HIGH SCHOOL WITH AN ALTERNATIVE EDUCATION MODEL

This highschool is designed for students with special needs, focused on mental disabilities. I decided to base my design on this because there are not many schools designed for children who have mental illness in Turkey. I did research on what changes needed to be applied for schools to be better adapted to the special education needs of students, SENs. I found that many things can be triggering for these children for example, sound can be distracting so rooms that echo aren’t suitable so i designed my classroom with a slope design since that reduces echo. Also the temperature should be at a good level, therefore I also added a sunspace which evens out the temperature in the classroom so it doesn't get too hot or cold and the students can see some greenery as well. Moreover, classrooms should be in a u shaped design to allow them proximity to the teacher, which allows them to focus better, which i also did in my design. My design is circular which allows for simple circulation for students to follow and some privacy too, a circular design allows for many courtyards which i also designed as healing gardens, so if a student gets overwhelmed in class they can leave and sit in the courtyard for a few minutes to regroup and calm themselves down in nature and silence. Many SEN students can be aggressive and get injuries ect so i made sure there is a medical room available in each space just in case someone gets hurt, moreover I included some calming rooms where they can spend time by themselves to also calm down. There are a few public areas in my design that are integrated with the highschool, however, the path for the public is raised and on a ramp so as not to disrupt the students or make the students feel uncomfortable and for their safety. To summarize, I tried my best in my design to make it feel as comfortable as possible for SEN students and help them navigate and allow them to learn better