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Original poster

3rd update on Katymac's Eco/Sustainable/Low Carbon Nursery

31 replies

Katymac · 11/05/2007 21:12

As promised

1st issue - what is my nursery is it eco? is it green? is it sustainable? is it low carbon?
Which band wagon do I jump on - I consider all the issues important but what do I tag the nursery with?

2nd issue - would it be sad to offer to plant trees for the parents to offset the petrol used to travel to the nursery?

Architect has had some interesting ideas
Foyer outside the barn (to maximise floor space)
Window in Foyer on to Oval(?) kitchen so that the parents can see the food being prepared (not sure about this)
My office above the kitchen (on a mezzanine?) with windows all the way round so I can see all the nursery

Highways have agreed an entrance but it will cost me a fortune in paving an 80m driveway

Hope someone reads this

OP posts:
squidette · 11/05/2007 22:08

1st issue - what do you want your nursery to be? Just one of those things or all of them. Or more? I dont think 'jumping on a bandwagon' will create a long term sustainable business - but marketing it from the point of this is what you BELIEVE in will keep your motivations, passions and convictions strong in the face of changing attitutes.

Have you researched other nurseries that operate on similar philosophies? (i hope yes!) What are the key points that resonate with you? Which areas do you see as more important or have more impact on parental choice (forgetting for a moment the basic education/social/nuturing environment)?

2nd issue - yes.

I am glad things are moving for you!

cazzybabs · 11/05/2007 22:11

WOW the office thing sounds cool. We can see into the kitvhen into dds nursery - I like this.

Lio · 11/05/2007 22:17
  1. I think low carbon is v difficult to achieve, but apart from that I think the word that would grab me (as a potential user) would be sustainable. I'd want to know what about it was sustainable.
  1. Trees are good but maybe wait to see that you are making money i.e. draw a salary first
  1. Foyer/meeting space outdoors for parents to mingle, maybe with a notice board for a focal point. Can you afford some sort of canopy for inclement weather?
  1. Ask anyone you know who works in a kitchen about this - they may or may not mind being watched at work.
  1. My first through was that it was a great idea for you to be able to see into nursery, then my second was that you might be better doing management by wandering around so that your staff don't feel spied on?
  1. Glad you found an architect .
  1. Eek about 80m of paved driveway. Architect got any ideas?
funnypeculiar · 11/05/2007 22:18

1st issue - Agree with squidette that this needs to be driven by YOUR beliefs, imho. I have a local nursery that I deal with - one of the first (??the first) to do all organic food - I talk to the proprieter regularly and she is SO enthusiastic and commited - it's quite inspiring (Im not esp an organic user). If you're going to have to sell this for the next um, forever, YOU need the handle on it - have you just lost it in all the 'doing'?

FWIW, I would have thought that eco/green was more all-encompassing/broader and as such, has more potential...

Possibly inane question , but assume you've done lots of reseach with your 'target market' - ie some basic market research - to see what their priorities are/what words/phrases/ideas press their buttons? Should be easy to do...

2nd Issue - um, yes

Like the idea of being able to see food prepared - I would have liked that!

Will keep watching for progress!

Lio · 11/05/2007 22:19

Sorry, tired:

  1. Foyer = good.
  1. My first thought, not through.
Original poster
Katymac · 12/05/2007 08:37

\I like to be green, eco, sustainable & as low carbon as I can get
Currently none of these seem to matter to my target audience (or only about 10-15% of them )

So it's really what I want that matters - which makes it hard - in 5 yrs XXXX will be the description people use and it's hard to guess what that will be (5 yrs ago I thought it would be green - but it isn't really)

Driveway - hardcore & hoggin?

Also glad I have architect

Kitchen - difficult one - I think if you do it right yu wouldnm't object to someone having a quick look - but I would hate to be watched (iyswim) & I might be cooking (at least initially)

I will be working in the nursery so I will know what goes on (I hope)

Do you think a canopy will be enough - architect thinking an actual porch

OP posts:
ChippyMinton · 12/05/2007 08:46

Glad to hear you have got your highway access!! Could you build a proper basecourse for the drive with cheap top dressing that could be readily upgraded when you can afford it?

A blind for your kitchen window to make viewing optional?

Could foyer double as cloakroom? Definately good to have somewhere undercover for parents to wait.

squidette · 12/05/2007 09:00

Katymac, how much do you know about the Eco-Schools Green Flag scheme? Is this something that you can work towards as tangible recognition of the aims and principles of the nursery?

