Educational Environments that Empower: Building for Preschool Children

Can buildings make a difference to preschool children's lives?

It seems an obvious question: of course buildings affect the way we all live. Indeed, there's not just theoretical evidence that pre school children with access to intriguing, interesting environments do a great deal better than those stuck in ill-adapted old buildings that are cold and unwelcoming and their carers are happier too........ there are very real environments where it actually happens now!!

'Top table environment'

Since its foundation Mark Muir Architect has had the enviable experience of 'top table' involvement in the Building Schools For the Future programme which included both new build and remodelled Special Needs, Early Learning, Primary, Secondary and Post 16 facilities.......as well as considerable involvement in the Independent sector.


In such a collaborative environment we have been able to inspire and enthuse by exploring the absolute power of design and how it could make a positive contribution to the everyday lives of both learners and teachers alike. Rich in content, bright, engaging and relevant our work has fully utilised child-centric concepts such as 'Learning through Play' or using design as a significant behavioural tool.


by Mark Muir 12 June 2025
Why Architects Are Turning to Trees, Termites & Ecosystems for Inspiration
by Mark Muir 9 June 2025
Minimalism Meets Personalisation 
by Mark Muir 2 June 2025
The Future of Hospitality: How Advanced Technology is Transforming Hotels
by Mark Muir 1 June 2025
Imagine you're lost in a bustling Italian city.
by Mark Muir 1 June 2025
This is a subtitle for your new post
Mark Muir Architect Bristol +  Exeter- Free Advice for your Project - Award winning  architect specialising in contemporary + sustainable architecture
by Mark Muir 20 October 2023
This is a subtitle for your new post
by Mark Muir 19 May 2025
Bungalows are packed with potential. They are small and mighty properties with enviable footprints, already large enough to fit all the requirements of a house within one floor. Meaning by the time you have added an extension you could potentially be doubling your living space, depending on the type of extension you choose. Bungalows are becoming increasingly popular extension projects thanks to their generous spaces, large plots and ease of planning. Often dated and left unloved, they are an attractive prospect for buyers and planning departments. Their flexibility offers homeowners the chance to double the size of their home without extending the bungalow into the garden, or affecting their neighbours and creating planning issues. Due to their large footprint, bungalows offer the potential to enlarge your living space by adding floors on top of the existing space, giving you the opportunity to have plenty of room and retain the luxury of a large garden or plot. If you are thinking about converting a bungalow into a family home to be proud of, we can certainly help.
by Mark Muir 18 May 2025
Perfect for sharing in a fun, light-hearted, yet educational way!
by Mark Muir 17 May 2025
The Green Turn: How Sustainable Finance Is Reshaping the Future of Investment 
by Mark Muir 17 May 2025
Bees, though small in size, play an outsized role in maintaining the health of our ecosystems
Show More

At the heart of the design

Children's needs should always be at the heart of the design so it follows to think long term and sustainably and offer a package of integrated family services under one roof or via one entry point. Indeed our trans disciplinary approach has been recognised when, amongst others, The Nightingale Nursery in Hackney won the Royal Institute of Chartered Surveyors (RICS) Special Award for Innovation and Excellence and our founder was invited to be an exemplar designer for the government's Neighbourhood Nurseries Initiative.

Don't take our word for it


"I have never really spoken professionally to an architect before; always imagined it would be a complicated business. Mark from the very beginning put me at ease. This was someone I could talk to, relate ideas that I thought were a little too inane to mention, and Mark knew where I was coming from. More importantly, he knew how to take my ideas and realise them on paper. He clearly understood my requirements, both in terms of what I expected from the project physically and ecologically but also how I wanted the building to function for me on a more subtle psychological sense."


Dr Kamal Hoque, Oadby, Leicester