Haring Center for Inclusive Education

The Haring Center at the University of Washington provides vital early childhood education, professional development and research for kids with and without disabilities. Their low-slung 1960s building, tucked along the water behind UW’s Medical Center, was in need of lighter, brighter, more welcoming spaces for kids to learn. As part of a substantial renovation, project architects Mithun invited us on board to help enliven the space with original murals and friendly signage.

One of the Center’s core tenets is that all children learn best when they learn together. So in the spirit of togetherness, we designed each of the five murals to depict a different animal community, showing a mix of creatures — all shapes, sizes and abilities — cohabiting in their environment. Scenes range from a Japanese forest to a Chilean desert to an Australian coral reef (well-suited to the cafeteria, where light filters down from skylights above). The teaching staff recognized that the murals would become a teaching opportunity for the kids, and we enjoyed working with them to incorporate a myriad of species, as well as many examples of cooperation, like the beaver family working to build a dam together.

To tie to Mithun’s interior design scheme, signage features colorful details combined with warm wood to help create a space that feels inviting and safe.

As a surprise for the Haring team, we translated the murals into fun coloring book pages for the kids, to celebrate the launch of this important — and now reinvigorated — center for inclusive learning.