Ethics of an All-Inclusive Learning Center

The project is named “Sensory Learning Center”, designed 3rd Year 2nd Semester in Azadeh Sawyer’s studio under Stefani Danes’ instruction. It will be completed by May 2021, located at 220 Taylor Street, in Bloomfield, Pittsburgh. It is a children’s learning center focused on the Reggio Emilia Approach to preschool education. The client is the Children’s Institute of Pittsburgh, and they are a nonprofit organization dedicated to children with special needs. They were founded in 1902 as the “Memorial Home for Crippled Children” and have been focused on the development of all children, but also those with any disabilities. 

This project values the importance of nature and its function within the Reggio Emilia Approach. Designing a garden not just for beauty, but also as a place to learn from, learn in, explore in, for children to develop intimate relationships with moments of nature. The importance of nature also extends to material use and sustainability, through extensive uses of wood from structural framing to interior and exterior design. The aim is to avoid the use of steel and concrete or any other carbon-intensive construction method as a means of offsetting carbon emissions. As such, this becomes an opportunity to exhibit the beauties of wood through multiple facets, resorting to different treatments and methods of assembly. At the same time, the project aims to become a neighborhood node, somewhere people can enjoy as a social venue within Bloomfield.

The process of design for the Sensory Learning Center began with examining the urban rhythms of the street block and daylighting to inform the placing of the central garden. It was a deductive approach, determining the location of the masses that later got resolved into programmatic spaces. There was a significant dialogue between the structural logic that determined the partitions and the program spaces located in between. Afterward came the process of detailed formal changes to aid with visual continuity of the building with the others on the block, and updates on solar performative function. The roof was therefore revised, and shading devices were added. The facade, on the other hand, has had revisions to simplify the fenestration logic. The last part of the project will involve interior designing and a study of detailing in the major spaces. 

During the design process, the moments that involved the most important decisions were in the beginning. I believed the garden is highly significant to the nature of this project, and its location was informed by daylighting in the lot. It seemed best to build around the garden to allow for maximum daylighting of the interior and exterior. Besides, a central garden will almost always have views from within the building which makes it even more significant. I am happy with my decision because I have received nothing but positive feedback from the client. However, I do just wish that I had thought of a garden on the front facade earlier on in the project, as a way to stand out from the rest of the street. Because one issue of the project is this: for a garden on Taylor St to happen, the Atelier space has to setback, and that will change the structure and potentially its roofline. It can be worked out, but had I thought of this earlier on, it would have been easier to integrate it into the project. 

I believe that our studio was aware of the context of the project, maybe some more than others. Some of my colleagues’ designs prove to be far too avant-garde for middle class neighborhoods, which may stand out in a way that does not relate to the histories of Bloomfield. I believe projects in such dense neighborhoods should refer to the languages of their local communities. This could integrate the building not just architecturally, but also socially and culturally. After all, it is our responsibility to respect and preserve the culture of the context of each project. So it does become an ethical question, if one is designing a building that is out of the ordinary from its surroundings. That is occasionally a good thing, people do want novelty, but that is questionable if the novelty is also exclusive and not inclusive (especially when we are talking about an all-inclusive learning center).

I personally didn’t think there was an issue with the studio culture within the studio section, nor with the entire year. I appreciate that my section professor starts with a greeting round, allowing us to express our current state of being as a means of assessing the person’s well-being at the start of a session. For sessions through online learning, it places a human face on a dehumanizing media. I do occasionally get a disturbing hint that my studio instructor might be patronizing because I am from a foreign country (this has happened during my first year in a class outside of the School of Architecture, and I sadly did not know how to reach out to report that professor), but it would be interspersed with friendliness as well, and I usually give the benefit of the doubt.

Firstly, obligations regarding the first Canon would center around being mindful of the context and users while designing the project. It should respect the natural and cultural heritage of the locality - while it does not have to refer to it directly in design, the project should aim to conserve and improve it regardless. While doing so, the project shall execute itself upto highest standards in efficiency of systems, designing for human dignity and safety. Nevertheless, architecture is also an art and the project should give way to an aesthetic design that can be appreciated, and should encourage the arts as a whole.

