READS Collaborative Academy
Middleborough, MA
Recently completing schematic design, this new construction PK-12 school will be home to a unique student population including students with emotional or behavioral challenges, speech and language difficulties, and deaf and hard of hearing needs.
Close collaboration with teachers and staff early in the design process was critical to gain a nuanced understanding of spatial conditions to best support their students. For example, unlike many contemporary school designs that emphasize open glassy shared spaces, READS students are better served by smaller more intimate spaces that provide a sense of safety and comfort.
In addition, with students ranging in age from 3 to 22 years, a critical requirement of the building organization is to maintain separate zones for early childhood, elementary, middle, and high school, while also granting equal access to shared spaces such as the gymnasium and cafeteria. Our design solution carefully places shared spaces at the nexus of two academic wings, allowing passage for all age groups with minimal mixing.
In a similar way, there is a strategically placed clinic for confidential diagnostics and testing that is both adjacent to and separate from academic spaces, allowing staff to efficiently move throughout the building and assist with various programs and student needs.