Design for Learning

Karissa Rosenfield, reporting for Arch Daily, relays the findings of a study on the impact the design of a school has on learning:

For decades, schools have slowly morphed into prison-like facilities with artificially lit rooms and barricaded playgrounds. However, the trend is beginning to shift. With a highlight on sustainable design, a focus on safety and an increased demand on positive learning environments, more people are paying attention to the way we design our schools.

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They found that “73 percent of the variation in pupil performance driven at the class level can be explained by the building environment factors measured in this study.” This means “placing an average pupil in the least effective, rather than the most effective classroom environment could affect their learning progress by as much as the average improvement across one year.”

Design matters.