In her diploma project, student Ewelina Maj presented a concept for an Education and Development Centre for children with special needs, which could be built in the Stabłowice housing estate. It is an architectural proposal, but first and foremost a social one – responding to the daily challenges of disability and the need to support both the youngest and their families. Ewelina Maj is a student at Wrocław University of Technology and defended her engineering diploma project in mid-2025.
The chosen location is not accidental. Stabłowice, known for its silence and green surroundings, offers conditions rarely found in an urbanised city. The low noise level is conducive to therapy and concentration, and the proximity of a horse stud opens up the possibility of conducting hippotherapy classes – one of the most appreciated forms of supporting children’s physical and emotional development. The project aims to create a space that combines rehabilitation, education and recreation into a coherent whole.
The centre is to have three main functions. The first is the rehabilitation section, where children will be able to develop independence and improve their cognitive skills through exercises and sensory play. The second – educational – is aimed at parents and caregivers, who will find knowledge about living with a child with special needs, principles of healthy nutrition or methods of supporting development. The third function is a training area, preparing future professionals to work with children with special needs. This is complemented by a catering area, also open to the residents of the estate, and a hotel area, dedicated to families on rehabilitation holidays.
The architecture of the facility has been designed to maximise the use of daylight. The rehabilitation and sensory rooms are located on the south side of the building to ensure adequate lighting conditions. On the other hand, the rooms that are less demanding in this respect are located in the depth of the building or on the north side. The ventilated façade and horizontal sunshades protect the interiors from overheating, and the use of timber-frame technology fits in with the idea of green building, reducing the carbon footprint and creating a friendly microclimate.
Ewelina Maj’s design places particular emphasis on accessibility. Key functional spaces have been placed on the ground floor, and internal communication has been planned without thresholds, with wide passageways enabling wheelchair users to move freely. Tactile paths for the blind and visually impaired have been introduced, as well as Braille signage and the TOTUPOINT system, which uses special markers to provide voice information about the surroundings. Additional handrails and appropriately placed switches emphasise the attention to detail that is crucial in everyday life.
The Education and Development Centre in Wrocław is a project that combines functionality, aesthetics and social responsibility. It is a response to the real needs of families raising children with special needs and, at the same time, a manifesto of a modern approach to architecture – sustainable, inclusive and deeply rooted in concern for people.
EDUCATIONAL AND DEVELOPMENT CENTRE FOR CHILDREN WITH SPECIAL NEEDS IN WROCLAW
AUTHOR: EWELINA MAJ
UNIVERSITY NAME: POLITECHNIKA WROCŁAWSKA
SUPERVISOR: DR INŻ. ARCH. PRZEMYSŁAW WOJSZNIS
TYPE OF THESIS: ENGINEERING DIPLOMA THESIS
source: Ewelina Maj
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