37.3 Scott Article 4 Designs

CELEBRATING THEFIRST 10 YEARS OF

THE JOURNAL

Edited by Glenys Jones

Published in partnership with The University of Birmingham

autism.west midlands and Autism Cymru

Good Autism Practice (Special)_Good Autism Practice 05/10/2010 11:32 Page 1

Designing learning spaces for children on the autism spectrum

36 GAP,10,1,2009

Address forcorrespondenceE-mail:[email protected]

AcknowledgementsThe author would like tothank all the staff andarchitects involved in thework at the New StruanSchool in Scotland, at NetleySchool in Camden, at theMossbrook Unit in Sheffieldand at Whitton Gateway inRichmond, for theirpermission to use the photosand for their comments onthe environments they havedesigned.

Designing learning spacesfor children on the autismspectrumIain Scott, Edinburgh

Editorial commentIain Scott is an architect and in this paper he sets out the key criteria whichneed to be borne in mind when designing learning environments forchildren on the autism spectrum. He illustrates these points by looking indetail at four newly created units and schools. It is a very rich paper and willbe a great asset to architects, designers, teaching staff and pupils involvedin creating effective spaces where children feel comfortable and withinwhich they enhance their learning potential.

IntroductionWhen designing areas for children on the autismspectrum, it is important to have knowledge andunderstanding of how they experience theenvironment and the people and objects within it.Both Bogdashina (2003) and Hinder (2004) describevery well the potential sensory differences inperception, processing and responses. It is alsoimportant to know that not all children are affected inthe same way or to the same extent. Whilst manychildren are capable of learning within mainstreamenvironments, some children require a more bespokeand tailored setting (DfEE, 2005).

Increasing attention is being paid to the design ofclassrooms, units and schools and this, and so localauthorities (LAs) and their appointed architects arebeing faced with the challenge of designingappropriate learning environments for these children.

This paper reports on a study undertaken by theauthor, into how architects research and respond tothese challenges. In the first section, the paperexamines the existing body of knowledge to ascertainwhat relevant criteria exist with respect to designingfor autism. This includes published statutoryguidance, books, research publications, journalarticles, feasibility studies, web-based and anecdotalinformation. In the second section, the paper presentsan analysis of four recently completed buildings forchildren on the autism spectrum in relation to thebody of knowledge examined. Each of these units wasvisited and interviews were held with the architectand end users. The architects provided drawings,images, briefing notes and design analysis to allow a

broad appreciation of the design and its specificresponse to autism.

Finally, the paper ends with key recommendations forprofessionals engaged in the provision and design ofautism-specific learning environments.

The four units studied were as follows:

New Struan, Alloa, Scotland Netley Primary School ASD Unit, Camden LA,

London Whitton School ASD Unit, Twickenham,

Richmond LA Mossbrook Special Primary School, Norton,

SheffieldAQ:

Pleaseconfirm

thesetting

style andplacementof Imagesare OK.

06.qxp:Aylott.qxd 4/23/09 6:45 AM Page 36


GAP,10,1,2009 37

stimulus, (such as wall displays of work or information), gradually to suit pupils needs.

5 Classrooms can be arranged so that teachers mayemploy different teaching methods, with spacesfor individual work or screened personal work-spaces.

6 Use of indirect lighting and the avoidance of noiseor other distractions, (blind cords, exposed pipesor dominant views out), need to be considered.

7 Containment in the class base for reasons ofsupervision, safety or security by the use of twodoor handles, at high and low-level, must neithercompromise escape procedures, nor violatehuman rights, (in that children must not belocked up unless they are secured or detainedlegally in secure provision).

8 Robust materials should be used where there arepupils with severe disabilities and safetyprecautions for doors, windows, glass, plasterand piped or wired services will be required.

9 There is a need to balance security andindependence and to find the right mix betweentough materials and special equipment on the onehand and ordinary, everyday items on the other,in order to avoid an institutional appearance,whilst at the same time eliminating risks.

10 Simple or reduced detailing and changes of planemay reduce the opportunity for obsessiveness.

(BB 77: DfEE, 2005 Section 2.3.2).

A further, practice-based source is Simon Humphreys,an architect with a wide range of experience indesigning for autism, including designing a home forhis brother who has autism. He produced a shortpaper in 2005 which relays the principles he feels arespecific to designing for autism. He seems to accordwith all of the points listed above, with one or twosignificant additions:

Good levels of natural light and ventilation. Proxemics:

Proxemics deals with the amount of space peoplefeel it necessary to set between them-selves.Proximity is the condition of being near or close.Proxemics can also be termed as personal spacearound the body. A person with ASD can be moreguarded about this space and any infringement isseen as a personal threat. They need more space.(Humphreys, 2005).

Good Observation. Relates to BB 77, 9, above.It is useful to be able to observe the movements ofpeople with ASD, without them feeling constantly

Image: GA Architects

Image: Sarah Wigglesworh Architects

Review of the literatureA complete list of all of the material examined islisted in the references. In this section, each piece ofdesign guidance in relation to the autism spectrumwill be examined, establishing its source and itsspecificity and relevance in relation to autism.Autism specificity is used here to identify issues indesign which are specific to the autism spectrum. Thekey document in relation to published statutoryguidance is Building Bulletin (BB) 77, Designing forPeople with Special Educational Needs andDisabilities in Schools, (updated 2005), published bythe Department for Education and Employment.

It contains the following points in relation todesigning educational spaces for children withautism:

1 The building should have a simple layout whichreflects order, calm, clarity and has good signageand way-finding.

2 Pupils may show different sensitivities to spaces:some will be frightened by large, open spacesand wish to withdraw to smaller spaces, whilstothers will not like enclosed spaces. Providing amix of larger spaces with smaller ones towithdraw to when anxious can help.

