National Centre for Autism Education
Having occupied six temporary buildings in nine years, TreeHouse desperately needs a permanent building which will enable the organisation to achieve its aim to transform the educational opportunities for all children with autism.
The building will be a National Centre for Autism Education from which TreeHouse will:
- Educate children
- Educate parents and professionals
- Educate the general public and decision makers
TreeHouse’s National Centre for Autism Education
Building work commenced on 23 April 2007. Construction of the building will be completed in autumn 2008 with staff and pupils moving after a short commissioning period. External works will continue during the autumn with the official opening in spring 2009. If you have any queries about the build project please email TreeHouse or call on 020 8815 5444.
TreeHouse is constructing a permanent building on the site. It will be two storey, cut into the slope of the site. Its materials are to be red brick and natural timber cladding with a sedum roof, robust and warm materials, yet in keeping with the character of the Muswell Hill conservation area.
The design of the building has emerged from a long process of studying and defining the unique needs of children with autism. The building will be situated in the north east corner of the site to ensure that the sense of openness across the site from Woodside Avenue to the covered reservoir to the west is retained. The two storey building is designed to be as compact as possible minimising its scale and impact on the locality. There will also be a sports pitch for shared use by neighbouring mainstream primary schools, Tetherdown and St James’.
The permanent building will accommodate an eventual 80 children and 180 staff (this includes educational and support staff, training, national dissemination, policy and campaigning, management and administrative personnel).
The building will enable TreeHouse to deliver its three, interdependent services and will offer:
- teaching areas in order to teach TreeHouse pupils and train both TreeHouse staff and professionals on placement, in high quality facilities supervised by expert staff;
- extended school facilities in order to offer after-school, weekend and holiday schemes to children with autism and their siblings from across London;
- training suites, to deliver short courses to parents and autism professionals from across the UK;
- desk space, meeting rooms and training facilities to support TreeHouse’s expanding number of research, outreach, consultancy and parent support workers; and
- facilities for policy and campaigning professionals, to work amongst service delivery colleagues in order for direct experience to inform the political debate.
If you have any queries about the build project please email TreeHouse or call on 020 8815 5444.
An article about the new TreeHouse building was recently published in the magazine, 21st Century School. For more information about the magazine, please email Georgina.
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