Maxwellton Primary Greenburn School Design for All Foundation Awards 2014
Design for All Foundation Awards 2014
Stallan Brand, in conjunction with Kier Construction was appointed in 2011 to design and deliver a new purpose built, fully integrated school building to house both the mainstream Maxwellton Primary School with Nursery and Greenburn School, serving children with mental and physical disabilities in East Kilbride, Scotland. This building was to become a first of its kind in Scotland and would act as a benchmark for all future schools.
by Colours inspired es ap sc Scottish Land
Paint Colours
Thistles and Heathers
Vinyl Graphics Colours
Classroom Furniture trays
Classroom Chairs
Design for All Foundation Awards 2014
Introduction The school design accommodates 15 classrooms in total, 8 of which are for Maxwellton and 7 for Greenburn. The school ethos is that both schools, although run and managed separately, are spatially and technically fully integrated, creating a vibrant and cohesive social learning experience. The school has a number of specialised activity spaces due to specific pupil requirements and impairments. These include the hydrotherapy pool, sensory learning, soft play room, timeout space and a number of therapy suites to respond to the requirements of each of the disabilities listed below: • • • • •
Cognition and learning (dyslexia, autistic) Behavioral, emotional and social (social difficulties withdrawn isolated, disruptive hyperactive) Communication and interaction (hearing, speech or language impairment, autistic), Sensory and / or physical (deafness or visual impairment), Health And Personal care needs
Inclusive design principals were inherent to the initial design concept of the school. A coordinated and holistic approach was adopted with regards access, space, awareness, learning and ultimately, safety . An appealing, accessible school environment has been delivered which promotes a strong sense of belonging and self-worth, which is paramount to the pupils health and social development. The internal colour scheme for the wall finishes, signage and furniture was inspired by the calming colours found in the natural Scottish landscape. Pink thistles, purple heathers, muted green ferns and pale blue sky’s. To continue the theme and add personality to key spaces, images of native Scottish animals have been used as super-graphics. Silhouettes of thistles, heathers and butterflies have been used throughout for manifestations to soften large areas of glazing. Boardmaker symbols have been utilised to identify rooms and areas used by the children with additional support needs, these symbols are also used on Greenburn schools timetable.
Timetable
9:00 10:00
Monday
English
Wednesday Thursday Friday
by Colours inspired s Scottish Landscape
Maths
Art
Technology
Science
English
English
Maths
Maths
Thistles and Heathers
English
2.35 Art
Lunch Time (12:45 - 1:45)
Maths
1.45
Maths Break Time (10:45 - 11:05)
Tuesday
11:05 11.55
Paint Colours
English
Vinyl Graphics Colours
Art
Classroom Furniture trays
Classroom Chairs
Design for All Foundation Awards 2014
Welcome Access The location of Maxwellton Primary and Greenburn School benefits from good transport links and is within close proximity to other local schools and community facilities. This allows the school to work in partnership with the local community to support children with specific needs and disabilities. Greenburn school is one of the only schools in the area to offer specific hydrotherapy, physiotherapy and physical therapy activities. The site has been design to be barrier free with entirely level access to allow positive exploration and accessibility throughout, with specific areas of raised landscape for relaxing, exploration and even climbing. An enhanced drop-off and collection bay is provided to ensure that the Greenburn pupils can easily access the school. Maxwellton and Greenburn pupils arrive separately to ease congestion and allow children with impairments to enter the school without distraction. The arrival and departure experience is controlled and regulated from within the gymnasium, where children can safely muster prior to distribution to their classrooms. A high level of security has been integrated throughout the school. Control mechanisms are in place to ensure all doors are monitored, alarmed and electronically operated to ensure pupils are not able to leave the school without supervision. Ultimately the school offers enhanced protection to vulnerable children leaving them feeling safe, cared for and content. To preserve the identity of both schools, neither logo was used on the main entrance, instead an image of a large stag is placed on the front entrance to give maximum impact and offer a sense of protection as well as setting the tone for the graphics inside. The school logos are celebrated within the double height space adjacent to the main entrance waiting area. The nursery entrance to the left of the main door is marked by thistles, heathers, butterflies and a large ladybug to provide a friendly welcome to the children.
Design for All Foundation Awards 2014
In the classroom 9:00am Internal Learning Greenburn classrooms are specifically designed to facilitate an effective learning environment for children with additional support needs. Throughout the school there are areas which have a vinyl floor finish which is easily cleaned and maintained. All classrooms, therapy rooms, sensory and soft play areas have H-frame tracking to allow the use of hoists when required, and all areas are fully wheelchair accessible. All Greenburn classrooms have an adjacent retreat room with a mirrored, two-way window to provide supervised privacy. A height-adjustable sink and touch screen TV has also been provided in each teaching area.
