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Optimal Learning Spaces Design Implications for Primary Schools

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SCRI Research Report

Optimal Learning Spaces

Design Implications for Primary Schools
Peter Barrett
Yufan Zhang

October 2009
 2
SCRI Research Report
Optimal Learning Spaces
Design Implications for Primary Schools

Professor Peter Barrett Dr. Yufan Zhang

Professor Peter Barrett is President Dr Yufan Zhang is an ar-

of the UN-established International chitect. She carried out
Council for Research and Innovation in her PhD in the School
Building and Construction (CIB) involv- of Architecture, Univer-
ing 2000 experts in 60 countries. He is sity of Sheffield. Her PhD
currently Chairman of Salford Centre work was focused on
for Research and Innovation (SCRI) and occupants’ comfort and
a member of the UK National Platform behaviour and how they
for Construction and of the European Construction Technology use environmental control strategies to modify
Platform. He has produced over one hundred and seventy sin- their internal environment. In January 2008, she
gle volume publications, refereed papers and reports, and has joined SCRI as a Research Fellow. Yufan’s work in
made over one hundred and ten presentations in around sixteen SCRI is to conduct research on a variety of issues
countries. Peter has been leading the CIB initiative on Revaluing related to ‘realising value in use’ of the built envi-
Construction for some years and part of this concerns better ronment. This involves the identification of inter-
understanding how value from the built environment is gained national good practice, linking this to evidence
by those in society. This has led to work in the area of Senses, from applied activities, such as the post occupant
Brain and Spaces, ie how spaces are experienced by people evaluations, in order to develop a stronger evi-
through their senses and interpreted by their brains. The practi- dence base to better understand the characteris-
cal application of this interest has been around school buildings tics of beneficial spaces for users, especially in the
and in particular how to create “optimal learning spaces”. design and refurbishment of schools.

Contacting SCRI
If you would like to find out more of this project please contact any of the following team members:
Professor Peter Barrett Dr. Yufan Zhang Mr. Carl Abbott Ms. Pam Allen
SCRI Chairman Research Fellow SCRI Manager SCRI Administrator
[email protected] [email protected] [email protected] [email protected]

Salford Centre for Research and Innovation in the built and human environment (SCRI)

University of Salford, 4th Floor, Maxwell Building, Salford M5 4WT, United Kingdom
Tel: +44 (0) 161 295 2649 Fax : +44 (0) 161 295 4587
Web: www.scri.salford.ac.uk

Printing copyright
Design and Print Group,
University of Salford, Maxwell 100,
Salford, M14 5WT, England.

© Peter Barrett, Yufan Zhang, 2009

All rights reserved; no part of this publication may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system, or transmitted in any
form or by any means, electronic, mechanical, photopying, recording, or otherwise without prior written permission
of the copyright owner. However, there is no restriction on the onward circulation of this report in electronic form
provided it is transmitted in its entirety.

First published 2009

ii
Acknowledgements

Many people and organisations collaborated to produce this report.

Firstly we have to express our gratitude to the Manchester City Council (MCC) who understood the po-
tential value of this work and strongly supported the study.

Thanks also go to the primary schools that were involved in the post-occupancy evaluations. They took
time from their very busy schedules to share information, arrange visits and review the results of the
surveys.

We are also grateful to those who agreed to the use of their pictures / images in the cases, which signifi-
cantly helped to bring the examples to life.

Financial support for this project was provided by the Engineering and Physical Sciences Research Council
(EPSRC).

The authors wish to express our appreciation of all this help. The report could not have been completed
without their contributions. However, any errors or mistakes found in this publication are the responsibil-
ity of the authors alone.

iii
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SCRI Research Report
Optimal Learning Spaces
Design Implications for Primary Schools

Foreword

Considerable evidence shows that there is an explicit relationship between the physical characteristics of
school buildings, and the spaces within them, and educational outcomes. Poor school conditions make
it more difficult for teachers to teach and pupils to learn. Every effort should therefore be made in the
design stage to create the ideal conditions for learning to take place. However, a variety of teachers
with specific and very different groups of pupils will subsequently inhabit and inherit these spaces. Each
teacher and each group of pupils is different, and teachers must develop the generalized environment for
specific purposes and groups. When a new building is complete and is handed over to the teachers, the
school can only be a “finished beginning” in which adaptations will occur. Only when spaces are seen to
support learning and create a positive experience, can we say it was designed successfully.

To achieve optimal design solutions is a complex and challenging goal. This report seeks to frame the mul-
titude of opportunities within just a few major design principles derived from the basics of how people
experience spaces in response to the environmental data they gain through their senses and synthesise in
their brains. This leads to a focus on naturalness, individualisation and level of stimulation. The resulting
practical opportunities have been illustrated / evidenced with case studies and we hope that this material
will stimulate significant thought and experimentation about school design amongst clients and design-
ers alike.

The suggested approach is not just another word for design standards. This SCRI report – and the others in
the series on Optimal Learning Spaces for schools (OLS) – aims to help schools to create learning environ-
ments that are more effective and comfortable. Developed through extensive research into international
best practice, in consultation with experts and sector representatives, it provides in-depth and practical
suggestions for improving the quality of the internal and external learning environment so ensuring that
pupils and teaching staff enjoy effective communication in comfortable spaces.

However, we consider this to be work in progress. This report brings together a range of design oppor-
tunities. The next stage will be to explore the practical interactions between the design parameters. This
is an exciting opportunity for us all, and we look forward to receiving any feedback you may care to give
us. Contact details are given on the inside of the front cover.

iv
Table of Contents

Acknowledgements�������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������� iii
Foreword������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������� iv
Table of Contents������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������� v
List of Tables�������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������� vi
List of Figures������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������ vi

1 Introduction������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������� 1
2 Foundations of the Design Implications���������������������������������������������������������������������������������������� 2
2.1 Literature Review�������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������� 2
2.2 Post-occupancy Evaluation����������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������� 2
2.3 Principles���������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������� 2
3 Design Implications for Primary Schools��������������������������������������������������������������������������������������� 4
3.1 Naturalness������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������ 4
3.1.1 Light �������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������� 5
3.1.2 Sound������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������� 8
3.1.3 Temperature������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������ 10
3.1.4 Air quality���������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������� 12
3.2 Individualisation�������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������� 14
3.2.1 Choice���������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������� 15
3.2.2 Flexibility����������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������� 17
3.2.3 Connection�������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������� 21
3.3 Level of Stimulation�������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������� 25
3.3.1 Complexity�������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������� 26
3.3.2 Colour���������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������� 28
3.3.3 Texture��������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������� 32
4 Summary���������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������� 35
5 References�������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������� 37

Appendix: General Impact of Colour in Spaces����������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������� 42

Picture Credits���������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������� 44

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SCRI Research Report
Optimal Learning Spaces
Design Implications for Primary Schools

List of Tables
Table 1: Design principles and practical options - cross referenced to sections in report ����������������������������������� 3
Table 2: Suggested glazing choices ��������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������� 12
Table 3: Design for school pupils linked to design parameters������������������������������������������������������������������������ 35

List of Figures

Figure 1: Building orientation of two primary schools in Manchester, UK; (Left) Green End Primary School; (Right)
Rolls Crescent Primary School������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������� 5
Figure 2: Classrooms toward the northeast: sunlight receiving in three seasonal days at Rolls Crescent (Confirma-
tory Case)������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������� 6
Figure 3: Classrooms toward the southeast: sunlight receiving in three seasonal days at Green End (Confirmatory
Case)�������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������� 6
Figure 4: Large windows are responded as one of the staff’s favourite parts of the school. (St. Edward Primary
School, Manchester, UK – Confirmatory Case)������������������������������������������������������������������������������������ 6
Figure 5: Daylighting concept���������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������� 7
Figure 6: (Left) The classroom and activity area with large glazing; (Right) The library, which utilizes clerestory win-
dows for diffuse daylighting (Ben Franklin Elementary School, Kirkland Washington, US – Confirmatory
Case) (Source: Mahlum Photography)������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������� 7
Figure 7: The amount of daylight is reduced greatly.������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������ 8
Figure 8: (Top) School and its surrounding; (Bottom) View from the busy road (Green End Primary School, Man-
chester, UK - Confirmatory Case)�������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������� 8
Figure 9: Use the toilet and corridor as buffers from the noise (Confirmatory Case)������������������������������������������� 9
Figure 10: In new or existing classrooms with floor areas of 100 m2 or less, covering 40% of the ceiling area with
acoustic tiles is a low-cost and efficient option for noise reduction. ���������������������������������������������������� 9
Figure 11: Multi-purpose hall (Reverberation Time is flexible from 0.8 to 1.2 seconds������������������������������������������ 9
Figure 12: Proper orientation of a building (north hemisphere)�������������������������������������������������������������������������� 10
Figure 13: Building plan (Davidson Elementary School, Charlotte, N. Carolina, US - Confirmatory Case)������������ 10
Figure 14: South facade with translucent porch (Davidson Elementary School, Charlotte, N. Carolina, US - Con-
firmatory Case)��������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������� 11
Figure 15: Effect of plan on self-shadowing������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������ 11
Figure 16: U-value against cavity width for glazing (unit: W/m2K) ��������������������������������������������������������������������� 11
Figure 17: Based on the local predominant wind direction, the school should be located away from the pollute air.
�������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������� 13
Figure 18: Ventilation options for varying conditions����������������������������������������������������������������������������������������� 13
Figure 19: Small windows at the top, allowing ventilation without draught (Rolls Crescent Primary School, Man-
chester, UK - Confirmatory Case)������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������ 13
Figure 20: (Top) View from the street; (Bottom) Bay window detail from the inside (Kindergarten Jerusalemer
Straße, Berlin, Germany - Illustrative Case)���������������������������������������������������������������������������������������� 15

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Figure 21: Interior view of the main playroom with clear-defined activity area (Corner one, Childcare facility in the
University of California, Los Angeles, UK - Illustrative Case) (Source: http://www.spacesforchildren.com)
�������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������� 16
Figure 22: Interior view of the main playroom with the lower and higher floor planes giving spatial drama to the
activity area (Corner two, Childcare facility in the University of California, Los Angeles, UK - Illustrative
Case) (Source: http://www.spacesforchildren.com)���������������������������������������������������������������������������� 16
Figure 23: Low-level child height window is balanced by its high level twins (Pen Green Early Excellence Centre,
Corby, Northamptonshire, UK - Confirmatory Case)�������������������������������������������������������������������������� 17
Figure 24: (Left) The building is a metaphor of growth. As children grow, the building grows in plan and section;
(Right) End façade with child height coloured optic windows (NDNA East Midlands Regional Centre
(National Day Nurseries Association) Spitalgate School, Grantham, UK - Illustrative Case)������������������ 17
Figure 25: (Top) A typical classroom in Temple Primary School; (Left) A typical classroom in Green End Primary
School (both from Manchester, UK - Confirmatory Cases)����������������������������������������������������������������� 18
Figure 26: Overcrowded classroom�������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������� 18
Figure 27: Relationship between ‘Reception’ year class size and literacy progress (adjusted for school entry scores)
�������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������� 19
Figure 28: Large classroom with varied learning groups and spaces (Redbrook Hayes Community Primary School ,
Rugeley, Staffordshire, UK - Confirmatory Case) (Source: CABE/A&M Photography)�������������������������� 19
Figure 29: Different hub areas in the central space for small group work (Redbrook Hayes Community Primary
School , Rugeley, Staffordshire, UK - Confirmatory Case) (Source: CABE/A&M Photography)������������� 20
Figure 30: Conceptual ‘L’ shaped classroom������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������ 20
Figure 31: (Top) Building Plan; (Bottom) View from the outside (The Prairie Hill Learning Centre, Roca, US - Illustra-
tive Case) (Source: The Architectural Partnership Photography)��������������������������������������������������������� 21
Figure 32: The school follows a curved plan with a central corridor, clear and simple (Kingsmead Primary School,
Norwich, UK - Illustrative Case)��������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������� 22
Figure 33: Colourful circulation with children’s art displayed on the walls (Kingsmead Primary School, Norwich,
UK - Illustrative Case)������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������ 22
Figure 34: (Top) Part of the school plan; (Bottom) One of the break-out space at classroom clusters (West Haven
Elementary School, West Haven, Utah, US - Confirmatory Case�������������������������������������������������������� 22
Figure 35: (Left) Visit from Hampshire Fire Brigade; (Right) organic vegetable garden (Farnborough Grange Nursery
and Infant Community School, Hants, UK– Confirmatory Case)�������������������������������������������������������� 23
Figure 36: Pupils can reach these communities and facilities without passing streets (Rolls Crescent Primary School,
Manchester, UK - Confirmatory Case)����������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������� 24
Figure 37: Orange improves the social behaviour; cheers the spirit and lessens hostility and irritation���������������� 26
Figure 38: (Left) Two-story wood building with simple roof forms but sufficient detailing of fence, shading devices
and long eaves to provide visual richness; (Right) Large canopies between the inside and outside increas-
es the spatial experience and allow children to play safely on all sides of the building. (Hosmarinpuisto
School and Day Care Centre, Espoo, Finland – Illustrative Case)�������������������������������������������������������� 27
Figure 39: Liveable space: central courtyard where people can watch spaces with full of vitality and abundant
information (Hosmarinpuisto School and Day Care Centre, Espoo, Finland – Illustrative Case)����������� 27
Figure 40: (Left) Timber on all the elevations gives a rustic and compatible character to the building; (Right) Winter
garden and convex curved shape make it vivid, light and transparent. (Kingsmead Primary School, Nor-

