ARCHITECTURE & DESIGN
The new opened-out dining area allows connection to the courtyard and gardens, increasing the flow of natural light into the communal spaces.
The residents of the John Greenwood Shipman Centre have extremely complex and varied requirements, and although the care given by staff at the centre is exemplary, when Fleet arrived for our first site visit we saw that the building had become old and tired – the vinyl floor was grubby, paint was cracked and peeling, and there were leaks in the bathrooms. Marie James explained that the security system was in need of update – there are frequent call-outs for expensive repairs, and the system is not reliable. She also told us that the valves on the radiators don’t work, ‘so we have rooms where the heating is on all of the time. Many of the children using the service have autism, and are very sensitive to extremes in temperature’. Behaviour can sometimes be challenging. For example, Marie James reported: “We have a high number of young people that enjoy playing with the water in the vanity basins in the bedrooms, which causes flooding. They also climb on the sinks and furniture, so there is a risk of injury.” The kitchen is another trouble spot. Access is through one door from the corridor; many of the children using the unit struggle with waiting, and can become distressed that it takes so long to be served food. The door is often damaged
A new kitchen hatch to serve the dining area. A semi-glazed partition could be incorporated, giving a degree of privacy, yet still allowing natural light in, and affording views to the centre’s sunny courtyard.
and, if broken, gives direct access to the kitchen. Marie James told us that, for safety reasons, they need two extra staff on hand as support when bringing items in and out of the kitchen area.
Leafy surroundings Generally the décor at the centre is outdated, with an ill-assorted collection of furniture, and no coherent colour scheme. The rather institutional feel is not helped by harsh strip lighting and a sense of ‘endless corridors’. On the positive side, the site benefits from its low-lying domestic scale, suburban setting, and pleasant, leafy surroundings. Fleet’s brief was to develop a scheme that would pull all the works required together into a coordinated design, refreshing the interiors, improving the flow of the building, and introducing new safety measures, while establishing a more cosy, ‘home-from-home’ feel to the facility, with greater opportunities for adding personalisation to the children’s bedrooms, and encouraging a better relationship with the centre’s outdoor spaces.
Design details and décor Fleet designed bright and modern spaces that weren’t ‘childish’ or too age-specific (no cartoon characters for example). Given
the wide range of children that use the facility – from very young to adolescent, we worked with abstract colours and shapes to appeal to all ages. We have chosen colours that are warm, rather than garish. Each area has its own distinct look, but we took our inspiration from the mature trees in the setting and their changing colours through the seasons. We use a leaf motif on the interior floors that extends to the covered courtyard area, blurring the threshold between inside and out. The use of arches and geometric shapes and patterns adds a touch of playfulness and dynamism. Taking account of the child’s perspective is vital; smaller children and wheelchair users experience lower aspects; thus we have considered view angles and adapted window sill heights and the positioning of vision panels within walls and doors. All corridors and doorways have been designed with the needs of disabled users in mind, with flushed thresholds throughout the facility, including access to the garden. Balancing the desire for a domestic atmosphere with safety considerations, lighting will be a combination of surface-mounted (both ceiling and wall) anti-ligature lights, and recessed lights. Research suggests that environment
can have a significant impact on children and young people with autism. Paying specific attention to acoustics, lighting, and temperature can improve their experience, resulting in less distress, and encouraging positive communication and a sense of calm.
The proposed designs for the lounge and dining area, showing a more flexible use of space, with direct access to the garden.
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Reimagining the communal spaces Fleet’s re-working of the dining and day space allows for multiple ways to conduct life at the heart of the centre. Currently these rooms only face out to the front of the building, and are separated from the courtyard by a corridor, which restricts the flow of natural light. The new plan creates a flexible and efficient communal area constituting a lounge and dining room separated by a large storage wall (to keep the space clutter-free), flowing together through two arched walkways. One opening is smaller and tucked away, while the larger one allows for easy access
MAY 2023 | THE NETWORK
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