Surrey SEN School

WWA has delivered several projects for an SEN School in Surrey, involving remodelling, refurbishments, and new extensions to enhance their campus. The scheme provides residential and educational facilities for children with learning difficulties and challenging behaviour. A key part of the provision to suppliment the children’s curriculum, is a specially designed hydrotherapy pool adjacent to the teaching buildings. Careful attention was paid to the atmospheric sonic and lighting qualities of the space with specialist sound systems and lighting integrated into the design to control the sensory experience. The pool works were undertaken by specialist sub contractor Fowler Swimming Pools.

At the inception of the project a Special Educational Needs School aquired a group of Edwardian buildings in the Surrey Green Belt, previously used as a training and conference centre. WWA were subsequently commissioned to design and deliver a ‘whole site’ masterplan exercise to convert the complex into a new facility for children with severe learning difficulties. A carefully designed programme of works followed our masterplan involving remodelling, refurbishment and new build elements. The final phase of the masterplan was the building of a hydrotherapy pool and activity room to provide an indoor active therapy facility.

The simple interior and exterior are designed to provide a calming atmosphere for pupils with autism. The use of natural materials such as red brick and two contrasting tones of timber effect boarding have been influenced by the woodland setting, helping to nestle the building into its context. An undulating feature wall weaves between a colonnaded frontage creating bays for outdoor seating. This project demonstrates our knowledge, understanding and empathy in designing for those with special education needs.

The practice have worked with a number of different schools on spaces for SEN children – you can read more by clicking the following links to our South London SEN School project page, and Shropshire SEN School Project page.