PROJECT TYPE: Public & Commercial Space YEAR 2023
PROJECT TYPE: Public Space YEAR 2023
PROJECT TYPE: Educational Space YEAR 2024
YEAR 2018-Current
Niobrara, Nebraska
This project is a conceptual building sited on the entrance of Niobrara State Park in Nebraska. This park is one of the biggest in Nebraska and brings thousands of visitors to it every year, but their current visitors center is not capable of handling the needs of the park. So, this project is to design a brand-new visitors center at the entrance of the park. There are four main goals of this design to better the community of and around the park. The main goal was to encourage people to keep coming to the park not just by attracting them from the nearby highway but also creating something new that will attract new visitors. With the given site this project was able to capitalize on the views of the park that were created which helped to achieve the goal of encouraging visitors to explore the history and beauty of the park. All the beauty of this park are highlighted with large windows and vast spans of decking that can be explored by both the visitors and the employees of the park. As a visitors center the visitors are the main focus of most of the design but as a project this building was created to find a balance between the needs of the visitors and of the employees who will be there every day.
This project was to create a small pavilion deep into Niobrara state Park. To highlight the beautiful nature of the park this pavilion showcases the importance of bees. This pavilion is large enough to be an event space, but its primary use is designed to be for educational purposes. There is a large group space that highlights views of the many plant box filled with flowers that attract bees. Along with the large group space there is a small vendors booth that sells many products that can be made from bees. This pavilion is there to bring more young people to the park while trying to get them interested in the value of nature.
Niobrara, Nebraska
Hailey Wagener
This project is a conceptual design to finish a vacant tenant space at gateway mall in Lincoln Nebraska for the autism community in Lincoln and the surrounding area. This design will seek to provide opportunities for children who otherwise are lacking in the traditional school system by incorporating different sensory environments, collaborative learning zones, and other therapy spaces. Not only will this design seek input from autistic children themselves but from the educators and the caretakers/families of the children. This will help foster a sense of safety and community with all of the potential users which will only benefit the children who often tend to be forgotten in the system in place today. This also allows the community to become more inclusive to all individuals of all abilities by making it the norm for all.
Lincoln, Nebraska
What do you like most about your school?
I like being able to see my friends. I also like the library because I like to read and it is quiet.
What do you like least about your school?
I don’t like how many other kids there are in my class, or the bright lights in every room. Its always very loud. And i hate gym class. It is always too loud and I am not very good at all of the games.
Is there anything in your school that you feel makes it easier for you to learn? This could be a space that you like to go to or a person? What parts of that thing do this for you?
I really like the library, it is quiet and the librarian is very nice, she always helps me to find new books.
How do you feel about the traditional school set up? What parts of it are challenging for you?
I don’t like how everything feels so fast, I get stuck on problems and then I feel left behind.
What would your dream school have in it? Or what would it look like?
It would have a huge library with lots of new books, and it would be quieter than my school now. It would have a lot of places for me to play with my friends too. I would want it to have lots of big trees and animals there for me to play with.
What does a typical day look like for you?
Observing students, providing programming feedback, training staff, and collaborating with teams to meet the diverse needs of our students in the district.
What do you feel is the most challenging part of working in special education?
Each student is so unique, so keeping up with the new research and meeting the needs of each student. Also, in her position it is hard to be able to get all of this information to the teachers of the district
What things have you seen that help the students to feel more comfortable in a classroom or school setting? What helps the teachers?
Noise canceling things, lighting issues, variety of seating rocking chairs, High intensity flavors (oral sensory needs), providing different environments, preventative things in place. Teachers: Resources and training are helpful, things that can be easily used for every kid regardless of disabilities. Special space for the teachers more relaxation self-care space
What parts (physical parts of the built environment) of the teaching space do you feel has the most impact on the student’s ability to learn?
Right number of stimulants, clear and defined boundaries to help with regulating emotions, sound proving and reduction of echoing, places where they can go to help regulate themselves. Close bathrooms or bathrooms within the space. More personal bathroom as an options
In your dream scenario what would the teaching space have in it? Or available in the same building? For both the students and the educators
Big enough classrooms with different sections, kitchen laundry. Dividers to be used as needed more movable. Lots of storage!! “Learning in the natural setting” more a home style dinner setting, really small classrooms individual workspaces, could have a larger classroom setting could help with transitioning into a traditional classroom.
