Auchinraith Special Needs

The buildings open plan shared areas are brought together in the heart of the school and are open to circulation spaces allowing supervision by teachers either directly or passively. This move away from a traditional classroom setup benefited the school by removing the need for air conditioning plant. The clear building plan provides robustness and ease of maintenance, combining necessary internal relationships with clear way finding and flexible teaching environments, and giving the external envelope a playful yet strong sense of identity.

Atelier Ten provided a comprehensive fire strategy report for the project, demonstrating that the open plan design, while enhancing the natural light and ambience of the school, also provided for a safe evacuation for the occupants. A key element of the fire strategy was close integration with the building service’s environmental strategy, particularly relevant for natural ventilation and low energy solutions utilised for the project. Our expertise in fire risk engineering allowed for Progressive Horizontal Evacuation to enable best management of any evacuation, especially beneficial for special needs sections of the schools. This comprehensive approach was beneficial in permitting community use of the school and efficient incorporation of Insurer’s requirements into the design.