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SCRI Research Report
Optimal Learning Spaces
Design Implications for Primary Schools

wich, Cheshire, UK - Illustrative Case) (Source: White Design Associates)������������������������������������������ 27

Figure 41: Warm to hot paired colours create an exuberant exterior (Xinzhou Kindergarten, Suzhou, China - Illus-
trative Case)������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������� 28
Figure 42: (Left) Main entrance; (Right) Nursery entrance (Jubilee School, Brixton, London, UK - Illustrative Case)
�������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������� 29
Figure 43: Rejected and accepted colours for children with different ages��������������������������������������������������������� 29
Figure 44: Learning and playing, a space for nursery (Top) and elementary grades (Bottom) (Harlequin Kindergar-
ten, East Kilbride, UK - Illustrative Case)�������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������� 30
Figure 45: An example of the classroom for upper grade���������������������������������������������������������������������������������� 30
Figure 46: Library with pale green carpet (Seoul Foreign Elementary School, Seoul, Korea - Illustrative Case)����� 31
Figure 47: The hallway with curved and blue wall gives a distinct feeling (Temple Primary School, Manchester, UK
- Confirmatory Case).����������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������� 31
Figure 48: Headteacher office (Modular Building of School District 30, Northbrook, Illinois. Photo courtesy of the
Modular Building Institute. US – Illustrative Case)������������������������������������������������������������������������������ 31
Figure 49: Cafeteria (Ditson Elementary School, Billerica, Massachusetts, US - Illustrative Case)������������������������� 32
Figure 50: (Left) The rain-fall steps where water flows are used to foster this curiosity and sensitivity in the young
learner; (Right) When the space is not used (Shirokane Kindergarten, Tokyo, Japan - Illustrative Case)
�������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������� 32
Figure 51: Plan views of the same play space (Left: The design offers manipulable materials and settings for chil-
dren; Right: The design has only standardized play areas and rubber matting that offers less change and
challenge)����������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������� 33
Figure 52: Part of the outdoor design (Lumin Primary School, Yantai, Shandong, China - Confirmatory Case)���� 34

viii
1 Introduction
Following Manchester City Council’s (MCC) involvement amples of real schools that have recently been built, in
in SCRI’s Senses, Brain and Spaces workshop in March order to provide a better understanding of how to create
2007, it became evident that there is potential in inves- outstanding, fit for purpose and friendly environments
tigating the possibility of infusing the design, construc- for pupils and teaching staff alike, while ensuring that
tion and use of new / refurbished schools with insights they also enjoy comfortable communication and a pro-
from scientific knowledge of the sensory impacts of ductive school life.
spaces, including to some degree how they are medi-
ated by neurological processes. From this starting point, The whole project is based on a fundamental belief that
a research activity entitled ‘Optimal Learning Spaces’ school planning and design can play an important role in
(OLS) has been developed in conjunction with MCC. This enhancing teaching and learning outcomes by creating
project focuses on teaching and learning environments better built environments. The specific aims of this report
at the micro-level, rather than on educational policies, are that all those involved with primary schools, from
management or organizational structures. There are heads and designers to local-authority building officers,
two elements to this project whose aim is to develop an will be better informed in their decision making by:
evidence base for what constitutes an optimal learning
space through: n An analysis and synthesise into a relatively sim-
ple structure of current international research find-
n A thorough exploration and synthesis of the ings on learning and teaching, environments (sum-
international literature on design issues related to marised from the separate SCRI report);
schools with particular regard to the sensory impacts
of spatial variables on the learning process. Our n The identification and analysis of case examples
progress so far on this will be available as a separate of innovative learning environments from all over the
SCRI report. world;

n Direct liaison and discussion with the poten- n Guidance on how schools can make the best
tial and actual users of the school, as appropriate, in use of the design options available; and
order to increase our understanding of how to rea-
lise the full potential of the spaces provided. This is n Supporting what schools and local authorities
largely informed by the conduct of post occupancy can do to ensure that the investment of capital fund-
evaluation (POE) surveys of new and existing schools. ing is used as effectively as possible.
The outputs of these POEs will be summarised as a
separate SCRI report. This report concentrates on mainstream primary schools,
although nursery and kindergarten examples are used
In the UK Government’s Building Bulletin 95, generic plan where relevant to highlight design approaches. The re-
types are proposed for primary and secondary schools. port is divided into four sections. It begins with an Intro-
They help to rationalise the various strategic approaches duction that presents the background about this project.
in a systematic way, which is easy to communicate at The foundations are discussed in the second section,
an early stage of the design. However, the emphasis is which identifies the study procedure. The third part looks
very much on sustainability, flexibility, adaptability, com- at the issues to address the specific design strategies of
munity engagement and value for money. There is a schools – using the lessons from various case studies to
focus on issues of space efficiency and future proofing highlight what to consider and what to avoid. A num-
designs. Building from this position, and informed by ber of recent case studies from around the world are
the above SCRI sources, this report seeks to complement used throughout this section related to specific points
this guidance by bringing out the design implications of – those with supporting evidence of impacts are termed
an emphasis on the needs of children and educators, “confirmatory cases”, whilst those without have been
stressing how spaces can positively support core teach- called “illustrative cases”. The final part summarises the
ing and learning activities. practical suggestions drawn from this study and also in-
troduces the work which should be carried out in the
The aim is to link scientific knowledge to case-study ex- near future.

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SCRI Research Report
Optimal Learning Spaces
Design Implications for Primary Schools

2 Foundations of the Design Implications

Whilst there is no universal best school environment, impact of design on the performance of the school
general principles of how physical spaces can support in terms of factors such as its flexibility, size, furniture
teaching and learning unquestionably exist. The litera- settings, lighting, acoustics, air quality and satisfaction
ture review and post-occupancy evaluation conducted in level.
the first phase of SCRI’s OLS research have provided the
foundation of this document. By synthesising these stud-
ies it has been possible to suggest new design paradigms 2.3 Principles
for primary schools. As in any building design, there
needs to be a balance between perceiving the whole The principles that underpin this report have developed
and breaking the whole down into parts that are easily from SCRI’s Senses, Brain and Spaces (SBS) research work.
understood and negotiated. One has to look at design- Certain of these principles suggest direct connections be-
ing from both the inside out and from the outside in, all tween sensory stimulations, learning and physical space.
for a variety of users. Pupils are at the centre of learn- The explanation for this would seem to rest on research
ing, so their needs should be at the heart of a learning- evidence concerning human sense perception, impacts
centred design process. and the underlying cognitive calculations involved. It is
suggested that three design principles emerge to sup-
port application in practice: the role of naturalness, the
2.1 Literature Review opportunity for individualisation and appropriate levels
When looking at the literature, a great number of in- of stimulation. These are justified a bit more at the start
novative educational initiatives can be found all around of each of the relevant sections in the next part of the
the world. We all know that bright, quiet, warm, safe, report, however, it can be said:
clean, comfortable and healthy environments are an im-
portant component of successful teaching and learning. è Naturalness – humans have basic requirements
A growing body of research addresses the complexities derived from our basic needs for light, air and safety.
lying behind this perspective. Some of it is good; some These are hard-wired into our brains and create a
less so; much of it is inconclusive. The literature review strong response to natural elements in our environ-
aimed to examine the available evidence of how building ment that we intuitively feel to be nurturing and sus-
design can help schools to create and improve learning taining.
environments that are appropriate for current and fu-
ture educational needs. It explored the impact of learn- è Individualisation – however, each brain is
ing environments on pupils’ achievement, engagement, uniquely organized. We all perceive the world in
affective stage, attendance and well being. The findings different ways and act accordingly. Thus, people do
provide a rich source of ideas on improving the quality not necessarily respond to the same environmental
of the learning environment, so ensuring that pupils and stimulus in the same way. The best opportunity for
teachers enjoy comfortable communication and a more success comes from some level of variety flexibility
efficient learning space. and choice.

è Appropriate level of stimulation – learning in-

2.2 Post-occupancy Evaluation volves both focused attention and peripheral percep-
tion. While space should not distract from the ability
Working with a major UK local authority (MCC) five post- to focus, it can provide sensory stimulation that influ-
occupancy evaluations of well-regarded primary schools ences the experience and thus learning. Space can
were carried out between February and July 2008. The also be the ‘silent curriculum’ that complements and
main purpose was to provide feedback on generic and increases engagement (Taylor 2005).
specific success factors for the design, operation and use
of buildings, together with areas of difficulty that require These three themes become basic principles that can and
further investigation. Secondly, the study aimed to inves- should inform school design. They are each informed by
tigate the potential of using post-occupancy evaluation a variety of design parameters, which in turn connect to
as a useful toolkit for good practice guidance and as a practical options. An indication of the rich connections
routine quality assurance measure for the building in- between these parts is summarised in Table 1. The three
dustry. In addition, as the occupants of all investigated main principles and their associated design parameters
schools took ownership of the design process up to a that make up the x-axis provide the structure for Section
certain level, the study also attempted to compare the 3 of this report.

2
 Table 1: Design principles and practical options - cross referenced to sections in report (Pullouts give some examples.)

Combinations of pleas-
The emotional systems antness and different
have evolved over the The window is de- levels of arousal yield Soft elements,
millennia in response to signed to allow ven- either excitement or such as wa-
the natural environment. tilation options for relaxation. When the ter, foliage
Spatial configurations, varying conditions. Ergonomics scales level of stimulation is are always
light, noise, heat and air The cafeteria is to- to the body of Layout with easily appropriate for given welcomed to
quality have been consis- ward the leeward pupils, creating identifiable pathway situations, certain reac- achieve pleas-
Site is away from the tently proved to have a sides in order to mini- interesting and improves the utilisation tions take place posi- antness. It has
busy roads. Open areas significant impact on stu- mise the kitchen and engaging spaces. it of spaces and helps tively in the brain and positive effects
and trees can be used dents’ academic achieve- food smell spread supports and inter- keep the pupils orien- mind, affecting mood, on learning
as a buffer-zone to give ment and ability to per- into the whole build- acts efficiently with tated and stimulates mental clarity and en- and cognitive
acoustic separation. form. ing. the pupils’ activity. their imaginations. ergy levels. qualities.

