10 out of 10 for Scottish school design? Providing an accessible, sustainable environment for 21st century education

This paper describes an on-going research project which aims to measure the extent to which the social model of disability is embedded within the school design process in Scotland. Proponents of the disability movement have called for societal structures to be reconceived based on the divergent capacities of the individual. The social model of disability can be used to explain the way in which disability is conceptualised as a barrier created by external factors which is imposed over and above an individual’s impairment. This model is used as a basis for conceiving a ‘social model of architecture’ and exploring the progress of architectural practice in responding to change. The largest school building programme in the history of Scotland has taken place, yet there is no conclusive research evaluating the performance of accessible design. This project investigates the inclusive education discourse in Scotland and its relevance to the built environment, the extent to which best practice guidelines are being met and the degree to which accessibility is considered throughout different stages of the design process. Results will be analysed to discuss the extent to which the social model is embedded within current school design and the case of Scotland’s schools will be used to develop a framework for implementation which takes into consideration a holistic view of the entire design process.