Project Showcases: Beatlie ASN Campus & Caudwell International Children’s Centre

Synopsis

Beatlie ASN Campus: Kevin Cooper, NORR, Peter Kerr, Atelier Ten and Neil McIntyre, West Lothian Council

West Lothian Council has an Anytime Anywhere Learning policy which allows pupils to access on line resources to enable learning to take place anywhere. Beatlie School is one of the eleven pilot projects in phase one of the Learning Estate Investment Programme and is an ASN school for pupils aged 3 through to 18 with severe and complex and profound medical needs. The new school design incorporates the most up to date technology to assist pupils whilst also making the building intuitive to the needs and requirements of the pupils.

The building has been designed to provide a stimulating, joyful place of learning delivered through a diverse blend of spaces of varying scale and character, the majority of which are bathed in natural light. Offering a variety of experiences for all those who will use it, the school enjoys a compact, educationally connected plan based on a carefully considered brief.

The approach taken is to place the pupils and staff at the heart of our design, consequently we approached the specific challenges presented in a different way. Rather than thinking about the basic needs to get by day to day we approached the design of both Smart and Assistive technology to create joy and stimulation. We engaged directly with Microsoft to develop hardware and software to create interactive environments. We explored options on smart buildings technology and what is practically implementable leading to the selection of an Open API Sensor Observer grid where we are able to understand how each space is used facilitating the use of a whole range of 3^rd Party applications and future proofing the School. Our Smart elements also include the integration and exploration of the potential of creating an interactive digital twin from a facilities management perspective.

This presentation explores how design and technology can facilitate inclusive Anytime, Anywhere, ANYONE Learning.

Coming to our senses; person-centered inclusive design: Trudi Beswick, CEO, Caudwell Children

In 2019 Caudwell Children officially opened the new Caudwell International Children’s Centre in Keele, Staffordshire. The opening represented a milestone for charity Chief Executive, Trudi Beswick, who had worked tirelessly to create a truly inclusive environment for a diverse community of users. At the core of the design process was a commitment to regular and meaningful stakeholder engagement, with direct input from disabled and neurodiverse children having a tangible influence on the resulting design. This person-centered approach to inclusive design has led to the project winning numerous awards including the Design in Mental Health ‘New Build Project of the Year’ and the RICS ‘UK Project of the Year’.