Education 10 puts psychological wellbeing at centre of design

Nightingale Associates, a leading architectural practice specialising in health, education and science buildings for the public sector, led a special education design seminar at this year’s GovNet Education 10 conference.

Nightingale Associates practice education lead, Adrian Swain, and architect, Martin Wickes, led a seminar exploring the relationship between special education and mental healthcare at the GovNet Education 10 conference this month. The presentation titled, ‘Special Education: Designing for Psychological Wellbeing’, gave an analytical overview of key case studies in both sectors, including a range of pragmatic solutions to consider when designing for SEN provision.

Nightingale’s practice education lead, Adrian Swain, said:

“In healthcare, mental health trusts are seeing the wellbeing of service-users rapidly improve because architects are making great advancements in techniques that provide a holistic approach to the creating an environment  in which children respond to in a positive way. Many of these same design intervention techniques can be integrated into the classroom to enhance  the learning environment as a means  of providing a child with not only a sense of safety, structure and growth , but creating as positive influence on the their achieving maximum potential.

“The Education 10 conference offered us the opportunity to share our expertise in both the education and mental health sector.”

In the current economic climate, education budgets are placed under constant pressure. This conference provided a forum for discussion on how practitioners, agencies and government departments can work together to ensure that the education system does not fall foul of a lack of funding on its journey to create world class learning opportunities for all.

Keynote speakers included chief executive for Partnerships for Schools, Tim Byles, director of education and care for Ofsted, Patrick Leeson and assistant general secretary at NASUWT, Dr Patrick Roach.