Vieux Fort & Dunnottar SEN Schools
St Lucia, Eastern Caribbean
Designs for two new-build facilities in Castries in the north, and Vieux Fort in the south, in order for funding to be secured from the Caribbean Development Bank
The St Lucia EQuIP (Education Quality Improvement Programme) scheme is a four core-dimension programme aimed at modernising and improving education provision in Saint Lucia. For St Lucia this means starting afresh with its two current SEN schools. The project was to provide designs for the two new-build facilities in Castries in the north, and Vieux Fort in the south, in order for funding to be secured.
Both 60,000 sq ft schools are zoned for junior and senior teaching areas, coupled with 18 specialist classrooms for Foundation, Autistic learning and ADL classrooms, multifunction music and performance space, Library/ Media centre, art/ Craft rooms, dining, Speech therapy/ sensory classrooms and special education classrooms.
These are complimented by vocational teaching areas covering activities such as catering, Beauty, Agri-Science, and vehicle mechanics, and life-skills areas including a mockup apartment. Additional facilities include flexible conference space.
Building envelope design has been developed encouraging gentle air movement at desk level for cooling and low CO2 levels. Passive-venting cowls at high level encourage air extraction and fresh air movement within the building, while specialist areas are supplied with localised air-conditioning.
