Researching Redesigning Physical Structures for Modern Learning

Iterating Toward Modernity

If you have ever visited the campus of the University of Chicago (or fortunate enough to attend) one can witness the wonders of the Laboratory schools. It’s a testament to innovation in design and construction in the field of education. Its large glass panes and open collaborative areas inspire learning exploration. The abundance of light and spacious layout encourages strong, growing minds. Although it is a rarity and extremely expensive to say the least; I mention it in order for us not to lose sight that as a country, we have accomplished great feats in modernizing learning spaces. It’s also a reminder that improving on iterations of school design propel us toward modernity.

Another example is Japan’s Fuji Kindergarten. Designed by Takaharu Tezuka, the school is in the shape of an oval, resembling a small village. Its interior is an integrated space that leads seamlessly to the outside world. It even has trees pushing through the roof deck that acts as an outdoor playground. The architect described it as follows:

“The kindergarten looks so primitive because the structure is just the roof and floor but it's quite advanced technology. The most important part is a continuity between inside and outside; there is no boundary between the inside and outside. There is no boundary between classrooms. Everything continues. We keep everything open so they feel they are a part of nature and those acoustic conditions are extremely well controlled.”

Indoor learning spaces seamlessly open to the outside.

One striking design that can be implemented in a future pilot program is the geodesic dome. According to the Buckminster Fuller Institute, “The spherical structure of a dome is one of the most efficient interior atmospheres for human dwellings because air and energy are allowed to circulate without obstruction. This enables heating and cooling to occur naturally. Geodesic shelters have been built all around the world in different climates and temperatures and still they have proven to be the most efficient human shelter one can find.” As a matter of fact, geodesic domes are already being used as Montessori schools in California and for science experiments by grammar school scholars in the United Kingdom.

The Watford Grammar School for Girls, in Hertfordshire, UK.

Solardome Industries created what they call the Pro Dome - view at sunset.

Interior view from the little laboratory for little scientists.

Montessori School in Los Angeles, California.

Why consider geodesic domes in the future design of an American pilot program testing new systems? Well, besides looking cool, they are also energy efficient. Citing the Buckminster Fuller Institute once more they share:

Its decreased surface area requires less building materials.
Exposure to cold in the winter and heat in the summer is decreased because, being spherical, there is the least surface area per unity of volume per structure.
The concave interior creates a natural airflow that allows the hot or cool air to flow evenly throughout the dome with the help of return air ducts.
Extreme wind turbulence is lessened because the winds that contribute to heat loss flow smoothly around the dome.
It acts like a type of giant down-pointing headlight reflector and reflects and concentrates interior heat. This helps prevent radiant heat loss.

Still not convinced? Check out this diagram:

Across the Pond

In researching how we can upgrade our public education system in the USA, I stumbled upon a great publication called “School Building Guidance” By Hau Ming Tse, Harry Daniels, Jill Porter, Ian Thompson and Sarah Cox.

Although it comes from Oxford University and discusses the building of schools in the UK, we can use it as a reference to discuss logistics on a possible American approach. You can upload the entire book here:

https://www.education.ox.ac.uk/wp-content/uploads/2018/09/School-Building-Guidance-12-April-2019.pdf

Despite the possibility that a new way of learning in schools may be more about the operations, systems, philosophy and culture of the learning spaces, it is only right that we consider the physical structures themselves as integral parts to the experience of a “modern education”. The days of small, enclosed, boxy spaces are numbered. Which is why I can say I am beyond impressed with the efforts of everyone involved in this project from abroad. My initial thoughts were related to the considerable support they were able to receive from the UK's Arts and Humanities Research Council (AHRC)- both financially and in human capital. I say this because this publication was built off of “Design Matters?” another AHRC funded study. The American equivalent of the AHRC would be the National Endowment for the Humanities (NEH).

