HORSHAM SPECIAL SCHOOL SENSORY GARDEN
Horsham Special School had existed as separate Junior and Senior schools for many years, operating from borrowed old classroom buildings. This project consolidated the two campuses onto a single site, allowing the school to develop its own identity. The star of this project is a protected central sensory courtyard that provides a beautiful and safe environment for social interaction, self regulation and outdoor learning.
Client
Victorian School Building Authority
Project Type
Outdoor & Landscape/ Special Needs
Traditional Owners
Wotjobaluk, Jaadwa, Jadawadjali, Wergaia and Jupagulk people
Completed
2014
Safety and independence
The challenge for this project was to provide spaces that are safe and easy to supervise, while avoiding the traditional method of controlling access to outdoor areas via layers of fences and gates. The solution was to wrap classrooms around a huge central, teardrop shaped sensory courtyard where students can safely walk across or spend time in without having to seek permission through locked doors and gates. This enhances students’ feeling of independence. There are no hidden corners in the courtyard, so staff members are able to provide constant but discreet supervision from the teaching spaces surrounding the courtyard.
Supporting student development
The central courtyard provides a safe environment for social interaction and a biophilic connection from indoor learning spaces. The courtyard is zoned so that different activities can occur simultaneously without interrupting each other. Students of all ages, as well as teachers, parents, and visitors from the wider community, gather here to socialise, engage, and learn. The aim was to engage children in a playful way that builds on their strengths and provides staff with a setting that aids communication, learning, and the development of social skills.
Sensory elements
The courtyard space was designed to provide a highly sensory space to meet the needs of the neurodiverse student population. We wanted to create landscape experiences that stimulate, educate & evoke the senses. The result is a range of sensory experiences with tactile and sculptural elements, a variety of textures, surfaces and materials, water, and a wide range of sensory planting..
KDA Team
Robert Bienvenu, Jina Zheng
Acknowledgements
Landscape Architect
Jeavons Landscape Architects
Photographer
Silvi Glattauer
2015
Council of Educational Facility Planners International (CEFPI) Awards Australasia: Landscaping/ Outdoor Learning Area- Winner
Awards
2014
Council of Educational Planners International (CEFPI) Awards Victoria: Landscaping/ Outdoor Area- Winner