The second Canon focuses on the public, and doing so reminds the project team they need to follow and preserve order in the larger context of the urban landscape. We should follow the law directed at urban architectural conduct, making sure codes are met to ensure public safety. Furthermore, the project should be aware of environmental needs of people, and has to deliver them to support human health. This is also to say that environmental health is important to consider; the ethical implications of the materials used (especially with carbon intensive materials) should be considered. Ideally, projects should aim to offset carbon emissions, and we should adapt to that by doing material research as a way to be aware of our obligations to Canon I; knowledge and skills shall be used for high standard design that is aware of our environment. 

The third Canon focuses on the obligations to the client; clients are to be respected regardless of their demands, background, or budget, and etc. Even when clients are being hard to deal with, asking for unreasonable design decisions, it is our job and obligation to respectfully discuss their concerns. Each client deserves the same high level of service from the architects, and we must show this respect by making and meeting reasonable deadlines. If there is a conflict of interest, it should be brought up early enough to deal with it before it can become a problem. This is important when it comes to being truthful with correspondences. Misinformation can negatively impact a whole project, while just benefitting one person in making them appear as if they are on time. When in fact they are overdue, and the project is lagging behind schedule, which can cause more fees accruing in relation to the project. 

The fourth Canon examines the obligations to the professions and within the workspace. Honesty and fairness are important, as to the intellectual properties of projects and designs. The consequences of signing a drawing that does not belong to the original owner can result in a responsibility greater than what that person can carry. The profession works with concerns of human safety, and if drawings are not mindfully drawn - or are taken from someone else, future design decisions can face problems. Sadly, the worst case scenario from a lack of respect to the profession can be a catastrophe taking human lives. 

The fifth Canon focuses on the obligation to colleagues. In modern history, children go to school to learn and produce academic work - during their time at school, personal relationships are formed as a part of social development. The workspace is different, and coming out of a grade school and university setting where camaraderie is appreciated, it is important to be work oriented in a workspace. It is a space of work production and should be focused on the professional and intellectual learnings of the colleagues and interns working there. Another obligation is to uphold a high standard of intellectual recognition, to recognize and credit colleagues’ works and defend them where necessary.

Lastly, the sixth Canon is the obligation to the environment. Due to the deteriorating state of our environment and planet, it is up to us to uphold high standards of green design that is mindful of resource use and waste. We should design using our current technologies within the client budget to ensure high efficiency and also be mindful of the potential effect of time on the project and vice versa. The project should be sensitive to the environment regarding its wastes, and should aim to minimise them during and after construction.

There are not many conflicts between the obligations. The client is aware of the context of design, and has not requested any unreasonable demands. They are excited for the design of an all-inclusive space that is integrated into the neighborhood context and serves as a place more than its superficial functions. 

However, it does seem some obligations are higher priority than others. Especially within the context of the studio, there is a focus on biophilic design and energy efficiency and daylighting strategies as a way to reduce loads on active systems. The obligations to the environment are cyclically informing the design process to design a greener and more efficient building. I on the other hand have considered wastefulness and material production processes, and decided on using an all-wood approach to the building. This was a great opportunity to see all the different types of wood assembly members of which some cross-laminated timber beams are made of cross laminated plywood. Seeing this, I did realise that even if all the other obligations are mildly important, architects must always bear the obligations to the environment in mind.

This project will require the help of carpenters, electricians, and plumbers. The work they would be doing is standard; materials used in the construction are not specialites, however the woodworking will require a carpenter to be skilled with woodburning in addition to the standard wood treatments that would be applied. In the context of a place I would like to work in, Ontario’s fair wage laws specify six main minimum wage tiers based on type of occupation; general, student, liquor server, hunter, homeworker, wilderness guide. For craftsmen, the minimum wage would suggest $14.25 CAD per hour until 2021-09-30, and $14.35 CAD per hour starting 2021-10-01 to 2022-09-30. However, most of the time these are not ethically enough, and the average carpenter salary ends up at $25.00 CAD per hour in Toronto. 