Design principles / Design parameters

Naturalness Individualisation Level of stimuation

Light Sound Temperature Air quality Choice Flexibility Connection Complexity Colour Texture

Location 3.1.1 3.1.2 3.2.3

Orientation 3.1.1 3.1.3 3.1.4

Layout 3.1.2 3.1.3 3.1.4

Apearance 3.3.1 3.3.1

Plan & envelope

Windows 3.1.1 3.1.3 3.1.4 3.2.1

Rooms 3.1.2 3.2.1 3.2.2 3.3.2

Circulation 3.2.3 3.3.2

Practical options
Spaces
Outdoors 3.3.3

Windows can Absorbents on ceilings can No obstruction outside To maximise the flex- The brain function School façade with di- Pale or light green
either be continu- reduce reverberation and is close to the glazing ibility of instructional highlights the personal versity (novelty) catches creates a passive ef-
ous from wall to can damp out the most area; the main learning clusters, it is very useful way in which individu- the pupils’ attention fect that enhance
wall, with the annoying components of spaces are arranged to provide a space espe- als build connections and arousal; and order quietness and con-
heads close to the impact sound.Curtains to face between east cially for shared activity. between primary re- (familiarity) helps the centration. Attention
ceiling in order to and moveable screens and south, or west and The teachers can have inforcers and complex pupils make sense of it. is directed inward
receive an amount with sound-absorbent sur- south. a minimum of break-out groups any- representations of sec- A combination of order with soft yellow,
of skylight and so- faces can be used in order two hours duration of time as this space is al- ondary reinforcers. with moderate diversity sandstone and pale
lar heat. to change the sound char- sun penetration should ways available. can achieve pleasurable gold.
acteristics of the area. be guaranteed. responses.

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SCRI Research Report
Optimal Learning Spaces
Design Implications for Primary Schools

3 Design Implications for Primary Schools

The following is a structured collection of aspects and
principles derived from the literature review and from è Sound: appropriate conditions for listening to
a wealth of school experience and reports. It invites an wanted sound and not unwanted sound (noise);
exploration of learning environments for their capacity
to transform learning. Some of the ideas can apply to è Temperature: maintaining the balance of heat
large-scale planning or single-classroom renovations. It gain and loss at a comfortable level;
primarily focuses on the places where teacher/pupil ex-
change happens, typically the classroom. The cases given è Air quality: removing humidity, artificial con-
may not be the most prototypical examples; however, taminants, odours and bacteria etc.
they illustrate aspects of what optimal learning spaces
can look like in practice. For each of the following sec- For schools, there is a growing body of work linking ed-
tions, on naturalness, individualisation appropriate level ucational achievement and pupils’ performance to the
of stimulation and their associated parameters, the argu- quality of ‘naturalness’ that exists in schools. The He-
ment behind the principle will be briefly given and then schong Mahone Group (1999) studied the impact of day
the evidence of positive / negative learning effects will be lighting on learning in schools. They looked at 21,000
summarised against the various design parameters. From elementary school pupils and classified 2,000 classrooms
this basis the practical options that can impact through for their day-lighting levels. They found positive corre-
each of the design parameters will then be discussed in lations between the variables; that students progressed
some detail including the use of relevant case studies. 20% faster in math and 26% faster in reading in those
with the most daylight compared to those with the
least.
3.1 Naturalness
Schneider comments that in general the research on ef-
As our emotional systems have evolved over the millen- fects of environmental noise is consistent and convinc-
nia in response to the natural environment, it does not ing: good acoustics are fundamental to good academic
seem unreasonable to suggest that our comfort is likely performance (2002, p6). Evan and Lepore (1993) have
to be rooted in key dimensions of “naturalness” that isolated the negative effect of noise on children’s recall.
should, therefore, infuse the design process. The stress They studied 1358 children aged 12-14 years in their
here is, of course, on the positive aspects of naturalness, own classrooms, using standard tests, but under differ-
such as plenty of natural light, desirable temperature ent noise conditions. They then tested the pupils’ recall
and clean air, etc. At the other extreme it is known that a week later and found that a statistically significant de-
supernormal stimuli, such as the noise from man made cline in performance could be associated with the noise
artefacts, for example cars and construction works, can conditions.
produce super-strong emotions because the stimuli are
much more intense (unnatural) than those in which our Researchers have been studying the temperature range
present emotional systems evolved and that the subse- associated with better learning for several decades.
quent responses are not necessarily adaptive (Rolls 2007, Harner (1974) found that the best temperature range
p450). for learning reading and math is 20.0 to 23.3oC. As tem-
perature and humidity increase, students report greater
The emotional systems have evolved over the discomfort, and their achievement and task-performance
millennia in response to the natural environ- deteriorate as attention spans decrease (King and Ma-
ment. Spatial configurations, light, noise, heat rans 1979).
and air quality have been consistently proved
to have a significant impact on students’ aca- Most researches linking air quality to student perfor-
demic achievement and ability to perform. mance depend on an association with increased student
absenteeism. For example, Smedje and Norback (2001)
found a positive relationship between airborne bacteria
Fundamentally, the human beings comfort in terms and mould and asthma in children, which in turn in-
of ‘naturalness’ is affected primarily via the followings creased the absentee rate (also Rosen and Richardson,
(Houghton 2009): 1999).

è Light: the sensation of daylight that supports The above studies are examples of solid evidence of
visual comfort and facilitates visual performance. the impact of aspects of naturalness on student per-

4
formance. The challenge is how to apply these findings
holistically to achieve optimal design solutions. The fol- Orientation
lowing sections, therefore, focus on ‘how’ these benefits
can be achieved through practical design options with For a school building, good lighting design, both natural
case study examples. and artificial is not only good from a quantitative point
of view for the performance of certain visual tasks, but
also from a qualitative point of view in that it provides a
3.1.1 Light desirable and pleasant luminous environment.

Good natural light helps to create a sense of physical The sky is the main contributor to the amount of natural
and mental comfort, and its benefits seem to be more light received within a space, thus the building’s orienta-
far-reaching than merely being an aid to sight. This owns tion is the most fundamental design choice for the con-
in part to the soft and diffused quality of natural light, its trol of daylight. The East and West sides receive sunlight
subtle changing value and colour which electric lighting for half of the day when the sun is in a low position. The
does not have. Low ceilings and deep classrooms can rooms of the South façade can receive lighting by way
cause pupils to experience a gloomy feeling due to the of a combination of direct and diffuse light. The resulting
disparity in light levels between the back of the room soft shadows and shading allow for a vivid view of the
and the peripheral area near the window. Therefore, three-dimensional qualities of the environment.
natural daylighting should always be the main source of
lighting in schools, supplemented by electric light when The North façade, although having relatively low illu-
daylight fades. minance, has the most constant and uniform daylight
throughout the day and year, and therefore seldom ex-
Overall, the essential requirements for the effective day- periences problems with glare discomfort for occupants
lighting in schools can be summarized as follows: (Burberry 1997).

n An adequate amount of light: The building is Results from our post-occupancy evaluation surveys
elongated along an East-West axis. Spaces, such as show consistent and convincing evidence that the oc-
the library and art rooms, where only diffuse daylight cupants (staff and pupils) want as much natural light
is desirable, are located towards the North while the as possible and sunlight for as long as possible, even
main learning and teaching activity areas can be to though this may cause problems such as overheating,
the South. glare and/or learning distraction. However, their experi-
ence is quite different from each other in terms of the
n A satisfactory distribution of the main com- sunlight received.
ponents of light: Large windows and/or windows
placed high in the wall such as clerestory windows For example, Green End and Rolls Crescent are two pri-
optimise daylight distribution and bring light deeper mary schools, which have similar plans with the long axis
into the space. towards the North and South. But their axes are twisted
a little toward different orientations and Green End has
n The absence of glare: bringing daylight from a noticeable central atrium (Figure 11).
two different directions reduces the chances of dis-
comfort glare. Necessary shading control is needed These two design strategies lead to a great difference
and that can be easily adjusted by occupants. when it comes to how much sunlight they can receive.
In Rolls Crescent, half the classrooms, such as those to-
Three practical options are addressed here. ward the Northeast, can receive less than 3 hours direct
sunlight per day in summer. And in winter, the time is re-
è Orientation: this is mainly in regard to the sun-
path. The learning spaces are so sited that a minimum
of 2 hours duration of penetration is obtained.
Figure 1: Building orien-
tation of two primary
è Windows: large windows with heads close to schools in Manchester, UK;
(Left) Green End Primary
the ceiling are always desirable. School; (Right) Rolls Cres-
cent Primary School

è Location: no obstruction is around because it 1. Permission to use copyright material has been sought and obtained where pos-
sible. For those images we use without permission, please see disclaimer on page
may cast too much shadow in the daytime. 44.

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SCRI Research Report
Optimal Learning Spaces
Design Implications for Primary Schools

01/03 09:00 01/06 09:00 01/12 09:30

lighted lighted lighted

01/03 11:00 01/06 12:00 01/12 11:00

shadowed shadowed shadowed

Figure 2: Classrooms toward the northeast: sunlight receiving in three seasonal days at Rolls Crescent (Confirmatory Case)

01/06 09:00
01/03 09:00 lighted 01/12 09:00
lighted lighted

01/06 14:00
01/03 14:00 lighted 01/12 14:00
lighted lighted

Figure 3: Classrooms toward the southeast: sunlight receiving in three seasonal days at Green End (Confirmatory Case)

duced to less than 2 hours. However, in Green End, even dows tend to admit more useful daylight than low ones
in winter they can receive more than 5 hours sunlight of the same size, as they offer the chance for the back
penetration. And also because of the atrium design, the of the room to be exposed to more sky. Effective illumi-
classrooms at the other can enjoy the sunlight at the nation can be obtained into a room for a distance of as
same time (Figure 2,3).

