School Design Studio

Scotch Oakburn College's Middle School in Tasmania, Australia opens as excited students and teachers jump right into learning the 21st Century Way

This is a short photo summary of Scotch Oakburn College in Tasmania, Australia we at FNI started working on in 2004. I am so excited to see the fruits of our labors, and those of our local architectural colleagues on this project. The school is organized into learning communities of 150 students with associated space to help them define their identity as a small community within the larger school. Integrated project-based learning is a strong part of the school's philosophy to teaching and learning.
This first space is what we call the DaVinci Studio. DaVinci was a Renaissance Man, someone who integrated the disciplines and did not think of him self as one thing of another. In the same vein, we encourage educators to think of the Studio (fully equipped for both science and art) as a studio for integrated project-based learning. We are proponents of moving full tilt forward with wireless laptop computing across the entire campus including the outdoor spaces surrounding the building. Kids may or may not have access at home. If they do, then they take to the environment right way, if they don't, they now have access they didn't have. This allows for learning outside of the classroom and lots of communication between teacher and students outside of class time. Bean bags are a must in all classrooms and spaces in the school! They create personal space for students when they need it. Think of this happening in a US school - forget it, such stodgy administrators I want to puke! Let kids be kids once in a while. The revolution within classrooms are the Smart Boards that allow teachers and students to access the web from the classroom making every single classroom a potential distance learning lab. Using simple tools like Skype, that now eight million people are using for free when connecting computer to computer, kids can communicate with their peers in Japan, Indonesia, or even the United States (if you get the time zones to work out). Most teachers I've seen control this technology for lecturing, but that is a sad state of affairs! This tool, placed responsibly in the hands of students could unleash an amazing outpouring of exploration and self-directed learning! Outdoor space is a critical must for kids (and adults for that matter). Vitamin D from the sun, fresh air to breath, and outdoor learning opportunities make it a simple no brainer. Of all the ideas we propose, indoor-outdoor connections are one of the most favorite for teachers and students.

10 Trends in School Facility Planning

Every year, magazines in our field come out with Top 10 lists. I've written and presented a few myself. In presentations I usually use the drum roll for effect. Most lists provide more of the same straight line thinking into the future, or are trends directed towards decision makers in the field who are looking at making immediate short term decisions about facilities. Such is the case with our field's friend and leader Bill DeJong in a recent School Construction News report in this March/April 09 (p12) addition. In all fairness, its hard to get 10 juicy trends in a single page of a magazine dedicated to advertising tables, chairs and exterior brick for schools, but here are his solid short-term trends:

1. Declining Enrollments

2. Life Beyond No Child Left Behind

3. Anyplace, Anytime Learning

4. Flexible buildings

5. Global Focus

6. Modernizing Democracy

7. Green and Sustainability

8. Geographic Information Systems

9. Safety and Security

10, Replacement and Modernization.

Nothing here to write home about really, but these are the real short term trends for school administrative decision makers, things right in front of their noses.

Now for my extended thoughts:

Declining Enrollments: what is left unstated is how we transform how we think about "school facilities". Can we think beyond "the school" to thinking of a multi-generational learning center? One that is open to all? Yes we can! and some of us are. Often this flies in the face of No. 9 Safety and Security. So care needs to be taking in how the building is zoned, yet another part of the mix almost always left out of these safety discussions: how can adults that share such as facility be seen as caring adults rather than potential pedophiles? Yes we can! It just takes some clear thinking about how to create flexible, small communities within the building to support security for all, not just kids.

Anyplace, anytime learning: nothing new. DeJong states that in 15 years half of course work will be on-line, but doesn't have column space to explore implications for school planning (and design). Why do students have to be in the building all day long then? Can we imagine young people with some responsibility to get their work done in a self-directed manner, either in a more causal space within the building (another trend not discussed), or outside the building entirely? Yes we can! It means educators would have to work hard (as if they don't already) to help students of the 21st Century become self-directed learners such that when they reach high school age, they have developed sophisticated self-management skills. Easier said then done, but critically important for their success in the newly forming economy/market/multi-cultural world.

We can't understate the Sustainability angle. Again, left unstated by Bill is the ethical imperative of schools to take the lead in sustainability. They are teaching our young about the world, and it could be a rough ride not just for the planet, but also for human societies.

Global focus: clearly, the US is declining, but still out in front. Global competition is nothing new either. But, global cooperation and mutual understanding is so badly needed. Lets link up our schools directly to schools around the world more proactively like many schools have already begun to do. Lets share our experiences while learning science, math and cultural studies. Lets allow students to build relationships across the globe and make is a natural activity of schools. Distance education on steroids.

What trends have Bill and I missed? I'm sure there are several. Feel free to comment and add!