North Brother Island School + Habitat is an ongoing adaptive reuse project for an inclusionary learning facility for Autistic children, including supplementary public landscapes, research buildings and wildlife conservation areas. It is a necessary resource for New York City, which is heavily underserved in terms of schools addressing Autism Spectrum Disorder.
With an equal focus on buildings and landscapes, the project is realized with the intention to dissolve the negative history and stigma of the island, stabilize its naturalized growth as a habitat for protected birds nesting there, and introduce research and education programs to provide a comprehensive, innovative learning environment.
This unusual mix of program, site, and users (the public in general, neuro-typical, autistic, researchers, educators, birds) enables the success and growth of each other, reacting to the various needs of hypersensitive or hyposensitive occupants – human or avian.
Location: North Brother Island, New York City
Phase: Research & Development
Design Team: Frances Peterson, Landscape Architect
North Brother Island School + Habitat Ian M. Ellis Architect Austin, TX
North Brother Island School + Habitat Ian M. Ellis Architect Austin, TX
North Brother Island School + Habitat Ian M. Ellis Architect Austin, TX
North Brother Island School + Habitat Ian M. Ellis Architect Austin, TX
North Brother Island School + Habitat Ian M. Ellis Architect Austin, TX
North Brother Island School + Habitat Ian M. Ellis Architect Austin, TX
North Brother Island School + Habitat Ian M. Ellis Architect Austin, TX
North Brother Island School + Habitat Ian M. Ellis Architect Austin, TX
North Brother Island School + Habitat Ian M. Ellis Architect Austin, TX
North Brother Island School + Habitat Ian M. Ellis Architect Austin, TX
North Brother Island School + Habitat Ian M. Ellis Architect Austin, TX
North Brother Island School + Habitat Ian M. Ellis Architect Austin, TX
North Brother Island School + Habitat Ian M. Ellis Architect Austin, TX
North Brother Island School + Habitat Ian M. Ellis Architect Austin, TX
North Brother Island School + Habitat Ian M. Ellis Architect Austin, TX
North Brother Island School + Habitat Ian M. Ellis Architect Austin, TX
North Brother Island School + Habitat Ian M. Ellis Architect Austin, TX
North Brother Island School + Habitat Ian M. Ellis Architect Austin, TX