Architectural Design Criteria for Inclusive Education Schools

Abstract

Despite our revolutionary modern world, children with “different/special” needs still do not have equal chances to gain basic life skills as their “normal” peers, even fundamental needs, like education. To reduce this discrimination; attending “Inclusive Schools” was considered a basic human right. Inclusion is an excellent way towards balanced, equal, non-discriminatory, and healthy communities. Inclusive schools must fulfil several requirements; in the curricula and the school architectural design, to support the learning process of both “normal” pupils and pupils with “different/special” needs. These schools’ designs should consider differences between pupils, their needs and variant abilities. Based on theoretical reviews and in-depth analysis for building codes and regulations in the field of inclusive schools; the objective of this research is providing a toolkit to be used by architects who are interested in designing inclusive schools; by discussing design requirements, overlaps and conflicts between different needs, and the common requirements that could be achieved to include the largest number of pupils with different/special needs; as the building could have specific capacity and/or resources to adhere by. Subsequently, highlighting the different/special needs which preferably could be included together, and other needs which could be separated and suitable for other spaces in the school.

Keywords: Inclusive Education Schools, Architecture, Sustainable Communities, Social Justice, Different/Special Needs Inclusion, Quality of Education and Schools