Guymer Bailey Architects

Niddrie Autistic School

Niddrie Autistic School 

Guymer Bailey Architects

Niddrie Autistic School
© Ian Ten Seldam Photography

LEAD ARCHITECTS
Patrick Giles

ARCHITECT
Patrick Smardon

MANUFACTURERS
Armstrong, Dulux, Gerflor, Gunnersens, Hy-tec, Lysaght, Melbourne Brick, Opal, Polytec, Rockcote, Shaw, Stoneset, Street And Garden Furniture, Urban Salvage Timber, Wattyl, Wortley

SENIOR INTERIOR DESIGNER
Elizabeth Burger

ACOUSTIC ENGINEERING
Resonate

KAVAN APPLEGATE
Kavan Applegate

SENIOR LANDSCAPE ARCHITECT
Chris Webb

LANDSCAPE ARCHITECT
Andrew Julian

STRUCTURAL & CIVIL ENGINEERING
Northrop Group, Calibre

BUILDING CERTIFICATION
Jaz Consultants

ESD
Cadds Group

AREA
4950 M²

YEAR
2021

LOCATION
Niddrie, Australia

CATEGORY
Schools

Niddrie Autistic School
© Ian Ten Seldam Photography

Text description provided by architect.

Guymer Bailey were engaged to design a masterplan and first-stage development of new educational facilities for Western Autistic School's Niddrie campus, now independently known as Niddrie Autistic School.

The brief of works entailed demolishing a classroom block, site amenities and playgrounds that remained underdeveloped for twenty-five years.

Niddrie Autistic School
© Ian Ten Seldam Photography
Niddrie Autistic School
© Ian Ten Seldam Photography

Originally a mainstream school, the aging facilities were failing to accommodate modern criteria for special needs learning and ill-suited to face unique challenges for young children with ASD (autism spectrum disorder).

The school's pedagogy requires supportive environments to help students achieve learning autonomy in preparation for mainstream education. Teaching spaces are arranged to assist students develop natural skills in problem-solving and independent thinking.

Niddrie Autistic School
© Ian Ten Seldam Photography
Niddrie Autistic School
© Ian Ten Seldam Photography

These skills form a coping mechanism that, when combined with external stimuli, build confidence to learn in conventional schools. Curriculums are taught in small classes where students feel safe, and allow teachers to build close, supportive relationships.

Niddrie Autistic School's ideology is that the 'child is at the heart of their work'. This concept divided the built form into a series of adaptable, interconnecting learning spaces that respond uniquely to student's primary, shared, or community needs. This multi-functionality begins in classrooms and gently unfolds into larger school settings.

Niddrie Autistic School
© Ian Ten Seldam Photography
Niddrie Autistic School
© Ian Ten Seldam Photography

The design's overarching diversity encourages inquisitive and analytical behavior allowing students to gain confidence learning in diverse environments. Individual teaching spaces address primary student & curriculum needs, guided by staff and specialists, and are accessible to visiting families.

Where shared needs arise, classes combine into learning networks and communities that facilitate collaboration, engagement, and cross-support.

Niddrie Autistic School
© Ian Ten Seldam Photography
Niddrie Autistic School
© Ian Ten Seldam Photography

The project's integration between indoor and outdoor learning saw opportunity to reclaim natural landscapes within the school's centre and utilize their value to develop student's physical, cognitive, and social skills.

Activity spaces, courtyards and playgrounds are centralized around the school's eldest trees, unifying historical and new site aspects. The building's layout balances engaging group learning areas with private retreat zones to accommodate students requiring attentive care.

Niddrie Autistic School
© Ian Ten Seldam Photography
Niddrie Autistic School
© Ian Ten Seldam Photography

Each class features private sensory gardens, opens to adjacent outdoor common learning areas, and observation nodes enabling passive oversight and assistance.

Niddrie Autistic School
© Ian Ten Seldam Photography

Shared resource spaces are versatile to allow lesson diversity, can function independently, and enable mixed teaching methods in different sizes and arrangements.

Interior student wayfinding presented complications due to young age-groups and common reading difficulties for autistic students.

Niddrie Autistic School
© Ian Ten Seldam Photography
Niddrie Autistic School
© Ian Ten Seldam Photography

The solution converted signage into murals that assist children pictorially. Their colours and shapes are a wayfinding tool, assisting navigation and memory in a passive, visual format.

Images focus on species native to Niddrie's region, encouraging students to explore looking for them around the school.


Niddrie Autistic School
Diagram
Niddrie Autistic School
Diagram
Niddrie Autistic School
Diagram
Niddrie Autistic School
Diagram
Niddrie Autistic School
Diagram
Niddrie Autistic School
Diagram
Niddrie Autistic School
Diagram
Niddrie Autistic School
Diagram
Niddrie Autistic School
Diagram
Niddrie Autistic School


Niddrie Autistic School
Elevations
Niddrie Autistic School
Elevations


Niddrie Autistic School
Ground Floor Plan
Niddrie Autistic School
Roof Plan


Niddrie Autistic School
Site Plan
Niddrie Autistic School
Section
Niddrie Autistic School
Section
Niddrie Autistic School
Section

Guymer Bailey Architects
T +61 7 38709700
Guymer Bailey Architects
19 Terrace St, Toowong QLD 4066, Australia