The government’s role is to make sure the project is up to standards and codes. Zoning ordinances, while an occasional nuisance, provide order and prevent from landowners constructing whatever they desire. This in turn provides neighborhood order. Government approval, if there are no acts of ethical misconduct, will be the entity that makes sure the construction of a project does not impede the ownership, the rights, and obligations of neighbors. A great example of this would be to make sure there is a 3’ setback from a lot boundary if there are going to be windows on that facade. This ensures residents inside the building receive adequate sunlight. On the other hand, a building that impedes on someone else's vista will have to find a solution that does not disturb their view. Zoning laws are particularly effective; if a commercial building is built in a residential neighborhood, it will increase traffic in the back streets, also causing an increase in street noises. This is all to make sure people in that neighborhood are not disturbed by the new construction.

Firstly, a site plan approval is required to begin the permit process. Required drawings must be submitted to the City of Pittsburgh, Department of City Planning. Within 30 days, the application will be reviewed and will be accepted or rejected case by case - any changes that need to be made will be noted. Then depending on the project, there will be additional hearings regarding the design, historical context, neighborhood, etc. After the initial planning stage is greenlit, the project will begin active construction shortly. Before it does, soil analysis and pre-construction phase begins. Once the permit is issued, construction may begin. All these stages are implemented to ensure safety, harmony, and comfort. As such, the ethical obligations of the department of planning are significant. They are the people that make sure of the safety of the construction and that the design of the project is not going to be a nuisance.

The intent of the project is purely educational. Because the client is a non-profit, designing for a motive of profit would be unethical. The project is an all-inclusive learning center that aims to be a learning environment for all children, including ones with mental and physical disabilities. Profiting off of children just because they require special needs would suggest that people with lower incomes would not have access to necessary educational resources their child needs. Moreover, such a project should actually subsidize education for lower-income families and their children for the education to be truly all-inclusive. 

The main entrance is covered to protect the people from environmental elements. Moreover, it uses the neighborhood language of entrances, alluding to more of a home than a school. It reaches out to welcome the entrants, inviting them inside. The lobby is similar to a living room, and textiles are used all around the school for there to be a softer atmosphere. There are seating arrangements throughout the school for there to be informal social nooks for the parents to engage in. Because the building is a new project in the neighborhood, it will often get used for neighborhood engagements and social gatherings. Providing spaces for interaction is not just a conversational tool, but an opportunity for the parents to wind down after a day of work. My only concern is the roof form might come across too aggressively, because it is a solid form that needs to be further resolved into a form that relates to the human scale.

The concept of this project is very worthwhile. If it were up to me personally, I would reform the education system to follow Reggio Emilia principles, and would amend the architecture accordingly. However, the construction cost of just this project is upwards of 1.8 million USD, and while it is designed bearing passive strategies and LEED criteria, it could be hard to convince a non-profit to commission such a project. The Children’s Institute might opt in for a more affordable project that is more reasonable with a non-profit budget. 

Finding an investor could be a potential challenge, due to the non-profit nature of this project. One has to have a philanthropic interest in the project and its ideals to engage in its investment. If I had the resources, I would make sure I get an accurate cost estimate for this project; the wooden structure will be cheaper to construct than steel, and wood-based medium sized construction estimates do not exist, making my current construction cost estimate questionable. 

One way of quantifying success would be to examine enrollment. Are all the learning spaces and ages full? However, the aim of this project is not just to be a preschool - is the project also integrated into the neighborhood? Do parents see this preschool as a neighborhood social space? If these more qualitative questions can be answered positively, that would be a better measure of success.

This project is about offering opportunities to children and their families. Seeing children explore the garden in order to find inspiration for their next project, or seeing their work on the walls all around the building would be indicative of a successful project that engages with its users. People need to enjoy the built environment, and the built environment has to offer moments for its users. 

Works Cited:

Minimum Wage. www.ontario.ca/document/your-guide-employment-standards-act-0/minimum-wage. 

“Carpenter Salary Canada.” Living in Canada, www.livingin-canada.com/salaries-for-carpenters-canada.html. 

“Site Plan Review.” City of Pittsburgh., pittsburghpa.gov/dcp/spr.