TG Escapes buildings designed with natural materials make excellent learning spaces for autistic students.
TG Escapes modular eco-buildings use modern construction methods, traditional materials and sophisticated technology, to create a standalone timber frame space that is net-zero in operation.
They have provided over 800 buildings UK-wide and won Contractor of the Year at the 2021 Education Estates Awards.
Biophilic classrooms for SEN at Rabbsfarm School in Middlesex
Well suited to special needs settings
The use of biophilic design principles, natural materials, easy access to the outdoors and natural light from floor-to-ceiling glass doors and windows, as well as sun pipes, make the buildings particularly well suited to special needs settings.
The heightened senses of autistic children can make it difficult for them to focus in traditional educational settings.
A net-zero timber-frame building for SEND at Sir Charles Parsons School in Newcastle upon Tyne
Benefits of natural materials
Natural materials can help create a more calming and stimulating environment for these children, leading to improved learning outcomes.
In addition to reducing sensory overload, studies have shown that natural materials can also help to improve focus and concentration in autistic children.
For example, one study found that children on the autism spectrum who were exposed to natural light were able to pay attention for longer periods than those who were not.
Natural materials can also help to promote creativity and imagination. Autistic children often have vivid imaginations, and natural materials can provide a stimulating environment for them to explore.
For example, one study found that autistic children who were given access to natural materials were more likely to engage in imaginative play than children who were not.
A building for SEN at The Shires at Oakham in Rutland
‘The design opens up our classrooms to the outdoors so wonderfully, the opportunities are endless’
One TG Escapes customer is The Shires at Oakham, part of the Acorn Care Group. It is a residential special school for young people with an autism diagnosis.
Their Head of School said of their TG Escapes Eco-Building: “We wanted to embrace learning without walls, and the design of our new school building opens up our classrooms to the outdoors so wonderfully, the opportunities are endless!”
Video featuring The Shires at Oakham
Video featuring the Performing Arts Studio by TG Escapes at Swalcliffe Park School in Oxfordshire
Find out more
For more information call 0800 917 7726 or email info@tgescapes.co.uk.