3 Designing low sensory-stimulus environmentsreduces sensory overload, stress and anxiety.

4 The provision of pleasant, well-proportionedspace, with plain, bare walls decorated in mutedsoft colours will allow teachers to introduce

t

AQ:Please

confirmthe

settingstyle of

Indentedquote list.



38 GAP,10,1,2009

under surveillance Good observation will putthe carer at rest, which will help their well-beingand can only benefit the person with ASD.(Humphreys, 2005).

Another source is Designing for Special Needs,(Harker and King, 2002) published by RIBAEnterprises, which contains a section on Autism andDesign, which focused largely on service provision.In relaying autism-specific design features it quotesHumphreys.

Drawing from the body of knowledge, key issues indesigning for autism seem to be:

A The requirement to provide an ordered and comprehensible spatial structure

Whilst desirable for all school environments:legible routes are especially important to those whoare visually impaired or those SEN pupils for whomresearch shows that predictability is important.Circulation should make efficient use of availablearea and where appropriate there should be overlapbetween circulation and social or study space. (BB 95: Schools for the Future: DfEE, 2002).

This requirement to design circulation with a sense ofplace and function over and above that of movementis developed by Whitehurst (2006) in an analysis ofGA Architects design for residential accommodationat Sunfield School.

Circulation space This banishes theconventional corridor by turning it into a useablespace in its own right with access through doubledoors to the central courtyard. This effectivelybreaks the mould of the institutional approach toaccommodation facilities and creates a spacewhich can be utilised, especially for play,(Whitehurst, p 4)

It is thus important that all visual cues, colourschemes, different qualities of light, texture changesare used to support the spatial hierarchy rather thanconfuse it.

Humphreys (2005) makes the point that people on theautism spectrum require more personal space aroundthem. Class sizes in relation to available space shouldreflect this.

B The requirement to provide a mix oflarge and small spaces

Support spaces are small spaces for teachers andother professionals to work with individuals or

small groups This is particularly true for thosewith special needs for whom the crucialrelationship between student and teacher thatinspires and nurtures learning cannot alwayswork in public or even in small groups. Pupils withspecial needs require assistance from a number ofpeople in addition to their teachers includingparents and health and social care professionals.Small spaces are also valuable for counselling andmentoring sessions.

Furthermore,

Quiet time needs to be a natural part of theeducational environment and there are times whenan open resource and work area are notappropriate. Pupils need to be able to workundisturbed in a quiet place, but not feel separatedfrom the main school. (BB 95: 2003, section 2.a4).

Much is made by educational psychologists of therequirement for a withdrawal space, which has acalming, therapeutic atmosphere for children on theautism spectrum. It is important that this space, whilstautonomous, remains within the social fabric of theclassroom and can also function as an individualisedteaching space.

Jim Taylor, the headteacher at Struan School, said:

At one point the architects had proposed awithdrawal room or snoozelin, where a childcould withdraw and calm down if things got toomuch. We rejected that as we felt that would havebeen a failing in itself. We wanted the children tohave the opportunity to withdraw, but still remainwithin the social fabric of the school and thebuilding allows for that.

C The requirement to provide greatercontrol of the environmentalconditions to the user

Designing low sensory stimulus environmentsreduces sensory overload, stress and anxiety. (BB 77: 2005, section 2.3.2)

This comment requires some debate. HaverstockAssociates carried out an extensive feasibility studyfor Camden LEA prior to being commissioned todesign Netley Schools ASD unit. This is a non-sitespecific, but extremely comprehensive, documentwhich includes records of meetings and consultationswith educational psychologists, teachers and othereducation professionals from various educationauthorities.



GAP,10,1,2009 39

John Jenkins, Principal with Haverstock Associatesstates:

What we have found is that people take a verynegative view in design terms about how youresolve some of the issues that autistic kids mayhave. We have had scenarios where consultantshave raised the issue of the kids distract-abilityand proposed as a solution having only high levelwindows. Colour is potentially an issue, so do youtake colour out and make a magnolia world?Glare is an issue. Do you reduce the number ofwindows? This all leads to a very negativeapproach to design.

Haverstock Associates, as a practice, apply the samerules that they would in designing classrooms formainstream children. They design high quality,diverse environments with sensitivity to highstimulating issues such as colour and day-lighting.Colours do tend to be chosen from a neutral palette,allowing teachers and children to add to this in theform of work displays. The practice has beenconducting research into the impact of colour onchildren with autism, which draws on the previouswork of Pauli, Egerton and Carpenter (2006), Prashnig(2004) and Ludlow, Wilkins and Heaton (2006).

I think its about the balance between creating asdiverse an environment as possible, that isnt over-stimulating and providing a space that childrencan feel safe and comfortable in. There are timeswhen the teachers need to be able to close thingsdown a bit, so we need to allow that flexibility. Inany of the units were doing now we actually haveintegral blinds within the double glazed units andits a very particular item of specification.

(John Jenkins: Haverstock Associates)

D The requirement to accommodatedifferent, autism specific teachingmethods

I think in pictures. Words are like a secondlanguage to me. I translate both spoken andwritten words into full colour movies, completewith sound, which run like a VCR tape in my head.When somebody speaks to me, his words areinstantly translated into pictures One of themost profound mysteries of autism has been theremarkable ability of most autistic people to excelat visual, spatial skills while performing so poorlyat verbal skills. (Grandin, 1995, p 1)

Children on the autism spectrum appear to learndifferently from mainstream children and special,visual teaching styles have emerged to take account ofthis: TEACCH, PECS, and ABA, among others. TheTEACCH approach requires structured classroomlayouts, PECS uses objects, pictures and symbols toenable children to communicate their needs and ABAprogrammes also require the setting-up ofenvironments in a particular way. Clearly classroomsneed to be capable of being adapted to the differentapproaches, without compromising the need for orderand clarity. Some understanding of the nature of thedifferent approaches on the part of the designer wouldbe an advantage to allow them to innovate in terms ofthe best way this can be achieved.

