)
Gross Floor Area: Approximately 550 m² (5,920 ft²)

Role: Lead Architectural Designer, Project Management, City Coordination & Consultant Coordination

This project involved the renovation and adaptive reuse of an existing commercial office building, transforming it into a purpose-built Daycare and Autism Clinic facility designed to serve children from infancy to five years of age.

The facility integrates daycare programming, autism support services, therapy spaces, administrative functions, and outdoor play environments within a safe, accessible, and child-focused setting. Interior spaces were carefully planned to support learning, development, therapy, and daily operations while creating a welcoming environment for children, families, and staff.

The site design incorporates multiple age-specific outdoor play environments that complement the indoor learning and therapy programs. Carefully integrated within the overall facility layout, these spaces support a range of educational, developmental, and recreational activities while contributing to a safe, accessible, and child-focused environment.

A significant component of the project involved extensive building, accessibility, and life-safety upgrades required to support the transition from an existing office occupancy to a specialized childcare and clinical facility. The project also required substantial coordination through municipal review processes, consultant integration, and code compliance upgrades associated with the building’s change of use and occupancy requirements.

Developed in accordance with applicable BC childcare standards and regulatory requirements, the design focused on creating an inclusive environment that supports learning, therapy, and community care while addressing the operational needs of both daycare and clinical programs.

Project responsibilities included leading the architectural design process, project management, coordination with municipal authorities, consultant coordination, code review, permit approvals, and management of multidisciplinary project requirements throughout the design and approval process.

*Selected professional experience completed while employed at Contoura Architecture Ltd. prior to the establishment of EMcan Architecture Inc.