United Way of Miami Center for Excellence

The United Way of Miami’s project mission was to create the premier child development center in South Florida, integrating training and research. They hoped to set a standard that would raise the level of child care quality throughout the state.

Working with two prominent adjacent sites on Coral Way in Miami, the design team created a campus including the United Way Headquarters, The Center for Excellence, and an eight-story parking structure. The Center for Excellence has a state-of-the-art childcare facility that includes multiple opportunities for observation. The classrooms and enhancement spaces have diverse spatial and environmental elements, demonstrating innovation. studioMLA worked hand in hand with the United Way team to create welcoming spaces to support the bilingual/multicultural program. Architecturally at home in its eclectic Miami neighborhood, the center is the only building in the EduCare network not designed on the EduCare “Model.” This project was completed in 2006.