Generally, additional space has been provided throughout the school to allow free movement, the use of specialist equipment, generous personal space, and provision for the additional staff and storage than is required in a mainstream school facility.
Internal circulation has been fully considered, the omission of doors within the main circulation areas was achieved by means of a fire engineered solution to provide a safe, barrier free environment.
The inclusive approach of two schools within a single building means that classrooms used by each school are distributed throughout the building. Greenburn School and Maxwellton Primary classrooms are identified by large wayfinding signage in a design similar to the Boardmaker symbols, using a different colour palette to highlight which school the classroom is used by.
We have provided a simple, rational and easily understood building layout which enhances the pupils understanding of their school environment and also relates to the movement patterns dictated by the curriculum activities and has been designed to enhance the circulation and the day to day operation of the school. Open plan spaces have been designed to be sufficiently The school is designed around an open plan central atrium, where generous to reduce distraction and interruption of teaching activities. All internal circulation spaces have been designed to many of the shared spaces are brought together in the heart of the school building and experienced by both schools, such as the be light and airy with an uplifting ambience to encourage positive behavior and contented school-children. Wayfinding signage has ICT suite, library and general purpose areas. It was our view that been designed to be clear and easily understood and is linked to it was important to provide spaces which benefitted from natural the curriculum ‘symbology’ taught to the pupils. daylight and ventilation. This was made possible by the use of clearstory glazing which is used both to bring natural daylight into An enlarged glass balustrade provided at the central atrium the heart of the school and allow the natural ventilation strategy, maximises natural daylight into the space and enabling visual also enabling teachers to control the thermal comfort of each connections between spaces, enhancing the children’s of the teaching spaces. Classrooms and communal spaces for awareness of their environment and reducing apprehension. The both schools are distributed throughout both levels, allowing full glass screen also allows effective passive supervision by teachers integration and enabling all children to benefit from the natural and support staff. progression ‘through the school’.
A number of children use walking aids and require space to develop skills in use of this equipment. Therefore, circulation areas The colour palette is extended into the classroom where chairs are designed to be generously proportioned to provide adequate space for use of walking aids and also for two wheelchair users to and other items are picked out in colours to match the colours of graphics and imagery on wall surfaces and glazing, and providing pass safely and easily in opposite directions. visual contrast against the neutral white walls.
Design for All Foundation Awards 2014
Library / GP 10:00am Internal Environment The internal design of the school forms part of the sensory experience for the children and was developed with input provided by staff from both schools. Sensory awareness was provided through visual contrast, light, colour, signage and texture, with specific sensory way-finding. The internal colour palette was carefully selected to reduce the overall level of stimuli and create a calming, relaxed background to learning. The previously described child-friendly graphics theme was introduced represents the colour and wildlife found in the local rural environment. The colour palette reflects the flora and fauna of the Scottish Landscape taking inspiration from the pink heather, purple thistles, blue lochs and green glens. We felt it was extremely important to propose a variety of flexible and adaptable spaces that would perform as general purpose learning spaces and provide a range of sizes of spaces for learning that could be relevant to individual needs. The health and well-being of the children is enhanced through natural ventilation and a controlled thermal environment. Specialist medical, therapy and hydrotherapy facilities are provided along with specific hygiene control spaces. Greenburn School has space and provision for a variety of learning experiences such as: • • • • • • • •
Art and Science Performing Arts – music movement and drama Library and Learning Resource ICT Trampoline Hall Dining Assembly PE
Visual contrasts are provided throughout the school to assist the visually impaired and enhance wayfinding. The floor is finished with a dark grey carpet to all circulation areas, which contrasts with the neutral white wall finishes and door frames have also been painted dark grey to contrast with wall surfaces. The carpet is a loop pile type and helps to facilitate use by people using mobility equipment. The colour choice also helps to minimise glare which can be uncomfortable for people with a visual impairment. Cloakroom areas have been positioned in small spaces located within the atrium. This helps to minimise congestion in the corridor and keep circulation spaces free of obstacles. Larger cloakroom areas have been provided for storing mobility equipment. The Library is decorated with a large window decal of a young person reading, using a literal representation of a person reading helps reaffirm the use of the space for children. The library is also identified by the Boarmaker symbol for the area. Throughout the school, each open-plan general-purpose space has been identified by the image of a different Scottish animal, enhancing the wayfinding strategy.
