Reflecting the multicultural composition of the community and cyclical movements of the region’s wildlife, our design is rooted in the concept of migration. Amidst ongoing densification of the Oakridge corridor and alarming biodiversity decline, the new Columbia Park reclaims habitat for native flora and fauna while serving as an inclusive gathering space for rest and play. It balances the city’s increasingly urbanized nature by serving as an urban oasis, creating a space that celebrates and enhances (bio)diversity.
Guiding PrinciplesBaseball diamond mapProcess Work
Difficulties in sensory responsivity and motor movements
Difficult in navigation due to cognitive and social challenges inherent within the Built Environment
Goal: To create a safe garden space for autistic students that allows for various degrees and types of stimulation that (1) facilitates their sensorial integration into the urban environment while offering (2) spaces for respite
“Spaces to go to, without being far away from everything else”
References:
Mostafa, M. (2015). Architecture for Autism: Built Environment Performance in Accordance to the Autism ASPECTSS™ Design Index. Design Principles & Practices: An International Journal: Annual Review, 8(1), 55–71. https://doi.org/10.18848/1833-1874/CGP/v08/38300
McAllister, K., McBeth, A., & Galway, N. (2022). Autism spectrum condition and the built environment. Cities & Health, 6(6), 1164–1178. https://doi.org/10.1080/23748834.2022.2139210
Toronyi, D. (2021). Hidden geographies: Design for neurodivergent ways of hearing and sensing. Cities & Health, 5(1–2), 133–137. https://doi.org/10.1080/23748834.2019.1627059
Design principles:
Create varying degrees of stimulation
Establish different sensorial zones
Account for Site Observations
Windbreak and sound barrier >> hedge along the main streets
plan2_circulation 
final design iteration
work in progress
High to Low stimulation zones
