O'Leary Sludds Architects - Autism Spectrum Disorder Facility, St. Brigid’s NS Carlow
Autism Spectrum Disorder Facility, St. Brigid’s NS Carlow
A Preschool Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) facility completed in 2016, for which O’Leary Sludds Architects was the Consultant Architect, the Design Team Lead and Project Supervisor Design Process (PSDP).
The brief for the facility included a central activity area and the key to the design was using this area as the connection piece between the existing school and new extension. The central activity area doubles as the school’s general purpose room and, therefore encourages integration and reverse integration between the students.
As important as integration is the student’s ability to take time out and this is facilitated through the safe rooms off the classrooms, the multi-sensory room and the fully enclosed external play area.
The ASD unit was a single storey two classroom extension of approx. 500 sq.m. in gross floor area. The building method was traditional cavity blockwork construction with infill insulation. The internal walls of the facility were plastered, the radiators recessed and the light fittings appropriate for the end user’s needs.
