The Arbor School and Development Center
The architectural design of The Arbor’s new school
wins AIA Architectural Award!
The award
winning design by Powers Brown Architects was recognized by the American
Institute of Architects Houston for its unique approach to accommodate children
with disabilities. This allows for the creation of optimum, nondisabling
environments and barrier-free design with special attention to acoustics
and lighting. The Arbor School currently owns 5.3 acres in west Houston,
the site of our future home. The property lies east of Beltway 8, north
of Hempstead, south of Hwy 290, and west of Gessner.
The Arbor’s new state-of-the-art 38,000 square foot school will provide
the muchneeded space to serve up to 100 children. The building will include
16 classrooms, a nursery wing with 2 large classrooms, 3 age-appropriate
outdoor playground areas, a vocational area with 2 large classrooms, and
a mini-apartment with kitchen for teaching independent living and social
skills. A wing especially designed for children with autistic characteristics
will be able to provide classrooms for up to 35 children.
The mini-apartment with kitchen, The Arbor
Café, living room and dining room furnishings, and vocational classrooms
are specifically designed for learning independent living skills. Most of
the children participating in Arbor programs will need some degree of supervision
throughout their lives. This program is designed to prepare them to work
in sheltered settings, providing them with social skills and work experience
to fit into a sheltered vocational environment so they will have access
to meaningful work in their adult years.
One of the main thrusts of the new Arbor will be to provide much needed
services to the school population and to others from the community. The
state-of-the-art Therapy Center is centrally located in the new building,
and will provide the latest in physical, occupational and speech therapy.
Music, art therapy, water therapy and recreational therapy will be offered.
With a Therapy Center in the same building, parents will avoid the need
to move children with severe multiple disabilities. Parents seeking outside
therapy often face long arduous drive times to physical and speech therapy
appointments across a sprawling city, and they will be greatly assisted
by having facilities located on the school campus. After the first year,
the Therapy Center will be open to the public and will provide an additional
source of funds for Arbor programs as services are expanded to the community.
The Pool and Water Therapy Program will include activities designed
for the many children who may be challenged physically and/ or unable to
walk, have limited use of their limbs but are able to benefit from water
therapy routines and interventions.
The large multi-purpose area will include space for The Arbor Cafe,
Physical Education, and will house a new one-of-a kind Parent and Teacher
Training Center equipped for closed circuit viewing of classroom demonstrations
and observations. It will also provide much needed meeting space for a staff
of ultimately 70. The Arbor School’s reputation is growing and our programs
are second to none. With the completion of this beautiful award winning
new facility, the city of Houston can be proud of the new building. Special
benefactors are choosing to name zones or classrooms of the new building
for a loved one they want to honor. This significant opportunity will help
raise these children in good health and selfsufficiency, and provide a long
lasting benefit to the community.
Please contact Kate Crady at 713-316-0114, or kcpr@airmail.net
for information regarding donor opportunities. Each gift will be designated
by a plaque in the appropriate area naming an entire service wing or classroom.
Each benefactor will have the knowledge that everyday, his or her generous
gift will provide high quality services for children with severe difficult
challenges.
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