Community space for neurodivergent people among projects from Cardiff University

a photograph of an architectural model in tones of beige

Dezeen School Shows: a community space designed to support neurodivergent people as they transition out of education is among the student projects from Cardiff University.

Also included is a proposal featuring housing and offices in response to Italy's migrant crisis and a reservoir created for river preservation.

Cardiff University

Institution: Cardiff University
School: Welsh School of Architecture
Courses: Architectural Studies (BSc)
Tutors: Michael Corr, Will Beeston, Hugo Keane, Aled Davis, Tim Burton, Charles Chambers, Phillipa Smith, Benjamin Wells, Hannah Summers, Matt Hudspith, Hayden Thomas, Ross Hartland, Caitlin Mullard and Lui Tam

School statement:

"The BSc in Architectural Studies is a three-year undergraduate degree course Accredited by RIBA, ARB and LAM (Malaysia), the programme covers design, technology, history, theory, representation and professional practice dimensions of the architectural discipline.

"Through studio projects, we encourage our students to take a holistic view of how buildings are designed, used, made and what their broader impacts are, whilst fostering an ethos of 'grounded creativity', exposing students to real world sites and live challenges as the basis for design projects.

"These approaches are reflected in the range of our year three design units, each of which empowers students to explore and tackle pressing issues for architecture, cities and society."

a series of three photographs of an architectural model

A Factory in Flux by James Pike

"Set in the ancient seaside market town of Penzance, this unit addresses Cornwall's severe deprivation by proposing a catalyst for sustainable economic growth to counter its low-wage and seasonal tourist economy.

"In 'A Factory in Flux', a materials testing facility innovating seashell-based concrete springs to life on the headland, bringing with it vibrant public spaces.

"A two-tiered facade of rammed-earth and tiles cloaks the skeletons of disused sheds.

"Acknowledging the short lifespan of materials exposed to coastal weathering, the facade embraces the cycle of creation and decay, bringing together environmental and social sustainability through designing for a celebratory process of renewal."

Student: James Pike
Course: Architectural Studies (BSc)
Tutor: Will Beeston
Email: pikej6[at]cardiff.ac.uk

an image of a building in tones of brown and grey beside a pool

Not Fighting Rivers with Rigidity by William Langton

"A river is a barometer of the health of a landscape. The River Taff has broken its banks at an excelled rate over the past 30 years, a clear indication of its deteriorating health.

"Rapid urbanisation of rural farmland and increased rainfall across South Wales have made the Taff increasingly vulnerable to flooding.

"To address this the project lowers floodplains and forms a reservoir, allowing the river to expand naturally and hold excess water during heavy rainfall periods.

"To minimise landscape impact, the Watersports Centre floats atop a modular pontoon system, reducing concrete use and preventing harmful chemicals from entering the water. The pontoon uses recycled plastics in cages to provide buoyancy.

"The centre includes boat storage, changing facilities and an event space by the water's edge."

Student: William Langton
Course: Architectural Studies (BSc)
Tutors: Hugo Keane and Aled Davis
Email: w.langton393[at]gmail.com

an image of a building in tones of brown being constructed

Re-Factory by Max Crowfoot

"Re-Factory is a design proposal for the disused Hoover factory in Merthyr Tydfil, creatively adapting the structure into a mixed-use commercial and public building that supports local businesses and serves the community.

"The project is grounded in ecological responsibility and material honesty. It emerges as a critical response to the environmental failings of contemporary construction, embracing strategies of reuse, cradle-to-cradle circularity and site-specific material sourcing.

"Each element, from structural design to insulation strategy, is shaped by a commitment to reducing embodied carbon and extending material life cycles.

"The project reflects a stance against waste, in favour of transparent, regenerative architecture."

Student: Max Crowfoot
Course: Architectural Studies (BSc)
Tutors: Benjamin Wells and Hannah Summers
Email: maxcrowfoot[at]gmail.com

an image of a building in tones of brown and beige against a white backdrop

Build Together: Affordable, Self-Build Housing by George Breckenridge

"Build Together offers a truly affordable response to the UK housing crisis and promotes a way of living, inspired by Walter Segal's self-build schemes of the 1980s.

