PATHLIGHT SCHOOL (TAMPINES),
Singapore

The Pathlight School Tampines Campus is designed for children on the autism spectrum, providing them with a primary and secondary school education which includes vocational and life readiness skills to equip them to live independently.  The design ensures inclusivity in the form of a publicly accessible landscaped forecourt with a cafe and handicraft shop managed by the special needs students. The neighbourhood is invited to be part of the school’s everyday activities: there are community gardens at the roof levels and ample social spaces for community events.

Constrained by a tight site, the school’s facilities are stacked across six storeyswith special care taken to have interlocking landscaped spaces across multiple levels to mitigate the massing of the school in relation to its surroundings.

Spaces are grouped by stimulus levels: high stimulus areas include a café and bakery on the first floor, while halls and studios dedicated to sports and the arts are placed on upper floors; whereas low stimulus areas, such as classrooms where concentration is required for academic pursuits, are situated in a separate block. These groupings are buffered with transition zones such as landscaped gardens that aid the shift in activity type whilst enabling cross-ventilation. This also enables easier wayfinding with each block being imbued with a strong identity by purpose.

The campus massing was inspired by building blocks, which Swiss psychologist Jean Piaget employed when observing how children developed interpersonal relationships. In the case of architecture, the block forms serve as a mediator to the urban scape of the neighbouring Tampines housing estate. Within the school compound, the massing mediates social interactions, reflecting Piaget’s studies.  The rectilinear form is further echoed in the shape of an entrance portal.

The buildings’ colours consist of warm natural tones, and a simple zoning system for the school’s interior spaces using these colours avoids overt sensorial stimulation. For contemporary visual appeal, concrete formliners bring out the pleasing fluted texture of the concrete walls.

Areas for staff includes social zones as well as a serene double-volume space with tiered seating and generous outdoor views. The planters on the rooftops and sides of the building provide opportunities for students to benefit from the therapeutic effects of farming and gardening. Recreational facilities comprise a multi-purpose hall that can host various sporting activities and school assemblies, sheltered ground-level basketball courts, and a running track that skirts the campus perimeter.

Pathlight School also aims to foster a collaborative atmosphere with its neighbouring school through pedestrian access gates along their shared boundary, enhancing connections with other students as well as the wider community.