A.E.R.O. Therapeutic Center is designed for students with special needs and for the teachers who help them thrive. The new campus provides a safe, nurturing environment with connections to daylight and nature for students with cognitive/physical disabilities and behavior/emotional diversities. The 150,000-square-foot facility, one of the largest of its kind in the Midwest, serves 11 member school districts.
The design responds to the challenges these students face and encourages them to become active members of the classroom. Six separate building entrances facilitate efficient movement of a large and neurodiverse student population. The building surrounds two internal courtyards, each designed to support the therapeutic needs of students in an enclosed outdoor environment.
A variety of features are intended to reduce stressful transitions. Examples include human-scaled canopies, rounded corners to follow along, strategically placed lighting, and a calming color palette. Spaces such as in-classroom quiet areas, sensory rooms, and stair pockets allow students to safely separate from their peers.
The classrooms, at nearly twice the size of previous A.E.R.O. classrooms, not only offer much more instructional space but also provide more room for the specialized equipment needed by many of the students.
