The project by Julia Pogoda, a student of the Faculty of Architecture at Wroclaw University of Technology, was shortlisted for the Audience Award and the Grand Prize of the competition entitled Autistic Care organized by UNI competitons. The task was to design a care center for children on the autism spectrum, which could be built in Middlefield in the United States. The Polish woman's proposal is a premise divided into four buildings that includes sensory zoning, transition zones and an extensive shelter system.
The presented competition entry, entitled Autistic Childcare Center, is a development of an engineering design done under the direction of Agnieszka Tomaszewicz, PhD, at the Faculty of Architecture, Wroclaw University of Technology.
entrance area to the Center
© Julia Pogoda
The task of the Autistic Care competition was to design a care center for children on the autism spectrum, located in Middlefield (Connecticut, United States). As we can read on the contest's website - about 1 in 100 children worldwide has been diagnosed with an autism spectrum disorder, and in the United States of America it is already 1 in 59 children. Difficulties in the functioning of autistic people in public spaces are due to the symptoms associated with the disorder. These include problems with generalization, with communication and reading emotions, or a tendency toward repetitive behavior.
A site located in Middlefield, United States, was designated for the project plot
© Julia Pogoda
how can architecture help?
The organizers of the competition, UNI Platform, posed the question to the participants - how can architecture help improve the functioning of autistic people? The answer was to be the design of a day care center for a group of thirty children aged 6 on the autism spectrum. The tasked program included administrative, recreational and play spaces. The organizers required a well-thought-out concept that takes into account the needs of autistic people and those with motor disabilities, creating a design that helps children control their responses to sensory stimuli. Harmony was important - to create a safe environment, but not isolated from the neighboring environment, and the buildings were not to exceed six meters in height.
One of the pavilions of the designed facility
© Julia Pogoda
time to change thinking
Spatial exclusion, manifested, among other things, by architectural barriers, is a frequently addressed problem and a topic of research. Today, significant changes in this issue are taking place not only in public space, but also in the consciousness of society, which increasingly understands the diverse needs of people with disabilities. Unfortunately, we are not seeing a similarly intensified increase in awareness of the sensory barriers that autistic people, and increasingly people on the spectrum, encounter on their way, due to the increasing noise pollution in cities and the over-saturation of visual stimuli," says the author.
In the first stage of the project, the spaces were arranged according to the level of sensory control
© Julia Pogoda
barrier-free building
The most determining factor in terms of architecture, however, is the sensory sensitivity of people on the spectrum. Therefore, the author's main goal was to design an inclusive building without barriers - keeping in mind the varying degrees of the disorder, as well as a therapy-supportive environment that at the same time maintains harmony with the existing rural surroundings.
The student's design process was preceded by an analysis of the needs of people on the spectrum. In the first stage, the spaces building the Center's facility were arranged according to the level of sensory control - from the least controlled to the quietest, requiring concentration.
Arranging them in relation to each other is the result of curving this linear arrangement to produce a safe, outdoor space for children in the form of a courtyard. This arrangement generates unidirectional circulation and a fixed reference point to the outside, making it easier to navigate the building, the author adds.
The Care Center is divided into four facilities
© Julia Pogoda
four objects
Julia Pogoda designed the Center on a grid with a module dimension of 4 by 4 meters, so as to ensure that the layout is as clear and repeatable as possible. Breaking the building into four blocks is an attempt to relate to the surroundings - the smaller buildings duplicate the size of the neighboring houses and relate to their homestead form. The main building, due to its large size, has been partially sunk into the ground so as not to tower over the surroundings. At the same time, the spacing of the buildings provides better acoustic conditions. The orientation of the buildings is due to the shape of the plot and the location in relation to the sides of the world - the aim was to avoid direct southern light and to interfere with the terrain as little as possible.
The connector leading to all the buildings is a transition zone that allows for acclimatization
© Julia Pogoda
The connector as a transition zone
All the buildings were connected by a connector, which, according to the designer, symbolizes the care given to the children and is a transition zone allowing acclimatization between successive zones with different levels of sensory control. The connector provides a smooth transition between the enclosed space - the buildings - and the open space of the courtyard.
In the engineering work, the connector has a minimalist form, which in the competition work, due to its conceptual nature, was developed by adding gabled roofs - a symbol of the house supporting the assimilation of children and referring to the shape of the existing buildings. The main purpose of extending the structure was to filter light - the learning zones are illuminated through sloped windows, and the polycarbonate panels that make up the connector limit its intensity, the student explains.
The space between the roofs of the connector and the buildings can also be adapted as a place for volunteers, rooms for parents, or for vegetable gardens. The connector is an easily transformable element, removing or adding polycarbonate panels to suit the current weather conditions.
The noisy activity zone is located in the main building
© Julia Pogoda
care center
The entire establishment is divided into two parts - the first is the main building, which houses three zones: administrative, technical and the noisy activity zone - exercise and eating.
The second part, accessible only to children and group caregivers, consists of three smaller buildings and a connector. The first two smaller buildings contain classrooms for children with separate play and learning zones. They are distinguished, among other things, by the differentiation of flooring or the way of lighting (science - upper, play - side). Extensions of the buildings are covered terraces with gardens. Each room is designed for a group of fifteen.
The last building is dedicated to therapeutic purposes. It houses two therapy rooms and a sensory stimulation room connected to the sensory garden. It is accessible from the courtyard - for children attending classes at the center - and from the outside of the establishment - for children coming only for therapy and for parents.
The courtyard consists of several parts, one of which are paths with platforms
© Julia Pogoda
Green courtyard and hiding place system
Designed on a grid, the cour tyard consists of several parts: terraces for gathering and observation, adjoining empty spaces for activities and group play, a modular playground, and a path with platforms hidden behind low vegetation, which can be a place of refuge or interaction in a more intimate setting. The courtyard also features isolating greenery - separating the playground from the entrance area of the complex and from the therapy building.
A system of hiding places, sensory zoning and repetition support the functioning of people on the spectrum
© Julia Pogoda
The center uses a system of hiding places to allow children to shelter from excess stimulants. The solutions used by the author to support functioning in the buildings also include: the choice of natural colors and materials, attention to acoustic conditions and lighting appropriate to the function. The designer proposed a timber frame construction characteristic of the region where the designed buildings are located. The facade material is local wood and recycled wood.
You can still vote for Julia Pogoda's project on the competition website. The results of the vote and the jury's verdict will be announced on March 17 this year.