Design for All Foundation Awards 2014
Break Time 10:45am Playground The playground has been designed to be fully accessible and inclusive and direct outdoor access for curriculum learning and social activities is possible. A large playground accessible to both schools is included to encourage social interaction both through play and learning, achieving synergistic experiences. At times, such an environment can become overwhelming for Greenburn pupils, so a separate secure playground area is also provided, which includes a variety of features such as an orchard, eco garden, sensory paving and adequate space for the specialist play equipment required. We have designed the outdoor play spaces to be simple, clear and rational. The outdoor spaces were developed to enrich learning, teaching and recreation. Sensory paving, planting, habitat and texture has been proposed to enrich the sensory experience and to encourage social independence and exploration skills based around the learning experience for the pupils. Both playground areas have been located and positioned to minimize distraction and potential stresses of any activity on the nearby road, providing a restful environment to encourage play. External doors leading to the playground are marked by the image of a highland cow, similar in colour to the playground soft play mating. As with all the other areas, the appropriate Boardmaker symbols has been used to highlight the playground exit.
Design for All Foundation Awards 2014
Lunch Time 12:45pm Dining Hall The dining area has been designed to be large enough to permit an integrated social dining experiences. This space has again been maximised to allow for the specialised walking equipment and wheelchairs. The space also has the dual purpose of a general purpose space and can allow for example, trampoline activities, arts and crafts. Towards the opposite end of the school the gymnasium is located. The gym allows combined games and activities for both schools. It is also used for school assemblies and has a dedicated front of stage lift platform as well as a rear stage access lift for performances which require on and off movement such as awards and prize giving ceremonies. The easy stage access also encourages drama and music lessons which can easily be performed to groups of parents and others within the community. Large expanses of glazing are provided to both of these key spaces to capture as much natural daylight as possible adding to the wellbeing of the children. On entering the dining hall the corridor is marked with the appropriate Boardmaker symbol. The signage uses the pale purple heather colour which is also used in the vinyl floor covering. The entrance and exit doors have cartoon sketched food items on them to continue the literal connection to the use of the room. The Scottish theme is continued with a large barn owl which highlights the servery wall with a JM Barrie quote ‘Always be a little kinder than necessary’.
Design for All Foundation Awards 2014
Hydrotherapy Pool 1:45pm The hydrotherapy pool was designed to be safe and accessible to all. Two hydraulic hoists have been provided to encourage social interaction and communication. Specific changing and cleaning facilities have also been provided with additional room for movement and hoist transfer. Full height glazing has been provided once again to maximize daylight into the space as well as black out blinds which transform the pool into a full sensory experience with light, movement and sound. To provide privacy to the hydrotherapy pool frosted vinyl has been applied to the glazing, to add elements of colour and imagery such as, thistles, heathers and butterflies have been added to the glazing. Boardmaker symbols have been applied to the entrance corridor to highlight the hydrotherapy entrance.
Design for All Foundation Awards 2014
Sensory Room 2:35pm A dedicated sensory room was important to offer a multi-sensory experience for a whole range of sensory needs within the school, from profound and permanent deafness and visual impairment through to lesser ambient levels of disability. Children with learning and social, behavioural needs also benefit from both the sensory room and soft play room. Both rooms have track hoists to assist those pupils who may need specialist support. Once again additional space is provided to allow unobstructed movement, space to crawl and roll about and to allow for wheelchairs, standing frames, mobility aids and hoist transfer.
Design for All Foundation Awards 2014
Home Time 3:30pm Safety Fire safety and evacuation procedures have been carefully designed and considered with barrier free evacuation to all areas of the school. A full evacuation strategy is in place along with enhanced smoke detection, smoke clearance and sprinkler systems. The fire strategy introduces an enlarged disabled refuge room where two or more Greenburn classes can be combined with enhanced fire protection to allow for slower evacuation timings. A dedicated evacuation lift is provided to assist with mobility impairment evacuation. This approach and methodology allows Greenburn children access to the first floor, making the whole school fully accessible to all users.
In Summary Maxwellton Primary and Greenburn School is a ‘state of the art’ fully inclusive education facility that: •
Encompasses a range of additional support – learning, behavioral, therapy, sensory, hydro, personal care
•
Can respond to a variety of specific requirements
•
Can adapt to a range of teaching and learning approaches
•
Provides a comprehensive sensory adventure
•
Encourages social interaction, communication and contact
•
Offers a range of outdoor exploration
•
Ultimately cares for the health and personal care of all pupils.
Maxwellton Primary Greenburn School Design for All Foundation Awards 2014