What makes a good school design today? How can architects improve the environmental factors to help students and teachers perform at their best?
- Effective noise reduction especially in common areas and corridors
- Massive use of colors and patterns to create atmosphere and “give character” to the establishment
- Good internal air quality to increase cognitive functions
- Effective cleaning procedures in order to guarantee absolute hygiene, especially in kindergartens and first-grade schools
- Enabling the use of new teaching techniques and approaches, such as, for example, getting everyone to take off their shoes
Through all these different requirements, Artigo rubber floorings offer tested and valid solutions.
A NEW WAY OF LEARNING, A NEW DESIGN FOR SCHOOLS
The architecture behind educational facilities is changing because education itself is changing.
For a long time, academic buildings and academic programs have been focused on single, particular student needs: a dining hall to eat, a classroom to learn, a courtyard to play… Now, however, the boundaries are blurred. Students are looking at different ways of learning to get a holistic, immersive experience.
Young students nowadays learn more by working collaboratively and absorbing information through multiple channels.
As an example, Finnish firm JKMM share their mind on the matter:
“In our recent project in Helsinki, traditional desks and classrooms have been done away with. The teacher no longer sits behind a desk. The environment provides stimuli and encourages interactivity. In today schools, learning is possible even when one is not sitting behind a desk”.
This academic change represents a challenge for architects as well. The traditional dynamic “class/corridor” is bound to disappear, as the school space becomes a holistic learning ground. This opens a whole new set of doors for creativity.