PROJECTS - SPECIAL REPORT


Creating a centre of excellence


We speak to the chief executive behind the country’s first purpose-built independent autism support and research centre about the groundbreaking design approach taken by national charity, Caudwell Children.


T


he Caudwell International Children’s Centre (CICC) is the UK’s-first independent purpose-built facility


dedicated to autism assessment, support and research and is preparing for its full launch later this year. A project 11 years in the making, and masterminded by long-serving chief executive, Trudi Beswick; the building is sited within the grounds of Keele University in Staffordshire and sets a new standard for design and accessibility for children with autism and neurodivergent conditions. Throughout the design process, the charity challenged current building regulations design standards, which were identified by Beswick as being ‘not fit for purpose’ in terms of meeting the specific needs of children with neurodevelopmental conditions. Speaking to hdm, she explains: “In


2007 we identified the need for a new approach to autism assessment and support, which set us on a journey,


with the latest milestone being the creation of a facility that will prove to be a landmark in the development of truly- accessibly built environments and a significant breakthrough in our mission to help all autistic children.” Caudwell Children, which was founded in 2000 by renowned philanthropist and entrepreneur, John Caudwell, will have its headquarters in the new building, with the rest of the facility used to provide services, including the charity’s new assessment and support pathway for autistic children. Caudwell was also the primary


benefactor for the project, personally matching every donation towards the £18m project and leading a group of corporate and individual supporters the charity calls its ‘Legacy Circle’.


EVERYONE IS DIFFERENT The charity has already begun accepting referrals for the innovative new pathway, through which children and their parents will visit the centre for ASD and sensory integration assessments,


one-to-one diagnostic feedback, and immediate access to post-diagnostic practical support workshops. As such, the building had to be designed with various different spaces, each meeting the very-specific needs of this varied user group. The design brief was based around


an internal building zoning strategy plan developed by Caudwell Children which reflected Beswick’s early sketches detailing how children and families would navigate the building to access services. Through a long and thorough


research process, Caudwell Children engaged with staff, parents, children and studied existing research into the impact of the built environment on people with the condition. And, during stakeholder


consultations some conflicting priorities were discussed. For example, there were calls for the building to be both ‘free’ and ‘secure’; ‘exciting’ and ‘calm’; and ‘homely’ and ‘modern’. Beswick explains: “Form follows function and the CICC’s design was person-centred from the very beginning.


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mhdf magazine


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