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20 JUNE 2011
Nightingale and Kier Moss have completed a Post-16 facility in Newbury for young people with Special Education Needs (SEN). The new building is designed to meet the requirements of up to 30 students with various learning difficulties, including autistic spectrum disorders. The team was appointed by West Berkshire Council after winning a design competition as part of a Kier Moss-led supply chain.
The building is situated alongside the existing site of Newbury College and the land surrounding it. It is hoped that being located within the grounds of the mainstream college will assist the pupils of The Castle School in continuing onto higher education.
The building’s orientation and siting has been designed to maximise the spatial quality of the teaching spaces using natural daylight, the best surrounding views and protection from sources of noise.
The building is arranged in a horseshoe shape around a ‘sensory’ landscaped garden. This allows the wings of the building to be visually and physically connected. From aromatic plants smelling of curry (helichrysum italicum to tactile plants such as Lamb’s Ear (stachys byzantina), planting in four raised beds has been chosen to symbolise touch, taste, smell and colour. These provide a rich variety of textures, aromas, sights and sounds to sooth and enrich the students’ experience. All of the plants are edible to avoid harm. Curved benches shadowing each raised bed are positioned to provide easy interaction between those seated and wheelchair users. A water feature chosen by the school provides a focal point to the garden.
A light and airy common room located centrally within the building has direct access to the garden, providing opportunities for outdoor study and recreation. Administration and staff support areas orientate around the main entrance to enhance security and enable passive supervision. The kitchen, plant and other services are located along the northern elevation adjacent to the car park, and classrooms and specialist teaching spaces are arranged in two wings running south.
To aid orientation, pictorial signage illustrates the activity within each room. Students are given a matching graphic symbol, which can then be placed on a velcro pad below each sign. Interior finishes have been selected to make it easier for partially sighted individuals to find their way around. The colour scheme also matches that used in the existing Castle School, making the transition from one environment to another easier while also creating a sense of belonging and identity.
A mixed palette of materials is used to compliment the natural setting and adjacent buildings, with hard materials used on the ‘acoustic edge’ to the car park and softer materials such as glass and timber used to connect the building with the garden and landscape beyond. Building flexibility is provided by minimal fixed furniture, a range of different sized rooms, and acoustic movable partitions between classrooms.
The new school building has been designed to achieve a BREEAM rating of ‘Excellent’ through the specification of materials with low embodied energy and the use of natural ventilation. The plan has also been created to capture and utilise natural resources, such as the wind in the east/west cross-ventilation and the use of daylight suited to the classrooms. Clerestory glazing provides solar passive gain in winter and external louvers prevent overheating in summer. Large overhanging eaves screen the classrooms from direct sunlight.