I will not rehash every detail of this project but I feel compelled to share the most striking bits that can generate momentum for discussing how we can apply them here in our country. They set the stage for a good overview by stating:

“The importance of good school design is well documented in academic literature. Reported impacts of school design on practice include, but are not limited to teacher pedagogy, student engagement, student academic achievement, student attendance, school climate, and healthy eating-related behaviors (e.g. Frerichs et al, 2015; Imms and Byers, 2016; Ariani and Mirdad, 2016; Barrett et al, 2017)”

So there is no debate as to whether or not continuing to improve school design and systems is worth it. The amount of academic research to support this is overwhelming. The question is how? They answer this in detail and point us to many additional resources and logistical documents. However, I’ll provide what stood out to me the most and it began with their transparency in inquiries.

Great questions for developing educational vision.

These questions are intended to cut to the heart of important areas of focus. Who exactly will be responsible and accountable for responding to these questions? After all, designing, building and auditing operations of a new school seems like a logistical and bureaucratic nightmare. Their response was manpower and money. A helluva combination! They write:

“In response to these challenges we established a multi-professional team which includes an architect (Tse), a social scientist (Daniels), an educationalist (Thompson), and a disability specialist (Porter) to work collaboratively with New Schools Network (NSN), school stakeholder representatives, European Schoolnet, Architects Feilden Clegg Bradley Studios, the Royal Institute of British Architects (RIBA) on the co-design of this school building guidance which we hope will be of practical use for headteachers, school building commissioners, teachers and the wider school community as they become involved in the processes of school design and build. The focus of this guidance is on the pedagogic implications of creating new schools.”

In discussing how we can upgrade new schools and one day create a pilot program with a more modern system, a main factor to consider is stakeholders. Stakeholders are the driving force behind the three key phases this guidance identified as: Development of Educational Vision, Design and Instruction, and Occupation. I understand that in a country as large and diverse as the USA, developing an educational vision is a great challenge. And ultimately it will be up to each specific community to identify what is a priority for their scholars, families and staff. However, one observation made by an executive head from a case study is worth noting. He said:

“I’m a believer that all schools should have a focus on something, a specialty, which is their real strength and then think about how the new building should accommodate that.”

My professional opinion is that any school of the future that considers itself “modern” must have a specialty of prioritizing well-being. In a capitalistic society like America, we can make this more appealing by connecting well-being to entrepreneurship and technology. Some of this can already be seen in today's schools where students question, “What’s the point of getting good grades and passing tests if I can’t get a good job? Or if it’s not going to help me make money?” Such valid and relevant questions from our youth must be taken seriously. Educators are also concerned about the rising apathy of their students and rightly so. Again, a focus on well-being and entrepreneurship may be appropriate counter forces to high grades and test scores.

What I like about “School Building Design Guidance” is the concrete examples they provide through case studies of various schools with their individual specialties and specific requirements. Communication and cooperation among multiple agencies is evident. You see it at each step, from developing their educational vision, all the way through design, construction, occupation and lessons learned afterward.

They identify process milestones as the following:

Stakeholders are involved in each step of the process.

For each milestone they elaborate on key tasks, key stakeholders, key questions, and timescale. Details for each step of this complex process in new asset creation is laid out for us to study and be inspired.

How can we prepare ourselves for this discussion on continuing to build schools of the future? I’ll allude to the ten lessons learned provided by Oxford’s “School Building Guidance”:

The more I learn about the pedagogic implications of designing novel learning spaces, the more I would like to become a stakeholder in such a process. As I’ve mentioned, modernizing the physical spaces has been accomplished with the Lab schools in Chicago, the Fuji Kindergarten in Japan, and the awesome geodesic domes in California and the UK. What has not been attempted is the building of a new structure that incorporates a new learning framework and model vastly different from the status quo. This would make it a truly experimental school in every way. Now is the time.

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Q: How can this author attract stakeholders to collaborate on a pilot program to redesign public education (from building design to organizational systems and pedagogical innovation)?

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