Whitehurst (2006) explains how at Sunfield:Children living in the new house operate ondifferent communication levels. Some work withsymbols, some with photographs and some withobjects of reference.

She then comments on the desire to:

incorporate these communication approachesinto the fabric of the building. Carpet tiles weremounted in frames outside the bedrooms so thatstudents could have their name, photo and anysymbols required placed onto the carpet squares.

Woolgrove School Autism Base in Hertfordshireteaches a curriculum based on five points, three ofwhich are as follows:

Presenting information visually as well as orally Relating learning to first-hand experience Providing practical apparatus to help concept

information. (Tutt and Cook, 2000). The National Curriculum remains a framework inmost schools, however its application has becomebroader and more flexible. At Mossbrook School inSheffield, Heather Wood, the head of science states:

Although we teach the National Curriculum, weteach it in a very, individualised way. Science istaught through a demonstration of the physicalphenomena in the world. Its a very practicalapplication of learning.

As Young (2004) argues: This different way ofteaching means that teachers are really using theenvironment as a teaching tool. It would seem anexciting challenge for architects to consider theenvironments they create to be potential learning



40 GAP,10,1,2009

tools for children who learn best from the worldaround them.

E The need to balance security andindependence

Children on the autism spectrum are more vulnerablethan mainstream children and are often unaware of thedangers of the world beyond its given limits.Humphreys point about the importance of good linesof observation is paramount for the well-being of staffas well as children.

As Whitehurst (2006) argues:Having space within which children can beautonomous, with safe levels of unobtrusivemonitoring has encouraged a level of socialinteraction which staff had not witnessed before.Having individual space means a child can make achoice to be alone or to interact.

The need to provide security also needs to be balancedwith the requirement to provide access to the outside.Outside space can provide a stimulating alternativelearning environment for all ages and is an importantpart of broadening the educational experience.

Pitmore Special School in Eastleigh, Hampshire is aschool for children with behavioural and emotionalproblems. The garden at the school is used as analternative to the classroom and is a therapeuticmethod of releasing stress and frustration. AtSunfield, Whitehurst (2006) comments on how theinternal courtyard has had a positive effect on thechildren who live there, She says:

For many of the children having safe, accessible,out-door play has increased their levels ofautonomy and decreased their frustration.

Indeed, whilst a secure out-of-doors environment isdesirable for all children, it is particularly pertinent tochildren on the autism spectrum. Daily Life Therapy,pioneered at the Higashi school in Japan, places greatemphasis on the importance of physical exercisethroughout the teaching day with classroom activitiesstructured in between.

All of the units studied in this paper considered thesiting of the building and its relationship to a secureexternal environment to be of paramount importance.Clearly the opportunity exists for architects to designthe external environment also as a learning tool, witha distinct relationship to the internal, classroomenvironment.

F The need to provide simple andreduced detailing

Simon Humphreys advocates a broad, bold detailing approach with a limited palate of materials.This includes the need to provide a simple colourscheme.

G The requirement for the end-user to be actively involved in the briefbuilding and design process

Users should be consulted throughout the project.The brief should be developed by all parties. Allparties should work as a team towards a commongoal. (BB 95: 2002, p 60).

John Jenkins maintains that its absolutely crucial that somehow the end users are involved in the brief building process. He argues that it is key thatthe end users are buying into the design, so they have some responsibility. Furthermore, ChristopherBeaver of GA Architects emphasises the importance of the feedback study, which they carryout once the building has been occupied for sixmonths.

H Appropriate use of technology to aid the autistic learningexperience

Plimley (2004) notes that all students designing avirtual environment chose to have electrical/computeritems within their design. Computers and game-boys do seem to be popular with children on theautism spectrum.

At Mossbrook School, the architects employed atechnological artist, Susan Collins. She worked withthe architects to devise an innovative approach to theintegration of technology as part of the learningexperience and also as a way of creating a connectionto the world outside the classroom, as a vehicle forlearning.

Employed in an imaginative way, ICT can open up araft of new and enhanced learning opportunities. Thechallenge for architects once again is to consider howthis technology can be innovatively integrated as partof the learning experience.

I Technical specificationSome of the points contained in both BB 77 and in thearticle by Humphreys would appear not to be autism-specific in nature and not capable of being applied



GAP,10,1,2009 41

specifically to designs for this group. Many of thepoints listed, (6, 7 and 8 above), are to be found in BB95; Schools for The Future, Designs for LearningCommunities, DfES: 2002. Section 2.B of thedocument contains guidance on lighting (2.b1);acoustics (2.b2); heating, ventilation and water (2.b3);finishes, fixtures and landscape (2.b4); furniture(2.b5); and access/security (2.c2). This accords with, and develops on, similar guidance given in BB 77 and by Humphreys. The National AutisticSociety has produced a set of architects briefingnotes which contain detailed information on preferredpoints of technical specification in relation todesigning for autism.

John Jenkins of Haverstock Associates makes thepoint that if these and other design issues are not wellconsidered by the architect they will have anincreased detrimental effect on the ability of a childon the autism spectrum to learn. He says:

Mainstream children are probably more able to cope with badly designed spaces than anautistic child would be. So the responsibility tocreate a good environment is brought into sharprelief.

