image source: contestabili.com/easeful-reader
Dyslexia Friendly School
Architecture Final Studio
Typology School
Location Bandung, West Java, Indonesia
Mentor Aldyfra L Lukman, ST, MT, PhD, IAI
Status Academic Project
Year Project June 2022
Issue
Reading is a basic skill that someone needs to have from an early age, especially in formal education. If a child is not able to learn basic reading skills from an early age, it is likely that he will have difficulty participating in other learning activities (Moats, 1999). However, not all children can read normally. These children have a special learning condition called dyslexia. Dyslexia is a condition where there is a disturbance in the brain that causes a person to have difficulty assembling letters, words, numbers, directions, and other arrangements. This will make it difficult for sufferers to read, write, and spell.
In Indonesia, the number of dyslexic sufferers reaches about 10%, meaning that there are about 2-3 children who suffer from dyslexia in one class of 25 people. According to the Bandung City Education Office, this city has a percentage of 10% of people with dyslexia out of the 2.5 million children of learning age. Looking at CSA (Central Statistics Agency) data, the population of learning age children (2-19 years) in Bandung City has reached 771,400 children. Thus, people with dyslexia from the age of learning children in the city of Bandung are estimated to reach around 77,140 children.
Followed by the issue that education for children with dyslexia is still minimal. Thus, the government's involvement in efforts to improve education is still not there. This has resulted in the absence of regulations that overshadow the establishment of Schools with Special Needs for People with Dyslexia. However, one of the organizations operating under the Indonesian Dyslexia Association, the Dyslexia Teacher Support Group, is trying and initiating the existence of Friendly Schools for People with Dyslexia. This idea arises from the number of children who do not get proper facilities and services in public or regular schools, so that they can be said to be late in getting an education process that suits their conditions. Judging from the issues and problems that have been mentioned previously, the effort to establish educational facilities in the form of Dyslexia Friendly Schools is deemed very necessary, considering the number of children with dyslexia in the city of Bandung is quite high.
Design Users
Design Concept
School From A Child Perspective
When children are required to face the world of education, they have a tendency to find it difficult to adapt to their school environment. Especially for children of early development age who are accustomed to being at home, they are immediately required to enter a new environment that they do not recognize. Not to mention also discussing the problems of children with special needs, where they have difficulty in socializing with each other. Instead of focusing on providing school facilities for children, most schools currently make their students as objects in the field of education, not subjects. This of course will affect the child's perspective on school, which according to him is a burden, not a pleasure in itself. So that this school design is the embodiment of these problems, which is the creation of a familiar and comfortable school environment for children. That way the results of the design will be based on "School From A Child Perspective" with the realization of 3 main points, namely:
Playfulness
Positioning users as the subject of the design is a must. From the survey that has been done, most children actually see school as a place to meet friends and a place to play. Learning activities were mentioned by them at the end. Therefore, the embodiment of the views of the children about this school comes with having the impression of "playing" on the form of architectural design. This manifestation can be seen from the design of the building's facade, the design of the interior and exterior of the building, as well as the facilities provided.
Easy Exploration
One of the problems besides the difficulty of reading and identifying letters, words and sentences experienced by people with dyslexia is the difficulty in determining direction. Therefore, the idea is to create space and circulation of school designs that are easy in terms of accessibility and exploration. In mass order, a courtyard is arranged in the middle of the site as a meeting point and activity center to access facilities around the school. With this layout, children can see and access all school facilities, making it much easier to remember.
Multisensory Design
This multisensory approach is an architectural design approach that involves Visual (sight), Auditory (audial), Kinesthetic (movement), Smell (olfactory), and Tactile (touch) users in feeling and using a space.
Design. The multisensory embodiment of the design is found in aspects of the play of color, material, shape, zoning and circulation.
Methods. Multisensory is also realized by adjusting the user's activities. Where multisensory is also a learning method used for people with dyslexia. This method is able to create and stimulate users in their activities through the user's psychological interaction with their senses. Thus, the embodiment in the form of Hands On Activities Class, Non Formal Classroom, and Flexible Classroom Design is also designed according to the needs of its users.
Design Diagram
Design
Block Plan
The concept of playfulness can be seen in the design of building forms and landscape designs which tend to have organic forms. Thus, the design that is created has an impression that is not formal.
Perspective Section
The concept of easy exploration is seen in the design of the arrangement of the building masses in the form of a sequence, where the entrance area is placed on the administrative mass in front of the site, then there is the placement of a sports field as a courtyard, and a school mass at the back of the site as an effort away from noise.
Exterior View
Also the concept of playfulness can be seen on the facade design by playing the forms with patterns, shapes, colors, and materials.
Administrative Building Floor Plans
The design of the plans is an application of easy exploration concept, whereas a creation of simple and easy circulation for children to explore and use. Also the concept of playfulness still can be seen in the building organic forms.
School Building Floor Plans
The design of the plans is an application of easy exploration concept, whereas a creation of simple and easy circulation for children to explore and use. Also the concept of playfulness still can be seen in the building organic forms.
Interior View
The interior design is also the application of the playfulness concept by playing the forms with patterns, shapes, colors, and materials.
Classroom Design
Variative Dyslexia Friendly Classroom
The classroom design is what makes this school different from other regular or public schools. The design of this classroom is based on the needs of the dyslexia student education system, these needs are in accordance with the data obtained from dyslexia therapists and from several literature. Therefore, the design of the classroom was made informal but more flexible to adapt to the dyslexia learning system that uses the multi sensory method.
Variative Classroom Layout
As previously stated, the classroom design has variations and a more flexible layout by adapting to the teaching needs and the learning methods used by the teacher when needed.
Primary School Classroom View
Primary School Classroom View
Pre School & Kindergarten Classroom View
The design needs for pre school and kindergarten classroom are similar to the primary school classes, but with differences in the dimensions of space and class capacity.
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