Jonathan Porat

Reimagining School with ADHD in Mind

Jonathan Porat www.JonathanPorat.com

Advisor: Kelly Vresilovic Senior Project 2022

NARRATIVE what is ADHD?

This can be especially felt in places that lack interest.

2

1

note: ADHD does not lower interest, it lowers tolerance for un-interesting.

The ADHD brain creates less dopamine. ... Which can lead to a brain often feeling anxious.

But kids with ADHD are good at working around the lack of dopamine.

3

Whether it be daydreaming (attention deficit)

4

Or moving around & seeking attention (hyperactive)

Two Design Solutions Program Design

Space Design

1

2

Design Opportunity Kids with ADHD go out of theirwaytofinddopamine.

And sometimes they do it in unconventional ways.

Design opportunity: allow

kidstofinddopaminein ways that create moments of learning and growing. boring!!!

meaningful details!

PROGRAM DESIGN LEARN

-Classrooms -Study areas -Library -Staff Space

PLAY

Natural play space

•

Phase 1 allows the community & nature to acclimate to the park space and facilities before student use.

COMMUNITY

Central Gathering space Amphitheater

ART

Art studio Music studio Maker space Gallery space

4. Forgetful & Disorganized •

1. Community/Nature Priority

Give each program its own architectural language, for better spacial awareness

5. Not good at slowing down •

Allow for more time to wind down from high stimulus activities.

2. Negative self-image • •

Elevate the importance of activities and skills outside of the classroom.

All kids should be proud of something.

3. Forgetful & Disorganized • •

Simplify the school day by using a loop system 2 loops = 1 full day

typ. school circulation

SPACE DESIGN

(LOTS OF TEXT, YOU GOT THIS!)

What I am trying to avoid - liminal space Liminal space • Lacks a sense of location and time • Causes anxiety • The result of treating architecture and people like machines

What I am trying to do - mindfulness • Reduce anxiety and stress • Help people feel grounded and mindful • Mindfulness - “maintaining a moment-by-moment

awareness of our thoughts, feelings, bodily sensations, and surrounding environment, through a gentle, nurturing lens.” -Greater Good Science Center

How to remove liminal from a space?

Answer: Qualities that create a sense of location and time

• Local building materials & methods • Windows, natural light • Landmarks,wayfinders • People, community • Nature, wildlife

Photo from Fruitvale Elementary School (4 blocks away from my site)

human

What I am Inspired by - Ruins!

• Ruins tell a story of 2 sides • Human and Nature • One without the other and you lose what feels dynamic • Rooted in context and history nature • Ruins are reusable by humans and nature • Ruins, similar to nature, are honest about the impact of weather and time • Ruins celebrate imperfection •

Local building materials & methods

•

Windows, natural light

•

Landmarks,wayfinders

•

People, community

•

Nature, wildlife the missing piece

Caspar Friedrich, Monastery ruin Eldena

In my project I set out to play with the dialectic between man-made and nature.

The dynamic feeling of ruins is ideal for helping people feel grounded in spaces.

Its important to have moments that grab attention and take people out of their auto brain loop. Ruins achieve this and do it in a very non-liminal way.

SITE RESEARCH - OAKLAND, CA

CLIMATE

Wood Park

Key Takeaways

N

HISTORY

-No cooling needed, just cross ventilation -Allow for solar heat gain in the morning -Prioritize water conservation

OAKLAND CENTRAL RESERVOIR

-Reservoir excavation moved on top of Sausal creek 1910 -Sausal Creek culverted 1910 -McKillop Rd placed on new hill 1915

-McKillop Rd Landslides 1936 -Converted into park 1976

Current Status of Wood Park Underutilized due to poor access and lack of amenities

DESIGN PROCESS

NOTEBOOK

Many key design elements surfaced while thinking through ideas in my notebook.

Program design

TRACE PAPER

I constantly used trace paper as a tool to test ideas.

Testing trace drawings with 3d models

Fall critique site plan

RHINO 3D MODELING

Rhino allowed me to always test new layouts, forms, and materials.