LunarSea · 12/05/2007 09:16

Katy - one idea which I've only seen done once in a nursery is to have a one way mirror, so that parents can see in without the children being able to see them. Fantastic for reassuring parents that their children really do settle the moment they've left!

SueW · 12/05/2007 09:50

In choosing childcare I'm far more ocncerned about the relationship between my child and her carer than I am about whether they recycle/turn off the lights/are on any particular eco-friendly bandwagon so I'm not really surprised that it doesn't seem to matter to a huge proportion of your target audience.

My friend has just converted her former stables to a home and has had to put a long driveway down. They have some kind of loose surface and have sprinkled grass seed over it recently as it will support a small amount of grass growth.

Window into kitchen would be reassuring but you will need to ensure whoever is cooking is a tidy person!

Lio · 12/05/2007 15:04

Actual porch sounds lovely, just thought it might cost more. If it's big enough perhaps it could be the buggy store too?

lunavix · 12/05/2007 15:13

I like the 'eco' tag too, sustainable, while I know it's something that applies to things you want to achieve, makes me (and lots of people I know who aren't so environmentally aware) think of forests... they may think it's a plant nursery Green nursery might make a visual link with the green school? Like said before, the green flag scheme?

I like the idea of watching food prep but I'd like it through a small window - eg about 1m down and 2m across like you get in restaurants? And the same in the nursery rooms so there's a clear view into all rooms but it's not blatantly a huge great window so the rooms will all feel personal too.

Does that make sense?

Like the idea of big foyer.

dottyspots · 12/05/2007 18:05

Have you looked at eco/green schools? There might be some ideas there that might transfer well to a younger age group.

Original poster
Katymac · 12/05/2007 19:17

Is this?
what everyone was talking about?

Lunavix - I think that was the size we were thinking about

Foyer=cloakrooom I think is a bad idea (sorry) the caots need to be where the children can get them bythemselves as they will be needed for going outside (iyswim) Indoor/outdoor space is very important to me - the children should be able to outside whenever they want

I think it's the base that costs the most - I would be very interested in that surface SueW - anymore info?

I wonder if there is a "green" scheme for nurseries?

How would you feel about
willow tunnels in the garden?
an area directly outside with hard standing a canopy and a fence round for all weather play?
maybe using very large (recycled) tyres as playstructures?

OP posts:
NurseyJo · 12/05/2007 19:58

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funnypeculiar · 12/05/2007 20:09

I was only imagining a little window for the kitchen (my old nursery literally just had a porthole one - unless you were really nosy, you'd feel wierd staring through it for ages, surely? In reality, would parents be there much at cooking times? Breakfast, I guess and maybe tea?

I like the idea of willow structures, & recyled tyres, but esp love the idea of an all-weather outside play area - would have been impressed with that if I'd been looking for nurseries - outdoor play very important to me too.

NurseyJo · 12/05/2007 20:14

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Original poster
Katymac · 12/05/2007 20:39

I do think the covered area is essential

NurseyJo have you read your new pack?
Outside space is now a legal requirement

OP posts:
dmo · 12/05/2007 21:34

like the idea of the office but when you do goto the office to do paper work you might want to hide
if you can see them they can see you

Original poster
Katymac · 12/05/2007 21:52

Maybe it's one way glass

OP posts:
LunarSea · 13/05/2007 09:02

Katymac - that's interesting about outside space being a legal requirement. Does it specify how much space you need to have? There's one nursery around here which likes to claim that it's the best in town (it's a French lessons for 2 year olds type of place, used IME by mums who like to tell everyone their child goes to the "best nursey" are horrified if they come home not spotlessly clean). However the only oudoor space they have is a decked area about 8ft x 15ft - i.e. not big enough to run around or use ride-on toys. They're going to stuffed if there's anything specific in the new regulations.

Willow tunnels are great btw!

Original poster
Katymac · 13/05/2007 11:35

It doesn't have anything about size (unfortunatley) - but it is expected to cause problems for some settings

OP posts:
NurseyJo · 13/05/2007 16:26

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LunarSea · 13/05/2007 17:34

Is it just me - or is it that having "real grass" was thought unusual enough to be worthy of particular comment?

NurseyJo · 13/05/2007 17:40

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