Windows
Once the building is erected, the amount of light that
enters a space and the distribution within the space is
mainly determined by overall glazing design factors,
such as the numbers of windows, the size of glazed ar-
eas, their disposition and shape. With more windows in
a room, the daylight will be more uniformly distributed
in the space compared with a room that has just one
single window. A glazing ratio (glazing area/wall area)
of 40% is recommended for south, east and west facing
windows, 55% is for north facing ones. Small windows
at the top can allow air circulation, but not draughts
(Burberry 1997).
Figure 4: Large windows are responded as one of the staff’s
The height of the window dictates to a great extent the favourite parts of the school. (St. Edward Primary School, Man-
effective depth of illumination with daylight. High win- chester, UK – Confirmatory Case)

6
much as 2.5 times the height of the window above the about equal to the distance from the mounting height
workplane. For example, for a classroom where the top of the clerestory above the work-plane level. For wider
of the window is 2 metres above desk height, the area clerestories the depth could be one and half the mount-
that could be adequately daylit is up to 5 metres deep in ing height. To obtain adequate and more uniform day-
from the window wall (Tregenza 1998). light distribution the height of the clerestory window
should be about one half the sidewall window heights
Clerestory windows admit light deep towards the back (Boubekri 2007) (Figure 5).
of the room and hence create a more uniform daylight
distribution throughout, especially if there is another Ben Franklin Elementary School serves 450 pupils in kin-
side window. The relationship between illumination dergarten through grade six. Light is one of the great
from the side and clerestory windows depends on their qualities, and it is used within the building as an important
size, height and position. With a typical narrow window modulating device, integral to the perception of space.
arrangement for clerestories, the recommended depth Extensive glazing connects the occupants with the out-
from the plane of the clerestory to the opposite wall is doors. The spaces are oriented along an East-West axis,
with glazing facing North and South to control and max-
imize the natural daylight within the building. Daylight
modelling confirmed the appropriate configuration of
skylight sun
windows and extent of shading devices to control glare
sunlight and maintain diffuse, balanced daylight in all learning
areas while providing carefully planned view windows.
It floods through side windows, rooflights, direct and
diffused, playfully reflecting off the coloured walls. The
interior responds differently to bright sunny days and to
Section through classroom wing overcast conditions (Figure 6).
Figure 5: Daylighting concept

Figure 6: (Left) The classroom and activity area with large glazing; (Right) The library utilizes clerestory windows for diffuse daylighting
(Ben Franklin Elementary School, Kirkland Washington, US – Confirmatory Case) (Source: Mahlum Photography)

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Optimal Learning Spaces
Design Implications for Primary Schools

Location n Even distribution to all listeners in the room

The sky component and window glazing are generally n A suitable rate of sound delay for the type of
the most significant issues that affect the luminous en- room
vironment. But this is not always the case. When the
window glazing is facing towards a building, the reflect- Three practical options are addressed here.
ed daylight gained may still play a profound role and in
some cases, can contribute up to nearly half the total è Location: school site is away from the busy
internal illumination (Reid 1984, p144). Even so, except road. At the same time, it also needs to keep a rea-
in high density urban areas, school locations without sonable distance from the neighbourhood.
surrounding, obstructions, such as buildings and large
trees, are recommended to avoid too much shadow in è Layout: the sensitive space can be carefully sep-
the daytime (Figure 7). arated from the intruding noise. The toilets, store-
rooms and corridor can act as a buffer zone.

è Rooms: sound-absorbent surface can be used

in order to change the sound characteristic of the
space.

Location
Road, rail and air transport and industry are some of the
main producers of noise, especially motor traffic. When
the noise generated is an avoidable by-product, careful
restriction of daylight design and planning can eliminate, or at least reduce,
the impact of noise on the built environment. Generally,
the fundamental defence against the intrusion of noise
Figure 7: The amount of daylight is reduced greatly.
lies in placing as much distance as possible between
noise sources and the space where quiet is needed (Os-
bourn 1997, p49).

3.1.2 Sound For example, there is a quite busy road in front of the
The subject of room acoustics is concerned with the con-
trol of sound within an enclosed space. The general aim
is to provide good quality conditions for the production play
busy traffice road

area
and the reception of desirable sounds. The quality of au- playground
ditory perception and the control of noise are two prin- lawn school
building
cipal aspects that determine the acoustic environment play
of a building. Comfortable and clear auditory percep- -main
area

tion, along with freedom from noise not only improves entrance pedestrian for school users only
communication but also promotes working and learn-
ing efficiency. The converse is also true. For example, the
improvements in achievement owing to good daylight
found by the Heschong Mahone Group (see above) were
cancelled out in a subsequent replication study (He-
schong 2003) because of higher ambient noise levels.

The detailed acoustic requirements for a particular room

depends upon the nature and the purpose of the space.
However, the essential requirements for good acoustics
in learning spaces can be summarized as follows:

n An acceptable noise level Figure 8: (Top) School and its surrounding; (Bottom) View from
n Adequate levels of sound the busy road (Green End Primary School, Manchester, UK - Con-
firmatory Case)

8
Green End Primary School (Figure 8), Manchester, UK. clear auditory perception can be achieved without dif-
Therefore, the building stands back around 30 metres ficulty and without any special treatment of room sur-
away from the main road. A soft playground between faces because the sound can build up to a constant level
them forms a barrier for considerably diminishing the throughout most of the room space except near the
intrusion of the noise. At the same time, the school site sound source.
keeps a reasonable distance from the neighbourhood
with grass and planting used as much as possible in or- However, when it comes to large rooms with multiple
der to minimize the negative impact of noise pollutants purposes, the situation becomes more complicated. For
from all kinds of activities on the neighbouring proper- speech, the overall requirement for good reception is
ties. that it is intelligible, such as in meetings, drama sessions
and lectures. This quality will depend upon the power
and the clarity of the sounds in the range for human
Layout speech. However, the acoustic requirement for music
The layout of rooms is an important aspect of the reduc- performances is higher than for speech because music
tion of noise. Particularly sensitive spaces or rooms can consists of a wider range of sound levels and frequencies
be carefully located and separated from intruding noise which all need to be heard, full-toned, live and blended.
both from the outdoors and from within the building. The reverberation time (RT) is normally used to give a
The more prominent sources of unwanted (for others) recommended and suggested criteria value in a space.
noise, such as music rooms, playrooms and/or mechani- Normal speech requires a much shorter reverberation
cal service rooms within the building, should be identi- time than that ideal for live music2 (Egan 1988).
fied. Then these can be located far away from the main
spaces when the building is designed, special measures
can be taken in order to enclose the noise produced,
such as buffer zones, heavyweight walls and/or floating 40% of ceiling area
floors. For example, the toilet and corridor act as a buffer with acoustic ties
(NRC<=0.7; Noise Re-
zone to give acoustic separation in Green End between duction Coefficient:
classrooms (Figure 9). From the feedback of this school, Rating of the sound ab-
sorption of a material)
the staff and pupils are very satisfied in terms of noise
control. plain tiles of plater-
board

corridor acts as a buffer-zone

to give acoustic separation
Figure 10: In new or existing classrooms with floor areas of 100
m2 or less, covering 40% of the ceiling area with acoustic tiles is a
low-cost and efficient option for noise reduction.

toilets act as a
buffer zone

classroom classroom

Figure 9: Use the toilet and corridor as buffers from the noise
(Confirmatory Case)

Rooms
Absorbent materials are widely used on classroom ceil-
Figure 11: Multi-purpose hall (Reverberation Time is flexible from
ings which reduce reverberation and can damp out, to 0.8 to 1.2 seconds
some extent, the most annoying components of impact
2. Sounds bounce off hard surfaces, such as painted walls and vinyl floors, so that
sound (Figure 10). Normally, in a classroom of medium listeners hear several indistinct, overlapping versions, which smear the original sound.
The sound continues for a time, reflecting around after it has stopped at its source.
size and normal width and length, comfortable and This is called ‘reverberation’. The length of time the echoes take to die away is called
the ‘reverberation time’.

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Optimal Learning Spaces
Design Implications for Primary Schools

Consequently, multiple sound requirements have to be will have a predictable impact on the indoor environ-
addressed in a multi-purpose hall (assembly hall). Surfac- ment.
es for sound absorption and reflection may be needed
and adjusted to fit specific purposes. Normally, the effect è Building layout: links to the building shape,
of adding sound-absorbing treatment to a room is very which heavily affects the heat gains and losses, as
significant. Porous material is a good acoustic absorber, the exchange between the outside and the envelope
for example, heavy curtains, soft chairs. Here is an ex- is directly proportional to the surface area.
ample of a multi-purpose hall (Figure 11). The room is
used, without changes as a sports hall, assembly hall, è Windows: the larger the windows the more
theatre and concert hall. Thanks to early planning and the solar gain and the greater the heat loss.
measurements taken in the shell, an aesthetically attrac-
tive solution with good linearization of the reverberation
was achieved by optimising the ceiling (slightly convex, Orientation
vaulted gable areas) and installing acoustic panels, cur- Fundamentally the room orientation determines what
tains and screens on the walls and door. time and how long the amount of solar heat is received
(Figure 12). This is to be expected as the rooms towards
the South receive the most solar radiation of all the dif-
3.1.3 Temperature ferent room orientations. The rooms can heat up quickly,
Basically, thermal comfort in a building is achieved by especially when the sunlight penetrates directly into the
maintaining temperature, humidity, air movement and room. The rooms towards the West experience stronger
human activity conditions within a certain range. Space and more intense sunlight and sun heat than those to-
heating and/or cooling loads, which are required to wards the East. The North rooms, on the other hand, do
maintain this comfort, to some extent, depend on the not receive direct solar radiation for most of the time. (In
building’s quality itself to modify the external conditions the UK, due to its high latitude position, around 23rd of
and how far the outdoor conditions are from the accept- June, the North rooms in some areas may experience the
able range. (Szokolay 2003, p63) direct sunlight in the late afternoon.)

There are three building design options practically which In order to take advantage of the solar heat as much as
have the greatest influence on thermal performance: possible, in most instances the North and South walls
should be longer than the east and west ones. A rule
è Orientation: solar heat is the main source to of thumb is that a ratio of around 1.3 to 2.0 will opti-
warm the surface of the whole Earth and every single mize wanted or unwanted heat gain or heat dissipation
building anywhere in the world. The Earth’s move- in terms of solar incidence (Littler and Thomas 1984;
ment in relation to the Sun can be calculated with Szokolay 2003 p64).
great accuracy, and so the orientation of the building
little sunshine
Proper Orientation North
classroom

classroom
storage
garage
circulation
central heating
cafeteria
toilet
classroom
kitchen
main entrance
staircase
corridors
West storage East classroom
NORTH
elevation exposed to weather morning sun
conditions. high temperature pleasant temperature during
during summer afternoons summer gymnasium media
cold winds duing winter centre
living room
dinning room
children B/R music
dance circulation
administration
N

South
elevation of the house with most advantages
Figure 13: Building plan (Davidson Elementary School, Charlotte,
Figure 12: Proper orientation of a building (north hemisphere) N. Carolina, US - Confirmatory Case)

10
Davidson Elementary School is in North Carolina, US. increased surface area.
The design takes advantage of Southern sun exposures
to enhance indoor and outdoor learning activities. In this
case, all classrooms are set out with large windows ori- Windows
entated to the South (Figure 13). Each classroom also The arrangement of the windows and other openings
has an outdoor learning area for creating art and science in the walls provides the main architectural character
projects as well as supporting classroom activities. The of a building. It is a critical control element in regulat-
day lighting concept developed for the project includes ing the whole environment of a room by providing an
providing a light shelf. The purpose of the light shelf is to opening for the flows – inward and outward – of heat,
reflect sky light throughout the classroom area as shown light, sound, air and view. A window performs an im-
in Figure 14. The translucent porch canopy also allows portant role in the thermal environment of the building.
natural light to enter the classroom while providing nec- The larger the window the more the solar gain and the
essary. greater the heat loss (Ward 2004, p16).

Figure 16 shows some typical glazing options’ U-values

(Nicholls 2002, p55)3 . Normally glazing has a very high
U-value, except in those cases where a special insula-
tion treatment (low E coating) has been applied, which
means windows can be a weak thermal link due to their
high heat transference, in and out. In Summer, this can
be problematic not just from the overheating resulting
from heat gain, but also owing to the rise in radiant tem-
perature from the glass surface. In Winter, the heat loss
Figure 14: South facade with translucent porch (Davidson Ele-
from windows becomes a problem and in addition, the
mentary School, Charlotte, N. Carolina, US - Confirmatory Case) cool surface temperatures can also lead to great discom-
fort (McEvoy, M. 1994, p40]. To effectively address the

Layout
The layout normally is strongly linked to the building
shape: its room arrangement, size, height and pattern.
And the shape further determines the building’s surface
to volume rate, which is defined as the ratio of the area
of external walls with respect to the volume of the build-
ing. Heat exchange between the outside and the enve-
lope is directly proportional to the surface area. There-
fore, any changes to the layout that increase the surface
area exposed to the air outside will result in an increased
heat exchange rate (Ogoli 2003).
Figure 15: Effect of plan on self-shadowing
Figure 15 shows that the more complex the form, the
greater surface area to volume it will have. This may re-
sult in more heat loss with more exposed surface, but
less heat gain due to self-shadowing. Thus, it is advisable
to present the lowest possible surface area for a given
volume because it can offer advantages for the control
of both heat losses and heat gains through the building
skin without conflict between design priorities for winter single glazing double glazing triple glazing double glazing
and summer conditions (Lewis 1992, p97). This suggests 5.6 3.0 2.4 with low E coating 2.4
a compact and simple plan is better in this context than Figure 16: U-value against cavity width for glazing (unit: W/m2K)
a spread-out and complicated arrangement. Other strat-
3. U-value is a measure of thermal resistance, used in the building and construction
egies may accompany this such as additional insulation industry. Under uniform conditions it is the ratio of the temperature difference across
an insulator and the heat flux (heat flow per unit area) through it. The bigger the
and attached buffer spaces to offset the heat loss due to number, the lower the material’s insulating effectiveness.