Summary of design criteria A The requirement to provide an ordered and

comprehensible, spatial structureB The requirement to provide a mix of large and

small spacesC The requirement to provide increased control of

the environmental conditions to the userD The requirement to provide for different, autism-

specific teaching methodsE The need to balance security and independenceF The need to provide simple and reduced

detailingG The requirement for the end user to be actively

involved in the brief-building and design processH Appropriate use of technology to aid the learning

experienceI Appropriate technical specification

The second part of this paper analyses fourenvironments which were built specifically forchildren on the autism spectrum. This assesses theextent to which the criteria above have beenaddressed.

The analysis will be conducted under the headings A-I, which form the summary of design criteria.

Case studies

1 New Struan Aitken Turnbull Architecture

New Struan is an independent school run by theScottish Society for Autism. The building alsofunctions nationally as an Autism Centreencompassing other functions including an autismadvisory service, a centre for education and trainingin autism, an education outreach service and aresearch, diagnosis and assessment Centre.

A The plan of the building is an upside down Tshape, with the front of house activities orpublic realm of the Scottish Society for Autismcontained in the horizontal section of the T,which runs east to west. This includes reception,caf and training rooms. Diagnosis andassessment are then contained within the spine ofthe T, beyond a set of secure doors. The spineruns north to south and contains a single storeyatrium space of circulation with classrooms eitherside looking east and west into external play areaswhich are secure. The atrium is the social heartof the school and is a powerful orientation device(see Image 2).

Image 1: The New Struan, Alloa

Image 2: Atrium circulation



42 GAP,10,1,2009

Image 4: Childs painting of the schoolImage 6: Architects image of typical classroomincorporating brise-soleil Credit: Aitken Turnbull

Image 5: Individual tuition spaceCredit: Aitken Turnbull Architecture

Image 3: Classroom threshold space

The classrooms are integrated with the atrium space by threshold spaces or lay-bys, which are personalised and allow the children to assimilate the environmental and spatial change from the atrium space to the classroom. (seeImage 3).

The interface between the internal street and theclassrooms is particularly interesting. Manyautistic children have a fear of difference,including spatial or environmental difference, so thresholds can often feel threatening. Theanterooms smooth the transition between the play space represented by the street and theteaching zone found in the classroom. (Andrew Lester, Aitken Turnbull Architecture).

B The classrooms are smaller than would typically be the case, accommodating a maximumof up to six children. They also incorporate a one-to-one space for individual or small grouptuition (see Image 5). These are visually connectedto the classroom through glazed panels. In thisway a child can receive individual tuition withoutfeeling removed from the social structure of thegroup.

Semi-public areas such as the dining room and libraryoccur along the length of the street and are open toit to allow children to orientate themselves. Theatrium is filled with the childrens paintings of theschool making the space feel personalised as opposedto institutional (see Image 4).

The classroom threshold spaces discussed above alsohelp to bring down the scale of the main, atrium spaceand can be used for small-group activities.

C The classroom section incorporates clerestoreylighting, with a brise-soleil, (see Image 6), whichdiffuses direct sunlight, throwing it up onto theceiling. The windows and doors below this haveopaque blinds, which can be manually operated.The system of artificial lighting mimics the sourceof natural light by throwing light up onto theceiling in the same way, from above theclerestorey sunbreak.



GAP,10,1,2009 43

D The classrooms are structured around theindividual with each child having their ownstructured workstation along the two side walls ofthe space (see Image 7). Nearer the window, tablesprovide for circular, group activities. Pinboardspace is maximised as many autism-specificteaching methods employ visual cues.

finished building in use for the school and the Society.It should be noted that the end user was extensivelyinvolved in every aspect of the design process frombeginning to end.

H Computers are sited at each work station to allowpupils access to ICT. (see Image 7). The schoollibrary also incorporates a great deal ofinformation technology.

I All artificial lighting has high frequency ballastand dimming control. Also classrooms are soundinsulated to a very high standard (150 mm denseconcrete masonry wall, with 19 mm thick denseplaster either side).

Finishes and furniture are designed to be hardwearing, with water-based paints and sealants toreduce the buildings toxicity. Under-floor heating isused to negate direct heat sources. The building doesnot utilise auditory signals.

2 Netley Primary ASD Unit HaverstockAssociates

Image 7: Individual workstationsCredit: Aitken Turnbull Architecture

Image 8: Courtyard at Netley

E The school activities contained within the spine ofthe T are separate from the more public activitiesof the Society and can only be accessed through aset of secure doors, which can not be operated bythe children. The classrooms are either side of theatrium and have a window wall which provides anunobstructed view into the external play areas oneither side. These play areas are completely secureand can be accessed directly from the classroom(see Image 6). Windows are electronicallyoperated by staff to increase security.

F The classroom is designed to be muted in colour,allowing teachers to add stimuli as required. (seeImage 7). Finishes such as carpets and wallcolours are clearly coded to support the spatialhierarchy. The architects have chosen mutedearth colours. The atrium walls are neutral,allowing the childrens paintings to personalisethe space (see Image 4).

G The brief for the building evolved through adialogue between architect and client, includingproposed school staff. Visits were carried out toexisting learning environments for children on theautism spectrum to discover the problems to beavoided in designing a bespoke facility. Thedesign then evolved through a suggestion andappraisal of ideas by architects and staff. Thepersonal experience of Andrew Lester as the fatherof a child with autism was considered invaluable.The end user, The Scottish Society for Autism,was extremely pleased with all aspects of the

Netley ASD Unit is a specialist facility for autismbuilt within the existing grounds of Netley PrimarySchool.

