Sneak Peek: Sparking Learning Through Play

Pretend City Children’s Museum offers child-sized, interconnected city environments where young children can assume various real-world roles and let their creativity rule. From a grocery store and bank to a service station and dentist’s office, the hands-on exhibits are designed to foster curiosity, critical thinking, problem-solving and teamwork.

The new home for Pretend City, part of the redevelopment of the former Marine Corps Air Station El Toro, is all about making learning fun. The ground-up facility allows kids to develop their physical, social, emotional and communication skills in places they will recognize in the grown-up world, including 20,000 square feet of outdoor learning spaces focused on the museum’s mission to nurture a passion for learning through play.

The facility also seeks to build a greater appreciation for biodiversity and sustainability in young children. Stormwater retention areas double as whimsical nature playscapes, where children can witness natural processes like pollination or water percolation. Siting, passive solar strategies, an efficient envelope and low-energy mechanical systems help reduce annual energy use by more than 80%. Roof areas were cleared to accommodate a 275-kW photovoltaic system that offsets 100% of the annual energy use to exceed the carbon-reduction requirements of the AIA 2030 Challenge, creating a net-zero-energy operation for Pretend City.