At the Anne Carlsen Center, they are transforming lives, keeping families connected, and providing an inclusive environment where ability overcomes disability. To further their work, they embarked on nearly a decade-long process to open the doors to the new Anne Carlsen Ballantyne Berg Campus in 2024,welcoming all abilities into a unique live-in learning community. Through collaboration between healthcare and education specialists, the new Anne Carlsen Campus in Jamestown, ND, is building life skills, boosting confidence, and granting the gift of independence.
Independence is Inclusive
Dr. Anne Carlsen was born in 1915 without forearms or legs. She began her life’s work as a teacher, then Administrator for students with disabilities, and was a tireless advocate for the needs of students unable to advocate for themselves. Over eight decades later, her mission, “to make the world a more inclusive place where independence is a gift to all,” lives on through all eight service locations across North Dakota.
| “Empowerment is going from dependence to independence.” |
Completed in June of 2024, the new Anne Carlsen Ballantyne Berg Campus serves students within a unique live-in learning community and therapy center designed by JLG Architects for individuals with developmental disabilities and their families. Within a residential and educational environment, the organization serves individuals from birth through adulthood, accommodating intellectual and developmental disabilities, developmental delays, autism, and other behavioral or medically complex healthcare needs.
Pathways Project
In 2015, JLG embarked on the design process of the new Campus by aligning the design with the forward-thinking leadership team that wanted to continue Dr. Carlsen’s legacy. At that time, the existing building was located on a beautiful campus, yet it was nearly hidden from the public. The leadership team asked for openness, a building that would visually invite others to come inside and experience the work they do. One of the goals of the leadership team for the new build was to increase visibility and provide individual care in one primary campus that celebrated teamwork and collaboration. To serve families and children in this way, the newbuilding needed to be welcoming to all and address the complex challenges at their existing campus, including:
- Distant and disconnected spaces
- Spaces unable to facilitate teamwork and flexibility
- Aging IT, communication, and systems infrastructure
- Lack of transition spaces and sheltered access
- Outdated safety and security Shared bedrooms that were not private or inviting
Empathy Led
Due to the unique programming and occupant needs, extensive efforts were made to understand and engage the needs of students, staff, and families, assuring the new design was led with empathy and compassion. With in-depth understanding, the team was able to tailor design solutions that help everyone thrive. To do this, the team employed Design Empathy, a holistic approach to human-centered design that focuses on human behavior, sensory integration, and design principles to ensure a human-centered environment.
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This process began with several Gemba Walks, a key component of Lean Design, which aims to respond to all user needs while maximizing value, minimizing waste, and creating efficiency within the building. These initial walks allowed the team to observe user movement between spaces in the building, identify accessibility challenges, and optimize movement, designing amore efficient layout that enhances independence across day-to-day living and learning.
Emerging Solutions
From the early engagement sessions, it was clear that distinct living and learning zones needed to support each other to create a seamless and dignified transition between personal and educational experiences, mimicking the daily commute between home and school.Residential area suites were given a more home-like feel through soft colors, wood tones, and individualized bedrooms around a shared living space. Within the education wing, a pod structure allows multiple classrooms to support each other around a collaborative commons with additional spaces to meet different sensory, learning, behavior, or medical needs throughout the day.Finally, learning spaces were planned to be adaptable for today but also support the evolving needs of future students and families, including large spaces to accommodate both support personnel and large student support equipment.
Design Elements
Considering the multi-faceted support needs of users, several design elements leveraged user feedback to reflect Anne Carlsen Center’s standard of care and compassion.
Building Loop – The building loop is a home for circulation, a therapy track, and intuitive wayfinding that minimizes distraction. Here, designated pull-off spots and transition nodes reduce overstimulation and create active opportunities for therapy to take place, without disrupting circulation. The loop’s wayfinding guides users into the building, making it easy to navigate.
Courtyard – Encouraging independence extended to the outdoors, offering students equitable access to natural environments where they can safely explore on their own with passive supervision.
Entrances & Movement – Careful consideration was given to movement from the moment of arrival. At the main entry, the grand staircase that leads to the second- floor offices curves to the back, drawing users to the base of the stair and elevator access. This creates an equitable experience, whether using the stairs or elevator, so everyone’s access starts at the same point. Curved walls at interior entrances draw people into the designated wing and help eliminate unexpected surprises around sharp corners.
Color/Finishes – To design a calm space for active minds, close attention was given to patterns, textures, acoustics, and color, leaning into softer, natural colors and finishes that celebrate biophilic design. Throughout the loop, color draws users into spaces, defines departmental spaces, and stimulates either activity or calmness. The team was mindful of students with sensory sensitivities, staying away from bold colors and patterns that may induce stress, anxiety, or sensory overload.Today, the Anne Carlsen Center’s family-friendly campus is a beacon of hope and cutting-edge innovation, sharing advanced assistive technologies, indoor and outdoor play, private resident rooms, flexible classrooms, and state-of-the-art therapies for over 400 individuals daily. The new Center brings Dr. Carlsen’s vision of independence to life, empowering their team’s ability to nurture other’s abilities.
About the Author
Katie Becker, AIA, ALEP, NCARB, LEED Green Assoc. As an architect and K12 planner in JLG Architects’ K12 Studio, Katie Becker has spent over a decade leading design, research, and implementation of emerging best practices, ensuring schools are able to meet the evolving standards in education. Becker has worked with districts across the country, focused on progressive improvement in learning environments, enhanced student opportunities, and sustainable design for future facility resiliency. Becker currently serves as President Elect on the Midwest Great Lakes Board for the Association for Learning Environments.