A The unit accommodates two teaching spaces and amulti-purpose therapy room in addition to a staffoffice, toilets and storage areas, in a single storeydesign. The building also accommodates an adulteducation unit. This includes a crche, which isused by Camden LEA as a community facility.

The classrooms are accessed through a privatecourtyard (see Image 8), entered from anelectronically operated gate, whilst the adult unit isaccessed separately from the street (see Image 9).



44 GAP,10,1,2009

The site issues were extremely tight with thearchitects settling on an L-shaped plan, whichretains exclusive private courtyard space for the unit,backed up against an existing corner of the mainschool building.

The two teaching spaces are separated by an entrancelobby which makes use of curves to break the mouldof a rectilinear institutional space. This detail echoesthe baffled walls to the courtyard of the adulteducation unit (see Image 10)

The classrooms have more space per child than wouldtypically be the case as John Jenkins argues, thesekids need a bit of elbow room.

Given that the brief for Netley is for two teachingspaces only, it would be unrealistic to expect a greatermix of spaces over and above this.

C Both classrooms have extensive, floor to ceilingwindows providing good daylight and views to thecourtyard. Roof lights to the rear of eachclassroom provide additional day-lighting andventilation (see Image 12).

Image 10: Entrance to unit

Image 9: Entrance from William Street

B The classrooms are designed as 3D spaces withdifferent areas defined in plan and section tocreate diversity within a single space. Bothclassrooms incorporate a one-to-one orwithdrawal space and a separate wet-room area(see Image 11).

Image 12: Roof lighting to classroom

Image 11: Classroom space

The extensive windows to the courtyard were seen bystaff as providing too much daylight and visualdistraction. As a result the staff have placed opaquepaper over the windows, creating an overlyinternalised environment. The architects have nowproposed integral blinds to subsequent units forchildren on the autism spectrum to allow staff greatercontrol.

D The classrooms maximise pinboard space to allowthe staff and pupils to introduce their own stimuli.Also the one-to-one space is extensively used toemploy different teaching methods like TEACCHand PECS, as the main space can provide manydistractions. Pupils workstations were not built-in to the space in the belief that this would allow



GAP,10,1,2009 45

Image 13: View from classroom to entrance hall

the teaching staff greater flexibility (see Images 11and 12). This was felt by staff to contribute to a lackof order in the teaching environment.

E The entrance to the unit, being through a privatecourtyard is completely secure. The courtyard canonly be accessed through an intercom and CCTVsystem on William Street. The entry systems forthe two separate functions of the building are keptentirely separate (see Image 9).The extensivewindow walls to both classrooms provide goodviews to the courtyard for children and staff (forreasons of supervision). (see Image 10).

F The classrooms are muted, with neutral colours toboth walls and floors. The exception to this is theentrance hall, where the architects have employedcolour and used a curved, green wall to create a morewelcoming but calm atmosphere (see Image 13).

Subsequent to this, Haverstock Associates werecommissioned to carry out the design of the unit atNetley. As stated above, the lack of involvement ofthe end user teaching staff has led to some conflictbetween the way the building is used and the way itwas intended to be used.

H Whilst computers are used in the classrooms atNetley they did not seem to be employed in a waythat was specific to the autism learningexperience.

I Haverstock Associates pursue a green agenda withall buildings and this is reflected in the buildingsuse of water-based paints and non-toxic materials.

Both classrooms have extensive built in storage areas,which can be completely closed off from the teachingspace.

The positioning of some of the ironmongery whichcould be operated by the children was seen by theteaching staff as presenting a security risk. Staff alsosaid they would like to have greater control overlevels of day-lighting within the classroomenvironment.

3 Whitton Gateway ASD Unit, WhittonSchool, Percy Road, Twickenham,London

Research has shown the colour green to have atypically calming effect on people on the autismspectrum (Pauli, Egerton and Carpenter, 19992000).

G Haverstock Associates were commissioned byCamden LEA in 2000, to carry out a genericfeasibility study into autism provision on behalf ofthe local authority. In addition to the records ofmeetings with Camden LEA this documentcontained

Records of visits to existing ASD Units Extensive list of source information (National

Autistic Society briefing documents, brochures forexisting ASD Units)

Records of telephone conversations with otherLEAs

Outline brief for proposed autism units Clearly defined objectives and client requirements

Image 14: Whitton GatewayCredit: GA Architects

Whitton Gateway ASD Unit is a specialist facilityfor secondary children on the autism spectrum. Theunit is situated within the grounds of the existingcampus of a school and also doubles up as a schoolcommunity facility (see Image 14).A Whitton is a large school with many buildings in

its grounds and the site given to the architects wasextremely tight in relation to the brief. The unit is in a corner of the school grounds very remote fromthe entrance so the architects created a separate



46 GAP,10,1,2009

access which allows the children to be dropped offdiscretely at the door, rather than being taken through the busy playground in the morning and evening. The building in a sense turns its back onthe existing school and is intended to be inward looking, private and discrete, with a desire by the architects to create some secluded green space forthe children of the unit. The separate access is doubly important as the school governors wishedthe building to serve as a community facility outside of school hours. The notion of communitywas developed by the architects from the idea thatthe circulation space of the unit would not be justa corridor but would be the main social space andheart of the building (see Image 15).

The circle is a strong platonic geometry and providesa powerful orientation device. The short circulationspace which leads from the entrance to the court isalso designed to feel non-institutional, using curvedwalls and is 2 m wide.

Image 15: Circular court space. School opening with National Autistic Society President,Jane AsherCredit: GA Architects

This has resulted in a circular assembly or courtspace. (see Image 16). All but one of the classroomsopen directly into this court, which also is connectedto the library and external green space. The space iswell lit by picture and clerestorey windows and isdesigned to be calming and non-institutional.

