As part of The Faison Center’s campus expansion initiative (which included The Faison Residence in 2014), Baskervill designed a three-story addition to the center’s existing classroom building. Geared toward preparing students ages 15-22 for real-world experiences, the building’s first floor features flexible classroom space that promotes interactive and immersive learning, including vignette-style simulation areas such as a studio apartment and waiting room for students to practice useful life skills. Eight additional classrooms in the upper two floors serve an additional 60 students from ages five to 15. Both inside and outside of the building, color and texture are used as strategic design elements to create a sensory-sensitive learning experience—critical to designing for students with autism. Furniture is bright, vibrant, and durable. Artfully placed felt panels break up clean, white walls and serve as pin-up space for student metrics and milestones. The building’s exterior is punctuated by pops of sky-blue cladding, another strategic move. As the campus continues to grow with the addition of several more Baskervill-designed buildings, distinguishing accent colors will be used on the facades to easily identify buildings for students and guests alike.

The project is a continuation of a longstanding partnership with the school (and with the original 1961 Baskervill-designed building), which will continue evolving as the campus continues to expand.