Initial rhino model

Fall quarter - week 9

Winter quarter - week 4

Spring quarter - week 5

1

Prioritize Community & Nature

• Maximize habitat restoral space • Resurface Sausal & School Creek • Add a central entrance for park space

2

School Design

• Amphitheater • Gallery Space • Creek Nature Trail • Resource Center

ENTRANCE Project Wayfinder

Recycled planters

ProjectWayfinderDesign

The strong earth block facade creates a meaningful thr

7heentrancehidestheYiewoIthecommXnityanda

Extend elevator shaft to create a

wayfinder

Pull in southern corners to ensure is always on one visible face

Simplify

The earth block shields a lot of the noise from the stree

Material Palette Exposed Timber ,nXenceLocaOEXiOdingmateriaO 6trXctXresystemPostEeam Shingles ,nXenceLocaOEXiOdingmateriaO 6trXctXresystemWoodIrame Earth Block ,nXence6XstainaEiOity 6trXctXresystemLoadEearing 4XaOities6oXnd,7hermaOmass

The concrete landscaped nursery contrasts the natural Approaching the park from the entry, the facade goes

reshold when entering.

artareawiththeprojectwayfinder.

et and gives the sidewalk a fun texture.

space, allowing the brain to acknowledge the entrance and leave one’s brain loop. from heavy earth walls to a transparent breathable structure.

CLASSROOM DESIGN -INSPIRATIONDELFT MONTESSORI SCHOOL

1

HERMAN HERTZBERGER - 1960

breakout space 2

Operable elements

Transition activities that alter the spacial quality and teach kids about sustainability.

central space

1. Sliding Solar Panels • Teach students about the power of the sun, and how much a solar panel generates.

2. Ceiling curtains • Allows students to visualize cross ventilation • Softens light and noise

Tea house entrance

CENTRAL SPACE

(RENDERING FROM WINTER QUARTER)

BREAKOUT SPACE

(RENDERING FROM WINTER QUARTER)

-INSPIRATIONIMPERIAL VILLA KATSURA KOBORI ENSHU - 1620

Actual images copyright 2005 Arie Kutz

Playful Pathways • Pathway plays with texture, boundaries, view, and threshold Earth Walls • Earth shell breaks down as nature space gets closer • Earth walls break down in the interior learning

Structure Contrast • Non-earth wall structure is light and touches the site minimally • Structures placed in nature (Art & Play) use recycled materials and take advantage of modular design

EARTH BLOCKS Extension of Nature

Community Built

Flexible System

-INSPIRATIONEARTH BRICKS

YASUHIRO YAMASHITA X ATELIER TEKUTO - 2011

MUURATSALO EXPERIMENTAL HOUSE

ALVAR AALTO - 1954

PATHWAY TO RESOURCE CENTER The pathway to the resource center highlights the earth block’s potential to create lively, textured

5th

K

VIEW FROM AMPHITHEATER

BR BR

Public entry

GALLERY SPACE APPROACH The gallery space’s colorful panels are removable allowing for new artwork to always be shown.

The bridge also uses the same modular panel system allowing everyone to better understand how the system works at a smaller scale. For this transition space, I want to convert energy into curiosity.

Gallery

ProjectReflection Growing up with ADHD presented many challenges. If it wasn’t for my parents moving me to a private school in the 4th grade, I think my life would look very different. While I am very lucky, the majority of kids with ADHD have to adapt to a school system not designed for them.

Instead of improving a school with a better student-to-teacher ratio, or money, I wanted to improve a school with architecture. I started the design thinking the school was for kids with ADHD but as time went on I realized (with the help of my jurors) that the school would better serve everyone.

This project has been rewarding in so many ways. As I look back at my progress work, I feel relieved and proud that I kept on pushing through the challenges and awkwardness. If I knew how much work and how many iterations it would take I am not sure I would have stuck with it. Also, the research I did helped me better understand how my brain works and what I should do to be more productive (something I really needed). This year has expanded my brain so much. I am super grateful that I found my way to this project.

Thanks, Kelly and all of the jurors along the way.