"The aim around Build Together is to propose a housing model that rigorously simplifies construction methods to create an easy-to-build, adaptable method that facilitates residents to build their own homes.

"Exposed materials and clear structural expression demystify the building process, while shared community spaces facilitate foster collaboration and future self-build initiatives.

"It is not just housing; it is a movement towards collective agency and resilient neighbourhoods, encouraging participation, local ownership and long-term sustainability."

Student: George Breckenridge
Course: Architectural Studies (BSc)
Tutors: Matt Hudspith and Hayden Thomas
Email: breckenridge110[at]gmail.com

an image of a building in tones of grey and green, among a green lawn

Reparation by Randa Ibrahim

"Reparation is not just about bringing existing buildings back to life, existing buildings, but about making amends to and repairing a damaged urban fabric.

"'Kolana' (meaning together' in Arabic) is a critical response to the tolerated condition of Redcliffe today, a proposition to make amends through develop a community hub for asylum seekers and locals in Redcliffe, specifically women and children.

"Combining short-term housing, childcare and education with play-based urban design, the project repairs heals social fractures that connect past and present.

"Children's innocence becomes a tool for to rewriting the site's identity – using play as a universal language to foster belonging and reshaping Redcliffe into a place that serves its present and future, not just its past.

"To repair is not to erase, but to amplify the whispers of Redcliffe's past, so they may sing in its future."

Student: Randa Ibrahim
Course: Architectural Studies (BSc)
Tutors: Ross Hartland and Caitlin Mullard
Email: randahythum.ibrahim[at]gmail.com

a photograph of an architectural model in tones of brown and beige

Neurodiversity Hub by Paige Goodall

"Neurodiversity Hub addresses some of the challenges neurodivergent young people face when transitioning out of education – a period marked by limited institutional support and funding for individuals and families.

"The building fosters community and knowledge through shared resources, mutual support and collective voice, aiming to reduce household reliance on underfunded government systems and improve wellbeing.

"Inside, plywood structures define spaces for education, community, advocacy and respite.

"Open areas empower users to shape the environment around their needs with a network of internal and external windows enhancing visual connections, offering low-stimulus views to create a comfortable, accessible environment."

Student: Paige Goodall
Course: Architectural Studies (BSc)
Tutors: Michael Corr and Lui Tam
Email: goodallp[at]cardiff.ac.uk

an illustration of a building in tones of white and black

Facilitating the Right to Swim by Harry Durant

"Unit 7 tasked us to create access to the River Taff, to reinstate the community's connection to the it.

"This proposal entices people across the river by offering a cafe overlooking a series of river-fed swimming pools and a sauna complex.

"Built from the same stone used in the existing 19th-century canals that are still standing, and using timber frame elevated above the flood water level, the pavilions are designed to survive withstand repeat flooding.

"The swimming pools aim to improve river water quality by creating a human consequence to pollution – discouraging for the actions of the water companies, stopping them from releasing wastewater into the river."

Student: Harry Durant
Course: Architectural Studies (BSc)
Tutors: Aled Davies and Hugo Keene
Email: harry.durant[at]outlook.com

an image of a building in tones of grey and beige against a blue sky

Via di Mezzo by Sara Allinson Agharokh

"'Via di Mezzo', meaning 'a middle ground', responds to Italy's migrant crisis and inadequate asylum process through a civic development beside Florence's medieval city walls.

"The proposal responds to the challenge of designing a civic tribunal in that restores trust in public institutions while addressing contemporary legal and social issues.

"It centres on a courthouse and migrant housing, supported by community spaces, offices and a public forum.

"Privacy screens and wind towers define the formality and openness of each space, shaped by the surrounding walls.

"The project promotes access to justice, fosters community integration and reclaims the city's historic threshold."

Student: Sara Allinson Agharokh
Course: Architectural Studies (BSc)
Tutors: Tim Burton, Charles Chambers and Phillipa Smith
Email: allinsonagharokhs[at]cardiff.ac.uk

Partnership content

This school show is a partnership between Dezeen and Cardiff University. Find out more about Dezeen partnership content here.

The post Community space for neurodivergent people among projects from Cardiff University appeared first on Dezeen.