Image 16: Window to circular court

Image 17: main circulation space

Image 18: Classroom picture window

The unit library provides the link between the maincirculation space (see Image 17) and the court,resulting in an extremely strong spatial hierarchy.

B As explained above the key communal spaces aregenerous and are capable of being used forfunctions over and above circulation. Furthermoreall of the classrooms are considerably larger thanwould be the case for mainstream children, with aclassroom average of 45m2 per child for up toeight children, rather than 23m2 for classrooms of2534 children. Classrooms are also designed to beclutter-free with generous integral storage.

Each are well lit by a picture window wall (seeImage 18), which looks into and provides access tothe private green space. The classrooms do notincorporate a one to one space within themselveshowever, which would be useful for undisturbed oneto one working.



GAP,10,1,2009 47

Image 20: Mossbrook Science teaching baseCredit: Sarah Wigglesworth Architects

Image 19: Computer workstations.

C All picture windows to classrooms and the maincourt space have internal blinds to allow teachingstaff to diffuse sunlight as required. These mayhowever be susceptible to interference by thechildren. Artificial lighting has dimming control,which can be operated by the staff to adjustlighting levels as required.

D Classrooms have extensive use of pin-board spacefor visual cues. One classroom was capable ofbeing sub-divided by the use of a built in slidingscreen which allowed more flexibility to thatparticular space.

E All but one of the classrooms has good visual linksto the private, external play space around twosides of the building. The external space has anextensive CCTV system utilised for security andmonitoring. Also the site is next to a busy road andso has a 2 metre high reflective acoustic fencearound the two exposed sides of the building.

The internal court space also operates as a spill outzone for children who need to take time out fromclassroom activity. Windows all have electronic,magnetic locking devices so they can not be operatedby the children.

F The building has a muted colour scheme whichsupports the spatial hierarchy utilising both greenand blue colours which research shows to becalming. The buildings materials and surfaces arerobust. Walls are block-work and plaster, with anextremely hard-wearing cord carpet on the floor. Allpaints and adhesives are non-toxic and water-based.

G The scheme design of the unit was carried out byLondon Borough of Richmond, PrincipalArchitect, Malcolm Nixon. The detail design wasthen taken through the building warrant stage andbeyond by GA Architects, who were employed byRichmond Council on the basis of their detailedknowledge of design for autism.

Malcolm Nixon researched two, bespoke autismunits, analysing the positive and negative aspects oftheir designs and interviewing the head teachers ofboth. Reference was made to BB 77 and to theNational Autistic Societys Briefing Notes forArchitects. Extensive briefing discussions were heldwith the Head of Special Needs at Whitton, MaureenMitchell. Malcolm Nixons extensive experience indesigning special needs facilities over a number ofyears was also important. The input of GA Architectsknowledge was crucial to the design detail of theenvironments created. Malcolm Nixon also has a

child with autism so he has first-hand experience ofthe condition.

The headteacher of the unit, Bob Pullman,representing the end users, was extremely positiveabout the design of the unit, however he was notinvolved in the brief development process. Also, asthe visit was conducted before the unit had officiallyopened he was unable to provide feed-back withrespect to the building in use.

H Computers were set-up to be extensively usedwithin the classroom environment at WhittonGateway (see Image 19). Once again this appearedto be dealt with in a generic way and was notspecific to autism.

I The main court space is naturally ventilated by amono-draft, wind-catcher system in the roof,rather than by any mechanical ventilation, whichcan be noisy and distracting. All classrooms havegenerous built-in storage.

4 Mossbrook Special Primary School, Norton,Sheffield, Sarah Wigglesworth Architects



48 GAP,10,1,2009

Mossbrook Special School is a school for children withsevere disabilities and autism. The unit is a scienceteaching base within the existing grounds of the school, butsited next to a large pond and nature reserve. It is notdesigned exclusively for children with autism but toinclude them (see Image 20).A The unit consists simply of a science classroom (see

Image 21), with three smaller resource rooms, eachdedicated to a different scientific theme.

Image 21: Main science teaching classCredit: Sarah Wigglesworth Architects

Image 23: Individualised teaching spaceCredit: Sarah Wigglesworth Architects

Image 22: Exercise spaceCredit: Sarah Wigglesworth Architects

The other principal space is a ball pool (see Image22), which gives the children instant access tophysical exercise in all weathers. As previouslystated, Daily Life therapy pioneered in Japan stressesthe importance of physical exercise as part of theworking day.

These principal spaces are separated by a hallway, whichprovides access to the units washroom facilities. The unitdoes not have to deal with the complexity of a multipleclass teaching base as do the New Struan and Whittonschools, however the spatial structure is still simple andlegible.

B The three individualised resource rooms are verydifferent in character to the main space and are top lit(see Image 23). They are situated on the north wall ofthe building. They allow the children to receiveindividual or small group teaching, often focusing onspecific demonstrations of scientific processes orproperties. They also allow children to study quietlyaway from the remainder of the class.

C All of the windows to the unit have internal blinds.These are capable of completely blacking out alllight sources for audio visual presentations. Alsothe lighting in the three resource rooms is moresubdued than in the main space allowing childrento retreat to a darker space.

D The architects attempted to create an environmentthat reflected the way these children operate andexperience the world in a number of ways.

Although we teach the National Curriculum, we teach it in a very individualised way. Science is taught through a demonstration of the physical phenomena of the world. Its a very practical application of learning. (HeatherWood, Mossbrook).

