Pedder & Scampton completes Chad Gordon autism campus

Pedder & Scampton has completed a campus for people with autism and complex learning disabilities and a support hub for people with Aspergers.

The practice was commissioned by Haringey council in 2019 to transform two dilapidated former community buildings into the new centre for local residents.

The design of the campus included input from experts, carers, and the lived experience of service users’ families, combined with Pedder & Scampton’s specialist design knowledge for this user group.

The new facilities were created by retrofitting and re-using existing buildings on a tight budget.

The completed project includes accessible spaces for group activities, clear logical layouts, rooms for retreat and a training kitchen which will provide life skills training opportunities.

Finishes, fittings and detail design are specifically tailored to the particular sensory issues of the users.

The main entrance to the campus incorporates graphics inspired by local artist Lucy Brennan who attends Artbox London, a social enterprise that empowers  artists with learning difficulties.

The shared gardens will be upgraded over time as projects for the building users.

The campus is named in memory of local Haringey resident Chad Gordon who was killed in May 2020. Gordon, 27, was shot in the face by gunmen who had gone to the wrong address. In June this year Mason Sani-Semedo, 19, from Tottenham, and Cameron Robinson, 20, from Dagenham, were jailed for life after being found guilty of his murder. Three other men were all previously cleared of murder.

During the design process for the facilities Pedder & Scampton held detailed consultation meetings with service users’ families and the service provision team to understand their aspirations and needs for the new spaces.

A range of room sizes and types were requested that could be adjusted by the staff to create differing ”moods” to suit users’ sensory needs on any given day.

The limited budget needed to cover building repairs, service installation upgrades to current standards and appropriate safety and safeguarding, as well as meeting the client’s design and briefing aspirations.

Reusing and remodelling existing structures also provided a sustainable approach and meant that the project could be delivered in the relatively short construction period of seven months.