The Design
The building has been designed in a way that ensures that all members of staff have good visibility of those approaching the school. It is also aesthetically pleasing and allows natural light to fill the rooms.
The slate wall has been reconditioned from old Glasgow Tenements. As well as its aesthetic function and appeal, one of the main reasons for the slate wall being brought in from the exterior gives the young people a signifier of the temperature outside. It also gives the impression of being in the park even more as of where it is situated. The school is bookended by this slate wall and it is an identifier of the 'senior' area of the school- they use materials and colours to identify different areas of the school.
The flooring signifies transitioning into different areas. This can be found as you enter different sections of the school e.g cafeteria classrooms etc. This flooring is especially helpful for those using canes.
The trailing wall allows for independence. The young person knows to follow the wall with their cane and independently. The 'stops' or intervals along the way can signify which point in the school they are at by using textured flooring or coloured walls. The structure is made from cork and also cleverly has been designed so that storage is integrated. These are aspects I can introduce into my design and would work well within the space.
The gym hall has large windows much like the rest of the building and various equipment for the young people to use. There are hoists present for those who require them to be moved around the space. There is also a large soft play area with a floor trampoline, which is used for activites such as re bound therapy.
The changing area for the hydropool has an adjustable changing bed with a ceiling tracking hoist. The wall mounted plinths are aesthetically pleasing, however, they are impractical. It is extremely difficult to manoeuvre around the bed and causes strain to both the staff and young person. This is a great thing to be considered when designing for certain areas within the hotel project.
The hydropool is always around 34-36 degrees. This is to ensure that during physiotherapy, those who are using the pools muscles are relaxed and free to move. A tracking hoist is also available to move the young person in and out of the pool. Normally, they refrain from murals or distractions/clutter on the wall, however, in recent years they have added the murals with the change in demographics over the past number of years.
The building itself has been designed in a way that it curves and moves with the landscape. It has also been designed this way as straight and long corridors can be daunting for those with sensory impairments. The curves allow them to see an endpoint, and also allows for canes to ultimately hit off a surface eventually. This is something to be considered and possibly implemented within my hotel design.