This seemed to the architects an exciting opportunityto make a building which was in itself a learning tooland to have elements integrated with the environment



GAP,10,1,2009 49

Image 24: Environment as learning toolCredit: Sarah Wigglesworth Architects

rather than acting as an exhibit (see Image 24). Thebuilding therefore utilises different materials,allowing the children to learn about them at closehand. It has metal walls, which are reflective and gethot and cold, it also has timber externally, whichevolves over time. Polycarbonate sheeting providesan experience of translucency from both inside andout. There is also a living wall to the north sidewhere the building backs onto an existing sensorygarden. It has plywood patterning to the internal wallsand a clear and legible structure of portal frame. Thereare felt covered cupboards and a transparent toiletcistern that illustrates the flush mechanism. It haswindows to the meadow, the sky and a window set into the floor which allows the children to experiencethe movement of life below ground. One of theresource rooms operates as a camera obscura fromwhere you can watch life going on all around thebuilding. Through all of this the building functions asa learning tool for the children of the unit.

balance with something that could be outwardoriented and engage the world beyond theclassroom, whilst at the same time making the kidsfeel secure. On a philosophical level you can seearchitecture as a vessel that gathers the world intoit-self and this building certainly does that in lotsof ways. (Sarah Wigglesworth).

E

Typically it seems a large part of the agenda inrelation to designing for autism seems to be aboutensuring the children can remain withinboundaries with which they are familiar. There aretwo sides to that in that we understand how thelimits of a human environment can providesecurity and be very comforting, but at worst itcould reflect confinement. We wanted to create a

The building forms a natural gateway to a natureconservation area (see Image 25). The teaching spaceoverlooks this area, which enables the children toexperience the natural habitat of plants and animals allaround. Indeed the building is intended to encouragewildlife to inhabit places within it. There is a window underthe building and the hope is to encourage a badger sett tolive there. The crib wall to the north is home to a myriadof plants and wildlife. The teaching space has framed viewsof the meadow, picture windows and a balcony thataddresses the pond. The clerestory lets in a different type oflight from the north and gives a view of the sky.Additionally there are plasma screens, which often show anenhanced view of things. Cameras are mounted on andaround the building and the pond, bringing an enhancedview of the world into the classroom.

This notion of bringing the outside world into theclassroom was one of the drivers for getting Susan Collinson board, an artist who specialises in the use of electronicmedia.

F As stated in section D above, The building utilisesdifferent materials for their natural properties to enablethe children to experience natural processes in animmediate way.

The three resource rooms are rendered in different coloursto reflect different qualities. In this way the children areable to access a variety of environmentally different spacesdepending on their mood. Over and above the limitedpalette of materials described in Section D, the building is detailed in a simple fashion, allowing the naturalqualities of the materials to take precedence. The walls tothe pond and meadow are white, with a very neutral, lightgrey vinyl floor.

Image 25: Relationship to natureCredit: Sarah Wigglesworth Architects



G The Classrooms for The Future project was set up by theDfES in 2002 and resulted in 27 new primary schoolprojects around the UK. Individual projects wereintended to explore the Governments latest educationinitiatives about responding to educational andtechnological change. Chiles (2002) contains a critiqueof 4 of the Classrooms for the Future constructed inSheffield, including Mossbrook.

The building design evolved through a dialogue andconsultation with staff and pupils. Head teacher, MaggieBrough and head of science, Heather Wood, wereintensively involved in the development of the design andin the proposal to include this design in the Classrooms forThe Future project. The school council was on board buttook a back seat allowing the two members of staff topursue their agenda as end users. The University ofSheffield students carried out interactive work with thepupils, who built models and did extensive drawingsillustrating what they wanted from their environment.

There was certainly an opportunity provided bythe school and specifically Maggie and Heather toachieve a special little building. They areincredibly passionate and committed individualswho had thought very hard about what theywanted to achieve with this teaching space. Their positivity and openness to innovation put us up to things which may have been more difficultto achieve in a more typical school building.(Sarah Wigglesworth).

H The architects, children and teaching staffcollaborated with artist Susan Collins to developways of incorporating technology into the teachingspace. This was one of the key generators of theClassrooms for The Future project. Susan Collinsworks with electronic media, exploring theirrelationship with architectural spaces and theirsurrounding environment.

Webcams are thus located in the conservation area,recording the movements of wildlife and transmittingimages onto plasma screens located inside theclassroom. There is a boat in the pond, fitted with anunderwater camera, which the children can controlfrom inside the classroom to observe wildlife withinthe pond. The children are also able to control thecamera obscura to record the landscape beyond theclassroom.

The building also incorporates state of the art digitalprojection apparatus into the teaching space as well asa number of computer work stations.

I Finishes and furniture are typically hard wearing.The flooring material is a heavy duty vinyl.

A removable panel in the floor provides a view onthe buildings systems to allow the children agreater understanding of the workings of theirenvironment. Sarah Wigglesworth pursues arigorous green agenda and this is reflected in theuse of water based paints and sealants to reduce thebuildings toxicity.

Concluding commentsThis paper has focused on providing a critique of theexisting body of knowledge with respect to the designof educational environments for children on theautism spectrum, drawing out a number of key designcriteria. It has then focused on a number of designs toassess in practice the implementation of those criteriaand to discover where possible where furtherinnovative approaches may exist.

There is clearly a requirement on the part of thedesigner to be aware of the issues contained within thecritique of the body of knowledge. Where theseissues are not addressed they will have a detrimentaleffect on the ability of the child to learn or functioneffectively within their environment. Beyond thesefew simple rules architects should be striving to beconstantly innovative. The opportunity exists to createdesigns which rather than the provision of a neutralcontainer provide environments for learning, ofwhich the Mossbrook model is an exemplar. Clearlythis type of space allows teachers and otherprofessionals to utilise the environment in a way thatbenefits visual learning. Through this approach theterm learning space becomes particular to theexperience of the individuals who use it.