11
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SCRI Research Report
Optimal Learning Spaces
Design Implications for Primary Schools

heat balance (loss and gain), it is important to minimize Shendell et al. (2004) examined the association of stu-
the size and maximize the transmission of sunlight of dent absence with carbon dioxide concentration. The
apertures. Of course this can conflict with a desire to report found that 45% of classrooms had short-term in-
maximise daylight. Thus, Table 2 suggests criteria and door CO2 concentrations above the local ASHRAE 1000
appropriate glazing choices for each particular applica- ppm recommended limit and stated that a 1000 ppm in-
tion in schools (Innovative Design 2004, p10). crease in the difference between indoor and outdoor CO2
concentration was associated with a 10–20% increase in
Table 2: Suggested glazing choices student absence and that the association was statistically
significant. The report concluded that, if future studies
Application Exposure Type
concur, improving classroom ventilation should be con-
Glass for daylighting Any orientation Clear double sidered a practical means of reducing student absence.
View glass South Clear double, low-e Although a statistically significant association between
(non-daylighting aper- CO2 levels and absence was found, it is worth noting
tures) North Clear double; low-e
that this may be an indicator rather than a cause, as low
East/West, Tinted double, low-e
unshaded ventilation rates will increase communicable respiratory
East/West, Clear double, low-e
illnesses (Fisk 2000).
shaded
High windows above South Clear double, glass or Clearly, indoor air quality and adequate building venti-
view glass acrylic lation are closely linked and inadequate is a common
Clerestory windows North Clear double, glass or problem in schools. Children are particularly vulnerable
acrylic to all types of pollutants because their breathing and
Roof monitor South Clear double, glass or metabolic rates are high. In a school they also have much
acrylic
less floor space, by a factor of 10, allocated per person,
than adults working in a typical office (Crawford 1998).

Two practical options are addressed here:

3.1.4 Air quality è Orientation: this is mainly in regard to the pre-

vailing wind. It can be either desirable or unwanted.
Air quality has become increasingly important nowadays
With careful design, as much wind as possible can
due to several factors: constant internal conditions, lim-
either be received or diverted.
ited fresh air, absence of daylight and universal use of
carpets. They provide an ideal environment for house
mites to damage the air quality of a room (Burberry
è Window: as mentioned before, it is a breach
in the enclosing skin of the building, providing an
1997, p48). This contaminant has been identified as a
opening for the flows – inward and outward – of
cause of discomfort and health problems.
heat, light sound, view and air (ventilation).
CO2 is not considered a contaminant or pollutant at
the levels normally measured in buildings, however, it
is widely recognized as an indicator of ventilation rates Orientation
inside buildings in that certain levels of CO2 indoors In order to protect occupants from adverse polluted air
correspond to various ventilation rates. A comprehen- exposure, both from outside and inside the building,
sive study was performed by Coley and Greeves (2004), much work and research has been done on the built
which investigated the effect of low ventilation rates environment relating to air quality control. Initially, the
on the cognitive functions of a primary school class. exterior is usually checked in order to evaluate the gen-
The study used a battery of standardised, computerised eral situation. If the school is unavoidably near some pol-
tests and demonstrated that the attentional processes of luted source, such as the carbon monoxide gas from a
school children are significantly slower when the level of motor vehicle exhaust or sulphur dioxide released from
CO2 in classrooms is high. Increased levels of CO2 led to a factories, it is important for a school to be located as
decrement in ‘Power of Attention’ of approximately 5%. far as possible from the source and also on the wind-
The report quantifies this effect as of a similar magnitude ward side in terms of the local prevailing wind direction
to that observed over the course of a morning when stu- (Meyer 1983).
dents skip breakfast.
Similarly, spaces or rooms creating strong smells need to

12
be located and separated from the main learning areas. small high-level opening
This is particularly true when it comes to the cafeteria windows allow ventilation
even in windy conditions
and the kitchen within the building. As well as being
trickle ventilation allow some
placed on the leeward side of the rest of the school (Fig- ventilation all of the time
ure 17), special measures can be taken in order to fil-
ter and extract the smelly air the spaces produce, using
for example mechanical ventilation systems. Only in this large opening windows
are needed in summer on
way with careful design and planning can eliminate, or still days

at least reduce, the impact of polluted air on the school

environment.
small low-level windows
encourage air flow when
conditions allow

windward lower height to accommo-

date children

Figure 18: Ventilation options for varying conditions

school building
pre
vai
ling
win
kitchen & d
cafeteria source of
the pollute
air

greenbelt

leeward

Figure 17: Based on the local predominant wind direction, the

school should be located away from the pollute air.

Windows
Wind pressures are positive (push) on the windward Figure 19: Small windows at the top, allowing ventilation with-
side of the building and negative (suck) on the leeward out draught (Rolls Crescent Primary School, Manchester, UK - Con-
firmatory Case)
side. This encourages good cross-ventilation in rooms
with windows and/or doors on opposite sides. This also
has to be carefully controlled to prevent too much air
movement in windy conditions. For much of the time, n trickle ventilators for cold weather, high winds
windows are used to provide passive ventilation. There- and when other windows are closed for security;
fore windows have to be carefully designed to allow for
different weather conditions. Ideally, windows in class- n large, main central windows for still, hot, sum-
rooms should have ventilation options that include all of mer weather;
the following (Figure 18, 19):
n small windows at bench height for all-round
n small, high-level windows, which allow small ventilation – may have to be closed in high winds to
amounts of ventilation in high wind; prevent papers flying.

13
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SCRI Research Report
Optimal Learning Spaces
Design Implications for Primary Schools

3.2 Individualisation è Connection: joining and being joined, it mainly

refers to the relationship between spaces within the
As an individual matures their brain builds a very per-
building, but also between the school and the neigh-
sonal set of connections between primary reinforcers
bourhood within the community. In either case is-
(basic needs) and complex representations of secondary
sues arise of distinctive personality, easily identifiable
reinforcers (features in the world). Taken together with
destinations and the opportunity for inclusion.
the situated nature of memory, these personal value pro-
files lead to highly individual responses to space. This
Designing places with respect for scale and develop-
provides a sound basis to raise the potential importance
mental need means all learning environments should be:
of ’individualisation’ as an additional, key, underlying
learner-centred, developmentally- and age-appropriate,
design principle. This appears to play out in two ways:
comfortable, accessible and equitable. There is evidence
particularisation and personalisation. Particularisation
that ‘varied’ classrooms are related to higher levels of
concerns accommodating the functional needs of very
voluntary participation and that overall aesthetic quality
specific types of users, for example learning and way-
in education facilities is related to students’ task persis-
finding in the context of age and physical requirements.
tence (McMillan 1997). Interestingly, Zeisel et al. (2003)
Personalisation concerns an individual’s preferences ow-
have studied the impacts of holistically designed care
ing to their personal life experiences of spaces. These of
environments on the well-being of Alzheimer’s patients
course will vary greatly from person to person, but the
and found that providing them with both privacy and
desire is evident in the way people seek to individualise
the opportunity to be surrounded by familiar furniture,
spaces.
décor and treasured objects aids them in maintaining a
sense of self and improves their recollection and memory.
Of course particularisation and personalisation are not
Although this finding was not conducted with children
discrete aspects. For example, personalisation using pos-
it raises the issue that small, intimate and personalised
sessions and precious things helps us reinforce our own
spaces seem to be better for absorbing, memorizing and
sense of indentify as part of a developmental learning
recalling information.
process. These same artefacts are also an important way
for people suffering with Alzheimer’s disease (a particu-
lar user group), to shore up personal memories that are
becoming fragile and to cope with their environment The brain function highlights the personal way
(Zeisel 2006, p357). in which individuals build connections between
primary reinforcers and complex representa-
The challenge facing schools is to balance the need for tions of secondary reinforcers.
individualisation, with creating inspiring buildings with
functional spaces that are appropriate for new educa-
tional developments and new technologies, but adapt-
able enough to cater for the pupils’ changing needs in
the future. It is not possible to create a plan that will
work forever; however, three key issues would seem
In order to easily accommodate diverse instructional
to link school design with considerations of individu-
modes, there is no doubt that maximizing flexibility is
alisation, and these provide a framework within which
essential for contemporary and future-oriented schools.
change can take place:
For example, designing for a variety of learning groups
and spaces can be directly linked to improvements in
è Choice: is concerned with the ‘fit’ between
achievement. Research (Achilles 1992, Finn & Achil-
individual personality and the physical environment,
les1990) shows that children in smaller classes were
which consists of the mental process of judging the
found to outperform children from regular class sizes in
size, shape, height of alternative spaces and how ap-
all subjects, especially in reading and mathematics test
propriate they are for the task.
scores with average improvements of up to 15%. Fol-
lowed-up tests that used the same schools have shown
è Flexibility: refers to designs that can adapt
that students previously in small groups demonstrated
when changes occur, sustaining or increasing the
statistically significant advantages two years later over
possibilities for personalising space and delivering
students previously in large groups. Performance gains
value in a timely and cost-effective manner.
ranged from 11-34%.

14
Safe, clear and varied connections experienced by peo- adult-scales.
ple may help increase their sense of direction, stimulate
imagination and influence their educational performance. The design of Kindergarten Jerusalemer Straße encour-
School buildings and grounds with ‘clearly defined areas ages exploration and extends spatial understanding. The
for freedom and movement’ have been found to cor- external treatment supports this legibility by means of
related significantly with higher ITBS (Lowa Test for Basic coloured render with horizontal banded windows step-
Skills) scores (Tanner 2000).Today, school activities involve ping back from the flat-faced facades (Figure 20). A fur-
more than simply listening or writing. Learning can take ther element of this composition is the projecting bay
place in many different kinds and qualities of space. In windows. They bring a sense of spatial variety, as each
addition, students activities outdoors (e.g. playgrounds) balcony/bay is ranged across the three-storey street fa-
have shown to be more creative than in classrooms or cades. From the outside they express the sense that this
traditional playgrounds (Lindholm 1995), with positive is a building for children as well as for their adult carers.
effects on learning and cognitive qualities (Fjortoft and However, the bay windows are also highly functional.
Sageie 1999; Fjortoft 2004). Each activity area has one of these bays scaled to the
height of a child; smaller groups of children can with-
draw from the main activity areas and into their safe el-
3.2.1 Choice evated little playhouses high above the street.
People come in all different shapes and sizes, and with
different capabilities and limitations in strength, speed,
judgement, and skills. All of these factors need to be
considered in the design function. To design a physical
built environment, physiology and psychology research
indicates that personalization of space is an important
factor in the formation of an individual’s identity and
sense of self-worth. Pupils in schools are a lot like work-
ers in the workplace in that it is important for most peo-
ple to have some space / facility that is their own. By pro-
viding similar forms of personal space (facility) within the
school for each individual, those pupils will gain more
positive sense of self and take pride and ownership in
their school. Here are two successful and easy ways:

è Rooms: within the physical boundaries of each

instructional area, spatial variety can be achieved by
different room heights to create an intimate atmo-
sphere.

