In Austin, the Rosedale School has opened for students with special needs aged 3 to 22. The new facility features sensory rooms, fully accessible playgrounds and gardens, community meeting spaces, and an on-site clinic. The school serves 100 learners with special needs from across Austin Independent School District (ISD).
Replacing the original Rosedale Elementary School, which was created in 1988, the new Rosedale School has been organized into learning areas serving specific populations of students: medically fragile, social and behavioral disorders, and transition to life in the community. The design of each area, or neighborhood, takes inspiration from the natural environment—such as the colors and patterns of vegetation, the movement of water, and the shapes of wildlife. These areas, as well as shared community spaces, are connected via a central hub that’s referred to as the living room.
To provide comprehensive assistance for students with diverse physical needs, the school features patient lifts inside the classrooms. These lifts help teachers safely and efficiently move students who need additional physical assistance, and they ensure that every child can participate fully in educational activities.
Throughout the campus, murals of iconic Austin landmarks such as Barton Springs, food truck parks, and Lady Bird Lake connect the school with the larger community. The school’s park remains open to the public after hours.
In partnership with the healthcare center Ascension Seton, the school also has an on-site pediatric clinic that serves both Rosedale students and the larger community. Austin ISD hopes the combination of a school and clinic serving individuals with medical and behavioral needs will serve as a model across the country.
On the Building Team:
Owner: Austin ISD (clinic owned by Dell Children’s Medical Center, part of Ascension Medical Group)
Architect and interior designer: Page Southerland Page
Landscape designer: Asakura Robinson Company
Civil engineer: Garza EMC
Structural engineer: Datum Rios
MEP engineer: CNG Engineering
General contractor: Rogers-O’Brien Construction
Related Stories
Higher Education | Jun 6, 2017
Funding remains a concern, but not always an impediment
Colleges and universities are adept at tapping a variety of sources—taxpayers, investors, donors, and, yes, students—to fund their growth ambitions.
K-12 Schools | Jun 5, 2017
PK-8 school will be Denver’s first CHPS-certified building
A “learning stair” will connect the cafeteria to the main level.
Higher Education | May 31, 2017
Space utilization in higher education: more than sf per student
There’s more to space utilization than how often a room is occupied. What happens inside an occupied room is just as important.
Education Facilities | May 22, 2017
Educational design taking lessons from tech firms
Recently, in educational design, we have seen a trend toward more flexible learning spaces.
Libraries | May 16, 2017
A New York-area community college adds new zest to its library
Wired seating and group work areas abound.
K-12 Schools | May 1, 2017
Seattle’s first vertically-oriented middle school breaks ground
The building will provide 74,289 sf of space across its five-story classroom bar.
University Buildings | Apr 26, 2017
UMass Amherst is home to America’s first CLT academic building
The building brings the architecture, landscape architecture, and building technology departments under one roof.
Higher Education | Apr 24, 2017
Small colleges face challenges — and opportunities
Moody’s Investor Service forecasts that closure rates for small institutions will triple in the coming years, and mergers will double.
Green | Mar 29, 2017
Copenhagen Zoo and BIG unveil yin yang-shaped panda habitat
The new habitat will sit between two existing buildings, including the Elephant House designed by Norman Foster.
K-12 Schools | Mar 9, 2017
The future of education facilities: Creating spaces where learning happens everywhere
The art of designing schools lies not in just understanding what makes a functional classroom, but in how successful we are in creating a wide array of educational options for teachers and students within the school environment.