The Guild for Human Services provides quality, year-round services for students, ages 6-21, with intellectual disabilities who have complex special needs including autism and behavioral/mental health challenges. Its new Learning Center is a transformative school that expands and enhances The Guild’s individualized treatment and educational programs.

The 45,000 sq. ft. Learning Center occupies a former office building that abuts Minuteman National Park. The layout, setting, and expansive windows of this two-story building made it ideally suited for being repurposed as a school. Separate entrances to the ground and upper levels enabled us to create a unique entry experience for students to Learning Center on the upper level, separate from the faculty and staff entrance to the administrative facilities on the ground level.

Classrooms are significantly larger than those in The Guild’s previous facilities and offer a range of learning environments for individualized instruction. Considering the specialized needs for the Guild's student body, all materials were selected to promote safety and comfort. Different color palettes for the lower and upper school classrooms provide students with a distinct sense of place, and ample natural light and views to the landscape enhance student and teacher wellbeing.

MDS is proud to have served The Guild since 2014, beginning with a Needs Assessment and Space Planning Study for the new Learning Center. MDS subsequently assisted The Guild in its real estate search, which led to the selection of the Concord Farms property for its new Learning Center. MDS programmed, designed and implemented the fit-out for the Learning Center. The fast track project opened in October 2016.