è Windows: similarly, they can be smaller and

heights lower to accommodate children, especially
where they reflect ergonomic considerations.

Rooms
The size and scale of the building, its exterior elements
and its interior spaces, make it possible for pupils to use
spaces independently in a manner consistent with their
evolving developmental capacities. For child centred
spaces, elements and spaces can be smaller and heights
lower to accommodate children in order to create more
intimate, interesting and engaging spaces. Of course,
in this case, comfort for both children and teachers will Figure 20: (Top) View from the street; (Bottom) Bay window de-
require some compromises between child, youth and tail from the inside (Kindergarten Jerusalemer Straße, Berlin, Ger-
many - Illustrative Case)

15
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SCRI Research Report
Optimal Learning Spaces
Design Implications for Primary Schools

Another successful case is the campus-based childcare Windows

facility in the University of California at Los Angeles (US). Ergonomics is about more than a comfortable, adjustable
It incorporates a large classroom which is divided into chair and desk. Ergonomics considers the entire environ-
dedicated activity zones (for wet play, art, reading and ment and how it supports and interacts with the child’s
manipulative play). The internal areas have lots of spatial body. Well-planned pathways, open access to equip-
variety, with different height floors in tune with both the ment and supplies, ease of moving furniture and creat-
scale of small children and their diverse patterns of play. ing interesting and engaging spaces are all ergonomic
For example, the main play area has a high ceiling and considerations. Window design can also relate to ergo-
large size; whereas the dedicated quiet room is small, nomics and make it possible for children to use spaces
low and intimate. Child-height and adult sinks are sepa- independently in a manner consistent with their evolving
rated for diapering, for food preparation, and art and developmental capacities. For child-centred spaces, win-
general activities (Figure 21, 22). dows can be smaller and heights lower to accommodate
children. It not only minimizes the institutional character
of buildings but also creates more intimate spaces.

For example, from the activity areas in Pen Green Early

Excellence Centre (Corby, Northamptonshire, UK), chil-
dren can enjoy the sunlight and have a clear view of the
landscape through a continuous glass wall, which wraps
around the classroom. The glazing height is only avail-
able to children with soft benching. Adults are denied
the views the children have, unless they get down to
child level. It is a privilege that the children recognise
is theirs within this child-oriented environment (Figure
23).

The National Day Nurseries Association is a charitable or-

Figure 21: Interior view of the main playroom with clear-defined ganisation. The design of NDNA East Midlands Regional
activity area (Corner one, Childcare facility in the University of
California, Los Angeles, UK - Illustrative Case) (Source: www.spac- Centre develops the constraints of the room schedule by
esforchildren.com)

Figure 22: Interior view of the main playroom with the lower and higher floor planes giving spatial drama to the activity area (Corner
two, Childcare facility in the University of California, Los Angeles, UK - Illustrative Case) (source: www.spacesforchildren.com)

16
 3.2.2 Flexibility
To determine an appropriate school design, classrooms
usually play the most important role as they are the core
space of a school. Therefore, it is required to provide op-
portunities for the greatest flexibility to anticipate chang-
es in pedagogical goals and educational programmes,
reflected in organizational strategies (e.g. grade-level
groupings to multi-age groupings of learners) or instruc-
tional strategies (e.g. team teaching and interdisciplinary
instruction).

One practical option stands out:

è Rooms: Classrooms make up the main body

Figure 23: Low-level child height window is balanced by its high of school buildings. To maximize the flexibility of in-
level twins (Pen Green Early Excellence Centre, Corby, Northamp-
tonshire, UK - Confirmatory Case) structional clusters, there are several considerations:

adopting a metaphor of growth. The idea is that as chil- n Open plan and cellular classroom: no matter in
dren grow, so the building should grow; this was taken which form, it is important to identify the proposed
as a key design idea, with the gentle tapering of the activities that are likely to take place and provide a
building’s form in plan and in section (Figure 24, left). As well-defined area that offers resources that can be
its lowest and narrowest point, there is the baby room, shared by students.
an intimate enclosed zone appropriate for the young-
est and most vulnerable, the children’s activity rooms are n Classroom size: involves the determination of
ranged in ascending age order around the courtyard, so the average number of children involved with each
that the final room for the oldest preschool children is a activity and calculate the amount of space each child
lofty spacious area, symbolically encouraging children to will need to function as they participate in that activ-
be more active and adventurous (Figure 24, right). ity.

3-4 years 2-3 years 1.5-2 years

courtyard sure start

children’s babies 1-1.5 years

garden

Figure 24: (Left) The building is a metaphor of growth. As children grow, the building grows in plan and section; (Right) End façade
with child height coloured optic windows (NDNA East Midlands Regional Centre (National Day Nurseries Association) Spitalgate School,
Grantham, UK - Illustrative Case)

17
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SCRI Research Report
Optimal Learning Spaces
Design Implications for Primary Schools

age, and resources necessary for that learning activity

n Classroom layout: the amount of space a child contained within.
will need varies with the activity, such as reading,
writing, working or simply listening. Therefore, the A comparative study (Figure 25), which was carried out
plan has to be able to accommodate instruction, ex- in Manchester, has shown that the essential element of
perimentation, or group related activities. ‘open plan’ is not just about big classrooms, but con-
to the playground cerns the educational philosophy and the details of the
physical layout. Although the classrooms in Temple,
classroom year 3
key stage 2
classroom year 3
key stage 2
(Manchester, UK) are not particularly sophisticated, it is
activity area
(47.5 m*m) (32.8 m*m) (47.5 m*m) what is immediately outside the “traditional” classroom
which is significant. The shared activity area here makes
the teaching situation flexible as the shared space is an
extension of the classroom. The teachers can have break-
resources area
store (12.3 m*m) store out groups anytime as this third area is always available.

In contrast, the flexibility of use of the large classroom

at Green End (Manchester, UK) is relatively poor. This is
corridor not because of the size, but mainly because of its layout
- the doors, windows and storage areas greatly reduce
the space actually available for teaching activates. This
store
makes it impossible to teach using new learning styles
to the playground as teaching can only take place in a formalised layout
of rows of pupils. Teachers have to stay in one place,
classroom year 3
to the atrium key stage 2 essentially ‘taught from the front’ and cannot move the
(52.2 m*m)
furniture. Sometimes, the teachers in this school men-
Figure 25: (Top) A tion that the children cannot see clearly when they try to
typical classroom teach in the classroom using the board. Thus the ‘open-
to the toilet in Temple Primary
School; (Left) A plan’ classroom in Green End is less flexible in practice
store typical classroom
in Green End Pri- than the traditional cellular classrooms in Temple, where
mary School (both they are appropriately linked to related spaces.
from Manchester,
UK - Confirmatory
Cases) Classroom size
It is not uncommon to have up to 30 children in each
class (Figure 26). In a crowded classroom, pupils can eas-
Rooms ily be overlooked due to the size of the class. High den-
Open plan and cellular classrooms sity situations (too many children or too little space) can
Modern school buildings cover a broad spectrum of lay- lead to excess levels of stimulation, stress and arousal,
outs. The majority have traditional closed cellular struc- reductions in desired privacy levels and loss of control
tures, with the basic teaching space a classroom, being (Wohlwill J and Van Vliet W 1985).
used for lessons for groups of between 14 and 30 pupils.
Open-plan classrooms, on the other hand, are intended
to provide more opportunity for pupils to explore the
learning environment. Apart from its pedagogical in-
tent, one of the most important aims of open plan is
flexibility and adaptability so that schools can respond
to changes in delivering teaching and learning. For ex-
ample, the open-plan classroom allows for as wide a va-
riety of group learning sizes as possible and have learner
groupings from an entire “family” of 30 or 40 learn-
ers, to groups of 12, 4-6 and 1-2 learners. At the same
time, each large-group, small-group, and/or individual
learning space should be an architecturally well-defined
“activity pocket” with all the furniture, equipment, stor- Figure 26: Overcrowded classroom

18
Blatchford et al. (2003) summarises results from the differing baseline attainment. Pupils were split into three
most complete UK analysis to date of the educational ability groups, based on their pre-Reception year literacy
consequences of class size differences. The study fol- scores (bottom 25%, middle 50% and top 25%). There
lowed a large sample of over 10,000 children in UK and was a strong and significant increase in attainment for
results showed that there was a clear effect of class size all three groups, though there was a larger effect for pu-
differences on children’s academic attainment over the pils with lower baseline attainment. A reduction in class
(first) Reception year. For example, Figure 27 shows the size from 30 to 20 pupils resulted in an increase in at-
Reception year’s progress in literacy varied for pupils of tainment of approximately 0.35 standard deviations for
the low attainers, 0.2 standard deviations for the middle
attainers, and 0.15 standard deviations for the high at-
1.0
tainers.

0.8
The design of Redbrook Hayes Community Primary
improvement of pupils’ acdemic outcomes

low literacy baseline

School in Rugeley, Staffordshire, UK pays much atten-
adjusted lit score

0.6 tion to bringing as many as learning spaces as possible

into the heart of the school so that children and staff
middle literacy baseline
0.4 are in constant contact with daily school activities (Figure
28). Full ranges of closed classrooms are toward the east
0.2 high literacy baseline to west. Each partially glazed permitting a sense of spa-
tial transparency. This transparency is further enhanced
0.0 by generous floor to ceiling zones, with natural daylight
pouring in from high-level clerestory windows running
-0.2 both sides of its entire length. Each classroom has its
12 18 24 30 36 own children’s toilets, kitchen area, generous range of
class size (number of pupils)
storage and integrated ICT. Doors lead out to run-in run-
Figure 27: Relationship between ‘Reception’ year class size and out play areas from each classroom. Moreover, in the
literacy progress (adjusted for school entry scores)

Figure 28: Large classroom with varied learning groups and spaces (Redbrook Hayes Community Primary School , Rugeley, Staffordshire,
UK - Confirmatory Case) (Source: CABE/A&M Photography)

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SCRI Research Report
Optimal Learning Spaces
Design Implications for Primary Schools

heart of the school, there are many different hub areas for the modern classroom:
for small group work in order to increase the flexibility of
each classroom (Figure 29). n It has to accommodate the formation and
functioning of small learning groups while providing
Based on informal feedback from staff and pupils, the a sense of separation, because groups working to-
majority of comments have been overwhelmingly posi- gether will experience distractions and non-produc-
tive. Now that children are settled and secure, they are tive interaction.
more engaged and interested in their education. A mem-
ber of staff commented on how much happier staff and n It has to be flexible enough to allow the contin-
children were since they moved into the new building: ual reorganization of the whole class into various siz-
‘It has certainly improved SATS results and attendance es and number of small learning groups. This means
levels are much better, they seem to enjoy beving here; the space must be as free as possible of permanent
it is a wonderful place to be.’ Certainly this significant obstructions.
improvement will have resulted from many factors; but
it is also a direct effect of this superb new building, ac- n It has to be manageable by a single teacher
cording to the headteacher. who has command of the entire space. This means
the space must be compact and open (Dyck 1994).
Classroom layout
There is no perfect classroom design. However, Lippman Based on this, Dyck (1994) proposed the layout of the
(2002, 2003) in his study of schools mentions that pro- ‘Fat L’ as a design pattern that offers teachers options
viding a variety of spaces within a classroom supports in how they might organize their classrooms to facilitate
student-teacher / child-adult relationships. With the un- the development of their students in various learning
derstanding that schools are learning centres for devel- activities. Since this article was written, much work has
opment, and building on his research findings, Franklin been done on how the ‘L’ Shape design pattern might
(2008) recognized that non-traditional, modern learning influence learning as well as be incorporated into the
environments could encourage students to fully partici- design of new school facilities. Figure 30 shows a simpli-
pate in activities with others as they acquire knowledge fied version of how such a classroom might be arranged
for themselves. He then developed the following criteria (Franklin 2008). Three distinct macro-level zones are

glazing

project activity

store

teaching
wall
centralized
teacher station
door

glazing

divider

group
working

team seating
divider

teaching
wall

Figure 29: Different hub areas in the central space for small group door
work (Redbrook Hayes Community Primary School , Rugeley,
Staffordshire, UK - Confirmatory Case) (Source: CABE/A&M Pho-
tography) Figure 30: Conceptual ‘L’ shaped classroom

