Is Calmness Overrated in the Design of ASD Environments?
Simon Innes, Architect and Founding Director, Innes Associates

Educators will often declare that calmness is a non-negotiable quality in the design of ASD schools. but some progressive teachers argue that too much emphasis is placed on this at the expense of other important ideas. This presentation will clearly explain common design theory for ASD environments and provide worked examples with feedback from students and teachers to illustrate what other qualities we are missing when we design for autism. It will challenge the received wisdom of design approaches and suggest how our briefing for new and remodelled facilities might be updated for the benefit of both students and teachers.

Designing Schools with a Learner Centred Approach
Dr Joanne Ladds, Education Consultant, Noble and Eaton

Looking to nature for design principles is an approach which uses millions of years of evolutionary evidence to inform the design of the environment. In our presentation we will share the design principles we use for an effective, efficient and sustainable approach to designing schools. This aligns the place with the people and the pedagogy for a learner centred approach to design which is authentic and inclusive.