Holy Family Special School, Co. Cavan

Holy Family is a special needs school catering for children with moderate, autistic and severe learning difficulties, located on the outskirts of Cootehill in Co. Cavan.

The practice worked closely with the school in developing a proposal that met their very specific requirements and aspirations.

This included grouping classrooms into junior and senior wings, rather than traditionally by special needs type. The school felt that this would give children a sense of progressing through the school over the years and allow them to interact with children of other abilities and needs.

The two classroom wings are separated by shared multi-purpose facilities, whilst each block separately identified and finished in white render with dark grey roofs, to allow them to sit appropriately in their countryside setting.

The level of redevelopment necessitated the decant of much of the school onto a temporary site, to facilitate a phased demolition of the existing school.