20
available for very different educational activities includ- tasks-at-hand. This layout is, of course, very like Temple
ing large group and individual desks, art or team-based Primary (see Figure 25) in principle, although Temple
group activities with electronics. is, on the face of it, a traditional layout. The important
thing is really the functionality of the spaces in practice,
The Prairie Hill Learning Centre (Figure 31) is an elemen- not whether they are new or old.
tary school in which the ‘Fat L’ classrooms are paired. The
design reflects an understanding that learning is not de-
fined to an area, but rather occurs between settings. In 3.2.3 Connection
addition, the structural column located approximately in
In terms of school design, connection, on one hand,
the centre of each classroom assists in defining areas in
involves pathways between spaces within the school
which different activity settings may be organized. Yet,
building. In this case, safe, easy movement and allow-
they don’t disrupt the flow of activity within the class-
ing surveillance are three basic requirements. On the
room. The Prairie Hill Learning Centre within its simplic-
other hand, connections also refer to the allowance of
ity is a rather complex design. Not only do the physical
school and community functions to be integrated into
elements afford flexibility and variability in the creation
a cohesive network of closely adjacent facilities, creat-
of the activity settings, they also afford an integrated
ing an involvement and awareness of the educational
learning environment within the classroom as well as
process. Therefore, these two aspects are emphasized
between the classrooms where pupils may always be
in this report:
engaged in the activities of others as they work on their
è Circulation: within schools, clearly marked
pathways to activity areas improve the utilization of
community room
spaces. And they help keep the children orientated
and stimulate their imaginations (Alexander 1977).
Creating activity nodes between pathways can also
increase opportunities for extra learning and positive
social interaction.

è Location: outside the school, its location can

create reciprocal opportunities with the local com-
munity’s existing neighbourhood resources in order
to foster meaningful inter-organizational partner-
ships that can strengthen educational opportunities
lower elementray upper elementray and enrich school life for students.

Circulation
Circulation such as hallways and corridors are a costly
percentage of a school building. The circulation provision
has to create gentle transitions from different spaces,
taking advantage of turns and bends to create unique
areas of learning. Conversely, for issues of safety, circula-
tion paths also need to ensure supervision by, not only
administrators, but also students, teachers and parents.
Poorly designed circulation can make movement around
the building difficult and even facilitate bullying. It is not
just a corridor. It is a critical dimension where good de-
sign can make a real difference to spatial quality.

The Kingsmead Primary School has seven classes with

212 pupils. The building plan and overall form is decep-
Figure 31: (Top) Building Plan; (Bottom) View from the outside tively simple. The floor plan for this school is based on
(The Prairie Hill Learning Centre, Roca, US - Illustrative Case)
(Source: The Architectural Partnership Photography) a curved shape. A central spine houses all the large and

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Optimal Learning Spaces
Design Implications for Primary Schools

specialist spaces which are most likely to be used with red etc. have been used to create identity for young chil-
pupils and teaching staff (Figure 32). The corridor has dren or those with visual impairment, helping them to
been made an asset by providing rooflighting and dis- orientate (Figure 33). The gentle curve of the corridor,
play areas along it. Bright colours, such as blue, green resulting from the crescent plan, prevents it looking in
any way institutional.

winter
garden Creating central activity nodes, or break-out spaces,
winter
classroom
garden which connect short paths, is one strategy for maintain-
classroom winter ing visual supervision without creating long institutional-
classroom garden
style corridors and increasing opportunities for positive
library/ social interaction. Small group instruction can be pro-
secret garden
staff room
classroom
vided in break-out spaces. The ability to instruct a few
office circulation winter
garden children or individuals on similar topics, at different pac-
reception
classroom es and in different ways, allows for the customisation of
N

headteacher
office
each student’s personal profile.
entrance
classroom
hall
winter When break-out spaces are developing into scalable en-
classroom
garden vironments, they can nurture both individual students
kitchen
and small-group work with an emphasis on collaborative
plant work and the recognition of the need to accommodate
room
multiple learning styles. Interior windows and openings
can further allow for effective break-out spaces in the
nooks and crannies off circulation routes that were previ-
Figure 32: The school follows a curved plan with a central cor-
ridor, clear and simple (Kingsmead Primary School, Norwich, UK ously perceived as unusable spaces.
- Illustrative Case)
These spaces have become secondary instructional areas
by allowing an instructor to maintain supervision over
more than one area at a time. It has to be noted that
these breakout-out spaces need to be carefully designed
to avoid causing problems like congestion, aggression
and destructive behaviour. Normally, the corridors for
movement should make efficient use of the available
floor area, but where appropriate they can articulate
with break-out spaces where social and / or study can
Figure 33: Colourful circulation with children’s art displayed on take place (Figure 34).
the walls (Kingsmead Primary School, Norwich, UK - Illustrative
Case)

classroom classroom classroom

break-out
classroom space classroom

circulation

Figure 34: (Top) Part of the school plan; (Bottom) One of the break-out space at classroom clusters (West Haven Elementary School, West
Haven, Utah, US - Confirmatory Case

22
Figure 35: (Left) Visit from Hampshire Fire Brigade; (Right) organic vegetable garden (Farnborough Grange Nursery and Infant Com-
munity School, Hants, UK– Confirmatory Case)

Location be regarded as complementary to each other, the ad-

When it comes to planning schools as community learn- vantages of which are maximised at all times in order
ing centres, much has been emphasized in terms of mak- to provide sufficient, interesting and welcoming learning
ing school resources available to the wider community, opportunities.
for example, by co-locating additional services like early
year’s facilities, health and adult training (Building Bul- There are many examples of good community schools.
letin 95, 2002). However, there is another important as- Farnborough Grange Nursery and Infant Community
pect of the relationship between local community and School in Hants, UK involves a wide range of community
schools. Learning things in the classroom and then see- links from the local area for ‘practical and meaningful’
ing them in real life outside the school is often a much education (Figure 35).
more powerful, practical way of remembering and un-
derstanding than simply learning from a lesson alone. For example, a school visit from the Hampshire Fire Bri-
Some of the external experiences children could take to gade gave pupils opportunities to learn about safety and
engender learning in action may include: security. Pupils in this school also grow organic vegeta-
bles at school (science, environmental and health educa-
n Botanical garden: real biology lessons; tion) and harvest them for sale to the local community.
n An old building and/or ruin: part of history les- Profits go to help local homeless people (charity work /
sons; understanding the needs of others), but some food is
n All kinds of theme museums and galleries: sci- kept by pupils to cook meals for the elderly (or “elders”
ence and art in action; as they are known) in a local centre. They perform songs
n Theatre: English lessons on plays. for them, and visit the centre at regular intervals. The
elders, in turn, visit the school to help with the garden,
Besides, children can learn new things without even talk with pupils, and help with projects.
realizing it. For example, they will know love, care and
respect if they visit a Community Centre to play board Rolls Crescent Primary School in Manchester, UK is an-
games with each other and elderly people, or even just other successful example (Figure 36). The school is locat-
to sing a song. Though the link with community may ed in a well-defined neighbourhood, the sense of cohe-
appear to be a social feature or educational decision, sion experienced by community members helps increase
designs can affect it. When planning a school, its loca- people’s involvement in neighbourhood schools. In 2007,
tion might take advantage of the local community’s ex- this school had a very impressive grounds week, in which
isting neighbourhood resources. In this way, the ‘natural they used the grounds extensively for a week, having les-
societal settings’ and ‘formal instructional settings’ can sons and other activities outside. The school also used its

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Design Implications for Primary Schools

strong neighbourhood links in order to directly influence school and community facilities that make up a cohesive
its educational performance, such as periodic visits to network of closely adjacent opportunities. This network
the Hulme Commnity Garden Centre, Elderly Resources has created an environment that interlaces a residential
Centre. From these experiences, children increased their area, the wider community and the school together and
self-esteem and learnt about health, science, local past, increases interaction between them.
participation and social skills education. There are shared

1 2 3
4 5

1 community garden centre

2 elderly resource centre
3 field
4 playing area
5 sports area

Figure 36: Pupils can reach these communities and facilities without passing streets (Rolls Crescent Primary School, Manchester, UK -
Confirmatory Case)

24
3.3 Level of Stimulation
Lying behind the detail of design elements for gener-
al and particular needs there is also a recurrent theme on human’s psychological reaction and physiological
around the general level of stimulation that is appropri- well-beings. The perception of colour in the environ-
ate for given situations. In broad terms this may vary ment always carries visual, associative and symbolic
from buildings designed for relaxation, such as, homes, effects with it.
to those designed to stimulate, such as theatres, but
also variation will be appropriate within buildings. So è Texture: refers to the perceived prominence of
in a school, classrooms may need a different approach materials’ characteristic. Along with colour, it is con-
from assembly areas. Thus, a link can be seen here with sidered as one of the primary abstract elements of
the issue of individualisation, stressing the holistic na- design. By combining hard and soft surfaces, texture
ture of design solutions. In the context of judging de- can animate indoor and landscape experience by
sign competitions, Nasar (1999, p77-85) reinforces the complementing built aspects with natural elements.
central importance of the level of stimulation produced.
Drawing from an extensive literature review he suggests In spite the fact that buildings are complex visual ob-
that combinations of pleasantness (or unpleasantness) jects in children’s environment, they represent one of the
and different levels of arousal yield either excitement (or most frequent subjects of children’s drawings, second
boredom) or relaxation (or distress) only to humans and animals. Buildings are not as stereo-
typed as, for example, their drawings of human beings,
therefore, the study of children’s drawings of buildings
Combinations of pleasantness and different often amounts to an investigation of their iconic cod-
levels of arousal yield either excitement or re- ing of the environment (Krampen 1991). Kerr (1937)
laxation. When the level of stimulation is ap- obtained house drawings from 555 children covering
propriate for given situations, certain reactions the ages of 6 to 14 years. She found that the tendency
take place positively in the brain and mind, af- toward elaboration is influenced by general intellectual
fecting mood, mental clarity and energy levels. development and emotional development of fixation.
Children’s preferences were reflected by the complexity
of their buildings: the forms and structures, rounds and
arches, window and door fittings, two-sided houses and
In spite of individual differences, people have shared perspective all rose steadily with their intellectual devel-
meanings and these can serve as a basis for building de- opment. It seems that children do feel a strong connec-
sign. When people look at a building or a space inside, tion to the buildings they experience.
they may judge how much they like it or how pleasant
it looks. If one judges a place as exciting or boring, the General theories suggest that diversity, novelty or atypi-
judgement refers to its level of excitement. If one judges cality, produce complexity, which, in turn, affects arousal
a place as relaxing or distressing, the judgements refer to and preference. Studies of buildings and urban scenes
its level of relaxation. Exciting places are more pleasant have shown that increases in diversity lead to increases in
and arousing than boring ones. Relaxing places are more interest (excitement) with people on balance preferring
pleasant but less arousing than distressing one. (Russell moderate levels of diversity. Order produces familiarity
and Ward 1981, Russell and Snodgrass 1989). and there is a preference for this as well. The finding
that people like both order and complexity may appear
Research confirms many aspects of human emotional contradictory, but researchers agree with the model that:
response to buildings and places (Nasar 1988, Hanyu complexity catches the observer’s attention and stimu-
1993, Mahnke 1996). For a school design, three param- lates arousal; and order helps the observer make sense
eters stand out in occupants’ sensation, perception and of it. Thus designs that offer order and related features
evaluation of the physical environment: should evoke pleasurable responses, and that pleasure
can be heightened through a combination of order and
è Complexity: refers to visual richness, which can familiarity with moderate complexity or atypicality (Son-
be related to the number of noticeably different ele- nenfield 1966, Canter and Thorne 1972, Kaplan et al.
ments in a scene (diversity) without negative content 1976, Brower 1988).
such as clutter and disorder. This often needs to be
balanced with a degree of order (unity) in order to Much work has been done when it comes to the colour
provide clarity and familiarity. impact on the built environment and occupants’ percep-
tion. Read et al. (1999) consider that both colour and
è Colour: has been proved to have a great impact ceiling height affect children’s cooperative behaviour.

