Therapeutic Learning Center
2109 Arc Drive
St. Augustine, FL 32084
The ARC of the St. Johns Therapeutic Learning Center (TLC) is a charter school of St. Johns County, located in St. Augustine, Florida http://www.arcsj.org/TLC/. The TLC provides comprehensive educational and therapeutic services for children birth to age 5 with mental and physical disabilities. A.D. Davis Construction was an integral part of the construction of the Therapeutic Learning Center, from helping to raise funds from the community to donating construction management of the project along with the architect and civil engineers. For years, the ARC had a waiting list of children and families. With the opening of the TLC, the ARC could more than double the number of children it served and accommodate future growth.
The TLC is state-of-the-art facility that provides an environment to fully satisfy the needs of classroom instruction and a variety of occupational and physical therapies in one site, all completed on a very limited budget. The TLC operates each day as a preschool and pre-kindergarten classroom, a student cafeteria, a parent and family resource center, a respite center, a medical rehabilitation center and a space for school and community celebrations.
The TLC is designed around the specialized equipment and physical environment necessary to provide rehabilitative services for children challenged by a variety of conditions including Autism, Down Syndrome, Spina Bifida, Cerebral Palsy and Mental Retardation among other disabilities. Efficient use of space was a major factor in design. Contractors also had to use construction materials that would not exacerbate the tactile, light and sound sensitivities of special needs children.
A.D. Davis cleverly transformed farmland into a versatile outdoor environment. The retention area is now a stocked pond where children and their families can fish. The handicap-accessible playground is positioned on recycled rubber flooring. The most spectacular outdoor alteration is the Memory Keepers Garden. This serene space with water features, native plants and covered areas is both beautiful and therapeutic.
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