Designing for a child requires a certain innocence, humility, and naïveté that encourages the sensibilities of the unexpected. In this vein, a new childcare facility manifested itself with a design focus on materiality as the backbone of the project, underscored by the foundational question: “how can the ethics of care be achieved holistically in design?” The facility is comprised almost entirely of cork, a miracle construction material with acoustic properties to shield children from the noises of passing overhead subway trains and vibrant Jacksonville, Queens street life. Moreover, the compression qualities of this playful, non-toxic, water-resistant medium greatly influenced a building typology entirely funicular in its structural form. The result is a series of self-sustained compression vaults and undulating cork-paneled surfaces that weave together classrooms and additional childcare programs across interior and exterior spaces to establish areas of both play and protection.