Rowdeford Special School Autistic
Wiltshire County Council
Background
Rowdeford School is a Special School where we designed specialist accommodation for 30 autistic pupils. Hence 'enclosure and focus', 'separate but part of' and ‘dialogue and interaction' were important considerations and preoccupations of the pupils and teachers.
Design
Interpreting these needs architecturally lead to very specific design solutions: a walled garden with mono pitched roofs hovering above, letting light in but retaining the enclosure and emotional refuge. The school sits within the curtilage of a Listed Building and required careful negotiation with English Heritage.
Technical
The roofs are designed to gently float over the garden walls, the timber structure breaks out at the entrance revealed by the drum and the braced timber frame projects over the hall: all carefully designed in conjunction with Structures 1.
Built by Beards of Swindon, Wiltshire.
George Batterham John St Leger Ben Smith
