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.
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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.
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Whether it be daydreaming (attention deficit)
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Or moving around & seeking attention (hyperactive)
Two Design Solutions Program Design
Space Design
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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
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Windows, natural light
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Landmarks,wayfinders
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People, community
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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
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Prioritize Community & Nature
• Maximize habitat restoral space • Resurface Sausal & School Creek • Add a central entrance for park space
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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
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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.