Sheppard Pratt Health System (SPHS) is the largest provider of non-public, special education programming in Maryland, serving students with special needs, the majority of whom have been diagnosed with autism. Offering individualized, comprehensive, and therapeutic care, SPHS understands the need to adapt, adjust, and accommodate for both treatment trends and individualized education. MCA understands that Sheppard Pratt’s school facilities need to do the same.

SPHS engaged MCA to program, plan and design a school for their youngest students in the Gibson Building, a medical office building on the Towson Campus. The design includes a playground, 4 classrooms, a sensory integration room, a library, 2 resource rooms, administrative support spaces and 10 offices accommodating behavioral specialists, occupational therapists, social workers and student trials. Successfully locating the preschool program in the Gibson Building facilitated family involvement and proximity to service providers for early diagnosis, intervention and treatment.

Project Highlights

• Accommodates a variety of transportation modes for the students, including school buses, while segregating the traffic flow from the general public

• Secures the school from the general public occupying the remainder of the Gibson building.

• Creates a distinct school environment within the context of a medical office building

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