Lastly, the body of knowledge which exists withrespect to designing for autism is not readily availableto designers. Educational professionals and architectswould both benefit if design guidance were availablein a concise and accessible form. Furthermore, designprogrammes investigating the creation of theclassroom environment as learning tool, would be awonderful opportunity for students and teachers tofurther investigate the possibilities of this type ofintervention.

ReferencesBeaver, C (2003) Breaking the mould Communication 37(3), 40.

Beaver, C (2006) Designing environments for childrenand adults with autistic spectrum disorder, Paperpresented to International Conference on Autism CapeTown: 22 August 2006.

50 GAP,10,1,2009



Chiles, P (2003) Classroom for the future: an adventurein design and research ARQ.

Department for Education and Employment (2003)Schools for the future: Designs for learningcommunities London: DfEE.

Department for Education and Employment (2005)Building Bulletin 77 Designing for People with Special Educational Needs and Disabilities in SchoolsLondon: DfEE.

Department for Education and Skills (2004) Key designguidance for schools, updated August 2004 London:DfES.

Department for Education and Employment (2001)Building Bulletin 94 Inclusive school design:accommodating pupils with special educational needsin mainstream schools London: DfEE.

Grandin, T (1995) Thinking in pictures New York:Doubleday.

Harker, M and King, N (2002) Designing for specialneeds: an architects guide to briefing and designingoptions for living for people with learning disabilitiesRIBA/The Shirley Foundation.

Humphrey, S (2005) Autism and architecture Autism London Bulletin Feb/Mar 2005 available from www.autismlondon.org.uk /pdf-files/bulletin_feb-mar_2005 (accessed 14 April 2009).

Ludlow, A K, Wilkins, A J and Heaton, P (2006) The effect of coloured overlays on reading ability in children with autism Journal of Autism andDevelopmental Disorders 36 (4), 507516.

National Autistic Society Architects briefing notesLondon: National Autistic Society.

Pauli, D (2006) Contact through colour Special Children173, 3033.

Plimley, L (2004) Analysis of a student task to create anautism friendly environment Good Autism PracticeJournal 5 (2), 35 41.

Prashnig, B (2004) Colour me beautiful Education Today 6.

Sinnott, K (2003) Hope Project: La Pilar Learning CentreArchitectural Association of Ireland: Building Material.

Tutt, R and Cook, J (2000) Welcome to my world SpecialChildren 2427

Whitehurst, T (2006) Evaluation of features specific toan ASD designed living accommodation Sunfield school:Sunfield Research Institute.

Whitehurst, T (2006) The impact of building design onchildren with autistic spectrum disorders Sunfieldschool: Sunfield Research Institute.

Young, E (2004) Special deeds RIBA Journal July 2004,5860

GAP,10,1,2009 51

AQAuthor toProvide an issuenumber on Proof


/ColorImageDict > /JPEG2000ColorACSImageDict > /JPEG2000ColorImageDict > /AntiAliasGrayImages false /CropGrayImages true /GrayImageMinResolution 300 /GrayImageMinResolutionPolicy /OK /DownsampleGrayImages true /GrayImageDownsampleType /Bicubic /GrayImageResolution 300 /GrayImageDepth -1 /GrayImageMinDownsampleDepth 2 /GrayImageDownsampleThreshold 1.50000 /EncodeGrayImages true /GrayImageFilter /DCTEncode /AutoFilterGrayImages true /GrayImageAutoFilterStrategy /JPEG /GrayACSImageDict > /GrayImageDict > /JPEG2000GrayACSImageDict > /JPEG2000GrayImageDict > /AntiAliasMonoImages false /CropMonoImages true /MonoImageMinResolution 1200 /MonoImageMinResolutionPolicy /OK /DownsampleMonoImages true /MonoImageDownsampleType /Bicubic /MonoImageResolution 1200 /MonoImageDepth -1 /MonoImageDownsampleThreshold 1.50000 /EncodeMonoImages true /MonoImageFilter /CCITTFaxEncode /MonoImageDict > /AllowPSXObjects false /CheckCompliance [ /None ] /PDFX1aCheck false /PDFX3Check false /PDFXCompliantPDFOnly false /PDFXNoTrimBoxError true /PDFXTrimBoxToMediaBoxOffset [ 0.00000 0.00000 0.00000 0.00000 ] /PDFXSetBleedBoxToMediaBox true /PDFXBleedBoxToTrimBoxOffset [ 0.00000 0.00000 0.00000 0.00000 ] /PDFXOutputIntentProfile () /PDFXOutputConditionIdentifier () /PDFXOutputCondition () /PDFXRegistryName () /PDFXTrapped /False

/Description > /Namespace [ (Adobe) (Common) (1.0) ] /OtherNamespaces [ > /FormElements false /GenerateStructure false /IncludeBookmarks false /IncludeHyperlinks false /IncludeInteractive false /IncludeLayers false /IncludeProfiles false /MultimediaHandling /UseObjectSettings /Namespace [ (Adobe) (CreativeSuite) (2.0) ] /PDFXOutputIntentProfileSelector /DocumentCMYK /PreserveEditing true /UntaggedCMYKHandling /LeaveUntagged /UntaggedRGBHandling /UseDocumentProfile /UseDocumentBleed false >> ]>> setdistillerparams> setpagedevice

37.3 Scott Article 4 Designs

Documents

Transcript of 37.3 Scott Article 4 Designs