Austin ISD—Rosedale School
Architects: Page
For families whose children have severe special needs, the Rosedale School offers one simple message: Your child is welcome here. Rosedale’s experienced educators serve students who have significant disabilities, including children who are medically fragile or who need intensive behavioral support. Rosedale offers a caring, family- focused community to support students’ unique learning needs in a positive environment. Through Rosedale’s tailored educational opportunities and quality instruction, students increase their independence, improve their self- esteem, and experience a greater quality of life.
Design
“This school serves students with complex medical and behavioral needs including medical fragility, autism spectrum disorder, sensory input challenges and visual impairment. A human-centered design approach was critical for student’s well-being including:
- Universal Barrier-Free Design
- Building Organization Supporting Sense of Togetherness
- Connection to Outdoors and Abundance of Controlled Daylighting
- Spatial Transitions and Enhanced Acoustics
- Spatial Variety for Individual Comfort”
Value
“The school provides resilient infrastructure for children with disabilities and their families. Acting as a hub for community life, shared experiences and access to information, the school itself builds-in capacity for change for vulnerable students.
- Shared Gathering Spaces for School and Clinic
- Flexible Learning and Healthcare Spaces Supporting Student Needs
- Reduction in Time Missed from School for Medical Appointments
- Healthcare Lease Space Providing Income to District”
Wellness
“The school uses visionary programming, creative spatial arrangements, and universal design to support the comfort, wellness, security, and well-being of the community it serves.
- ‘School Within a Park’ Setting
- Ultra-Accessible Campus
- ‘Small Learning Environments – Neighborhoods
- Varieties of Spaces for Student Comfort
- Generous Physical and Visible Connections to Gardens and Outdoors
- Multi-Sensory Experiences including Wayfinding Strategies
- Collaboration of Educational and Medical Providers”
Community
“The school provides a “home” for families with significant special needs including facilities that allow continuity of care and sense of belonging that reaches into the daily lives of its users. The school is also a portal to the larger community represented in its integrated programs, shared community spaces, and graphic art.
- Collaboration of Education and Medical Support
- Ultra-Accessible Campus for ALL Abilities
- Conference Space Open to Community Use
- Sense of Place Integrated Throughout”
Planning
“Planned with extensive parent, educator, and community involvement, project goals include providing tailored educational opportunities for complex medical and behavioral needs, increasing student independence, and nurturing a greater quality of life for students.
- Universally Beneficial Design Solutions
- Removal of Barriers to Access and Inclusion
- Building Organization Supporting Sense of Togetherness
- Prioritized Health, Wellness and Safety of Students
- Include a Sense of Discovery and Place”
School Transformation
“This visionary school exemplifies the connection of health and wellness to learning outcomes by creating a new model for educational and medical collaboration serving students with significant special needs. The school includes a complex care pediatric clinic serving patients of complex special needs. Outcomes include:
- Re-imagining Role of Specialized School Environments
- Bridging Silos of Care
- Increasing Student Health and Independence
- Strengthening Community of Special Needs Families”
Star of Distinction Category Winner