Eslyn Henley Richiez Learning Centre

This project is the replacement of an All-age Special Educational Needs School destroyed in Hurricanes Irma and Maria. The new design represents long-term planning to provide a fully handicap accessible state-of-the-art facility. The new school will include Sensory and Therapy Rooms, as well as indoor and outdoor trampolines for Rebound Therapy, Outdoor Classrooms, and Hoists to aid in transferring non-ambulatory students.

The local species of Iguana inspired the arrangement of articulated/ indented volumes along a central spine with special attention to the processional experience at the ‘head” (entry) and “tail” (exit). The school also features a central hallway roofed with translucent polycarbonate panels. This central beacon also functions as a wind-scoop and thermal chimney with placement of extensive louvers along its sides.​​​​​

The school’s grounds now capture and filter stormwater through its Rain Garden and a stone swale, rather than allowing it to pour onto adjacent properties. The Sensory Garden is designed for active experiential learning. This space engages the students with texture in rocks, mulch, and more on a sensory path. It also engages the senses through the various scents of the chosen plant life, and the varied colours including those of the decorative butterfly stakes and whimsical signage.

The school was officially opened on October 13th 2025.