March 3, 2026
Elwyn School: KSS Designs for Neurodiverse Education
A Purpose-Built PreK–12 Campus Integrates Neurodiverse Design Strategies for Students with Intellectual and Developmental Disabilities
KSS Architects is pleased to announce the groundbreaking of the new Elwyn School, a $45 million, 80,000-square-foot PreK–12 facility located at the heart of Elwyn's 260-acre historic campus in Media, Pennsylvania. The new school is the first phase of Elwyn’s $100 million redevelopment plans for the campus.
KSS is honored to partner with Elwyn by designing a campus that will champion inclusion and innovation for future generations.
Mayva Donnon, AIA, NCARB, LEED AP, Partner at KSS Architects
Designed in collaboration with Elwyn and an integrated design-build team, the new school will serve 260 students across two curriculum tracks: those with complex needs requiring intensive clinical support with onsite residential care and those building toward greater independence.
For more than 170 years, Elwyn has been a pioneer in supporting individuals with intellectual and developmental disabilities, autism, and behavioral health challenges. The new school extends this legacy by translating Elwyn's deep institutional knowledge into a purpose-built environment that affirms what is possible for students and sets a new standard for specialized educational design.
Abundant natural light and thoughtful material choices create a dining space that promotes wellbeing, ease, and positive social interaction.
This project is about more than designing a school building; it's about reimagining what a learning environment can do for students who have traditionally been underserved by conventional design. Every design decision is rooted in how the space will support students' growth and independence.
Mayva Donnon, AIA, NCARB, LEED AP, Partner at KSS Architects
The building is organized into learning neighborhoods that scale the environment to the individual student experience, offering calming, supportive spaces with direct views of nature using materials drawn from the character of Elwyn's historic rural campus. A universal design framework rooted in neurodiversity informs every aspect of the plan, from intuitive wayfinding and biophilic design features to restorative spaces and integrated assistive technology. This approach fosters independence, wellness, and a genuine connection to place.
Sensory rooms, decompression areas, and life skills kitchens complement classrooms and therapy spaces. Specialty program spaces, including music, art, a career discovery lab, and a gymnasium, support holistic student development. The result is a school that is both clinically informed and design-forward: a place where every detail, from the layout of a classroom to the materials on the walls, is grounded in how the space will help students feel, function, and thrive.
The new Elwyn School is slated for completion in summer 2027.
