New Bancroft Campus responds to the challenges of autism through design
By David Malone, Associate Editor
KSS Architects worked with Bancroft to design a new 80-acre campus inspired by the needs and challenges of children with autism, intellectual and developmental disabilities, and those in need of neurological rehabilitation.
The Bancroft campus, located in Mount Laurel, N.J., will be home to The Bancroft School, The Lindens Center for Autism Residential Program, Lindens Neurobehavioral Program, Campus Residence Programs, Activity Center, and an Integrated Health Center.
Common spaces are linked with shared resources that include vocational storefronts with classrooms behind, a Training Institute, and spaces for art, music, and fitness. The master plan brings community and learning spaces, therapeutic environments, and residential units together in modest and secluded groupings for privacy and comfort. A recreation and therapy pool and a custom-designed dental suite for de-sensitization are also included. The campus is connected to the surrounding environment via a nature trail and views of farm fields, streams, and a pond.
The new campus will open on Jan. 3, 2018.