Shanghai Jingan Nanyang School - Special Education Classroom Renovation

Our newly designed Shanghai Nanyang Special Education School caters to students aged 6 to 16 with intellectual impairments or disabilities such as Down syndrome, autism, or cerebral palsy, aiming to equip them with communication and social skills for independent living and eventual employment. The design of the school’s five special classrooms were inspired by the Traditional Chinese Games that foster physical and mental development in children. Each room's color scheme was carefully chosen to create appropriate stimulation, such as yellow in the Sensory Training room for motivation. The Sensory Training room draws inspiration from the kick key game, promoting body coordination through its design elements of padded walls with varying shades of yellow mimic the parabolic movement of a shuttlecock, while incorporating calming green and wood tones to create a balanced sensory experience. The Music Room of Nanyang Special School which takes cues from the circular rattle toy, is equipped with acoustic panels forming circular waves to aid in sound visualization and creativity, with pops of pink for creativity. The Art classroom draws inspiration from Chinese painting, especially the depiction of mountains, with the mountain-like shaped cabinets in pale blue shade for a calming and focus environment. VR, AR, and interactive systems are to be incorporated in the Information Education Classroom to allow students to experience different social scenarios safely. Inspired by the bamboo hopter, the design incorporates circular ceiling features for lighting and sliding panels on windows to control daylight. This classroom's layout and features aim to enhance learning through immersive technology experiences. The Multipurpose Room serves as a venue for student performances, parent-teacher meetings and indoor sports during bad weather days. The theme of the room is kite, which symbolizes interaction, communication and fun. The ceiling has diamond-shaped lights and linear strips that look like kites flying at different heights. The color scheme of the room is a gradient from wood to white, highlighting the kite lights. The stage can be retracted to maximize the space for sports activities. The special education school design aims to provide a safe, comfortable and stimulating environment for students with diverse learning needs. The design incorporates various features to enhance the learning experience and well-being of the students. The design also reflects the principles of universal design for learning, which promote multiple means of representation, expression and engagement. It hopes to foster a culture of inclusion, respect and collaboration among all stakeholders.