25
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SCRI Research Report
Optimal Learning Spaces
Design Implications for Primary Schools

Engelbrecht (2003) argues that the colour of walls in photographs of roadside scenes produce increases in
the classroom affects productivity and accuracy, while preference for the scenes. Water, particularly moving
Brubaker (1998) argues that cool colours permit con- water, enhances scenic quality and the level of excite-
centration. Bross and Jackson (1981) carried out a study ment (Winkel et al. 1970). In a Canadian study (Her-
on girls in grades 7-9 which found that the participants rington et. al 2006) children spoke more with each other
made fewer errors when working in cubicles painted and for longer durations when they encountered worms
in their preferred colour, while time to complete tasks or bugs. Likewise, contact with plants and animals can,
changed minimally. Hamid and Newport (1989) conclud- not only enhance cognitive development, but encourage
ed that pre-school children demonstrated more physical imaginative play and stimulate empathy.
strength and a positive mood in a pink- coloured room
than in a blue-coloured room.

In order to judge the impact of environmental colour on 3.3.1 Complexity

learning capacity, Henner Ertel, director of an institute
Theories suggest that diversity, novelty or atypicality, pro-
for rational psychology in Munich, conducted a 3-year
duce complexity, which, in turn, affects arousal and pref-
study among children (Henner 1973, Reported by Bir-
erence. The preference has held in a variety of contexts.
ren). Rooms with low ceilings were painted in different
It has shown stability for many places (Nasar 1998), U.S.
colours and it was found that the more popular colours
and Japanese street scenes (Nasar 1984), architectural
were light blue, yellow, yellow green and orange. The
exteriors from around the world (Oostendorp and Berly-
use of these colours could raise IQ by as much as 12
ne 1978), buildings in relation to neighbouring buildings
points over environments where colours considered
(Groat 1984), and buildings in relation to their natural
ugly - white, black and brown – were used. The popular
settings (Wohlwill 1982).
colours also stimulated alertness and creativity, whereas
white, black and brown playrooms made children less
One practical option stands out:
attentive. Orange, in particular, improves social behav-
iour, cheers the spirit and lessens hostility and irritability
(Figure 37).
è Appearance: The architectural exterior (ap-
pearance) is the first impression of the school and
presents a unique opportunity to inspire pupils and
Studies of specific features have confirmed the prefer-
teachers.
ence associated with naturalness or a decrease in the
prominence of built features (Herzog et al. 1982, Nasar
1984). For example, research found that the removal of
utility poles, overhead wires, billboards and signs from Appearance
Diversity
Diversity can offer visual choices of shape and form. A
regular box is not the only answer. Adjustments to the
geometry of space can balance hard and soft forms,
asymmetrical and symmetrical patters, creating visual
and tactile interest. This raises another perspective – that
of information processing (Kaplan and Kaplan 1989).
This argues that because people have to find their way
through the environment, cues that help people make
sense of their surroundings become important. People
like places that make sense and offer involvement. Fea-
tures that increase involvement include diversity and the
promise of further information ahead.

Hosmarinpuisto School and Day Care Centre is located in

Espoo Finland. Long exterior eaves provide shelter from
rain and large canopies give safe spaces for playing on
the sides of the building. The architect (Yrjo Suonto) has
Figure 37: Orange improves the social behaviour; cheers the spirit
adapted a highly expressive architectural form which
and lessens hostility and irritation can be interpreted as a dramatic reinvigoration of the

26
 strength and creative energy of students, staff and visi-
tors (Figure 38).

In the courtyard, circulation is by a gangway around the

perimeter, and by a wood and glass bridge that links the
school to the cafeteria and office. The yard visually con-
nects the upper and lower levels and provides a flexible
gathering space, a communal centre, an outdoor play
Figure 38: (Left) Two-story wood building with simple roof forms
area and / or a space to relax (Figure 39). From Whyte’s
but sufficient detailing of fence, shading devices and long eaves (1980) research, people are attracted to places – called
to provide visual richness; (Right) Large canopies between the in-
side and outside increases the spatial experience and allow chil- liveable spaces – that have a view full of vitality and
dren to play safely on all sides of the building. (Hosmarinpuisto abundant information. The presence of people increases
School and Day Care Centre, Espoo, Finland – Illustrative Case)
preferences for scenes, as people generally enjoy watch-
ing one another. Places to sit with such views always
tend to attract people, as does activity.

Order
The preference for order and related variables has held in
a variety of contexts. People’s preference is often associ-
ated with increase in order and related variables, such
as unity, coherence, clarity, compatibility and legibility.
Features that may contribute to order include uniform
texture, distinctive elements, focal point, low contrast
(in the colour, size, texture, and shape of elements or
between objects and their background), and replication
of facade features (Wohlwill 1982, Groat 1984, Nasar
1987).

Kingsmead Primary School (Norwich, Cheshire, UK) is

a single storey building (Figure 40). Its dynamic form is
Figure 39: Liveable space: central courtyard where people can derived from its main structural elements, which are tim-
watch spaces with full of vitality and abundant information (Hos-
marinpuisto School and Day Care Centre, Espoo, Finland – Illustra- ber arches constructed from laminated and glued timber
tive Case) (glulam). The main facades appear light and generally

Figure 40: (Left) Timber on all the elevations gives a rustic and compatible character to the building; (Right) Winter garden and convex
curved shape make it vivid, light and transparent. (Kingsmead Primary School, Norwich, Cheshire, UK - Illustrative Case) (Source: White
Design Associates)

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Optimal Learning Spaces
Design Implications for Primary Schools

transparent, with the appearance of large glazing in alu- great deal of difference in influencing a building’s char-
minium panelling. On first view, timber has been used acter, the way it is perceived psychologically, and subse-
extensively and there appears to be a regular and or- quent reactions to it. A particular hue that is perfectly
dered pattern to the façades’ appearance, however, on suitable for an outside facade may elicit a different reac-
closer inspection the façade treatment is complex, with tion when applied to the inside of a room. The same can
convex curved shape, alternate large or small, outward happen when it comes to the colour themes for differ-
and inward glazing which shift across the façade be- ent functional spaces within the building. Therefore, two
tween the long eaves. ‘practical options’ are emphasized here:

è Appearance: colour can directly affect an indi-

3.3.2 Colour vidual’s impression of temperature, size of the object
and distance of the space. Central to the impact of
When discussing colour in an educational context, it is
colour is the curvilinear issue of avoiding over or un-
important to approach colour choices as a functional
der stimulation through the degree of complexity or
question rather than solely from the standpoint of aes-
unity employed (Mahnke, 1996, p22-27).
thetics. Functional colour focuses on using colour to
achieve an end result such as increased attention span
and lower levels of eye fatigue. These colour schemes
è Rooms: when selecting colours the nature of
the task is strongly relevant. When concentration is
are not measured by criteria of beauty but rather by tan-
sought it can be assisted through the use of differ-
gible evidence. For example, colour has been found to
ent colours, discriminating between those that are
have an influence on blood pressure and behaviour.
psychologically stimulating as opposed to physiologi-
cally stimulating. Appropriate colour schemes for
Furthermore, colour psychologists have linked colour
particular rooms/functions will vary.
with brain development and the human transition from
child to adult. Given its many impacts, appropriate
Appearance
colours can protect eyesight, create surroundings that
are conducive to study and promote physical and men- The use of applied colour in architecture is treated with
tal health. Many cases of nervousness, irritability, lack caution by many architects particularly when used on
of interest, and behavioural problems can be attributed the external facades of new buildings. The designers of
directly to incorrect environmental conditions involv- Xinzhou School in Suzhou, China (Figure 41) use quite
ing poorly planned light and colour. It is not enough to strong colours on the facades, which are intended to re-
simply provide colour, through teacher’s displays, school flect the pleasurable nature of attending daycare, and
signs, and paint availability! encourage children to accept that this is a building for
play and creativity rather than tending to dwell on the
The location (inside, outside) of a colour can make a more negative aspects of extended periods apart from

Figure 41: Warm to hot paired colours create an exuberant exterior (Xinzhou Kindergarten, Suzhou, China - Illustrative Case)

28
their parents; in this respect it is a welcome distraction. of restlessness, excessive response, and difficulty in con-
However and perhaps more importantly, the colours are centration. Such environments, in fact, are anything but
used to counter the prevailing climatic conditions, where neutral in the effects they have on their occupants.
the high humidity and hot climate can often promote
listlessness amongst staff and children. Here, colour is Rooms
used to counter this negative energy by stimulating the People can seek to design environments that serve a
senses, with warm to hot paired colours. specific function, and it makes a difference how colour
is used. However, it is not as simple as trying to create
In contrast, Jubilee Primary School in London tells an- a stimulus that only calls forth a physiological reaction
other story. Sustainability and low energy design were of some type. When designing with colour, it has to be
key objectives of the design team. The building employs seen in the context of the whole design and not slavishly
a range of design features including natural ventilation applied through generalities. The information below ef-
via wind chimneys, natural lighting, a green roof planted fectively sets out a pallet of possible effects that needs to
with sedum and an insulation material made from re- be wielded with sensitivity and finesse.
cycled newspaper.
In choosing appropriate surface colours, much depends
However, the public face of the building is at first sight on the specific hue, its value and intensity. Also, where
austere. From the street it is a box-like, high structure, colour is placed, how much of it, for what purpose, and
handsomely finished predominantly in white render; this for what length of time, should all be taken into ac-
is an architectural language which is not to everyone’s count? (see Appendix for more information) It is clear
taste (Figure 42). ‘It looks more like a supermarket than that any strong colour will cause an immediate reaction
a school’ was one comment and ‘it’s ugly’ was another that can be physiologically measured. However, the du-
(Dudek 2005). It is often argued that white is an ideal ration of the effect is not continuous. For example, red
neutral colour. However, the impact of a white built may increase the blood pressure, but after a length of
environment on people tend to be under-stimulation. time the body will normalize the condition, or even show
Persons subjected to under-stimulation show symptoms an opposite effect. (Hope and Margaret 1990)

It is often argued that white, grey and even black are

an ideal background to set off coloured decorative ef-
fects. Regardless of accent colour distribution, the main
impression of the environment will more likely remain
neutral. Also, persons subjected to understimulaiton
show symptoms of restlessness, excessive response, and
difficulty in concentration. Such environments, in fact,
are anything but neutral in the effects they have on their
occupants.

Another line of research that relates to colour is con-

cerned with age issues. Heinrich carried out psychological
colour tests on ten thousand children from 5-19 across
the world (Figure 43). Heinrich’s findings indicate which
Figure 42: (Left) Main entrance; (Right) Nursery entrance (Jubilee
School, Brixton, London, UK - Illustrative Case)

5-8 red orange yellow violet 5-8 black white grey dark brown

9-10 red orange green-blue 9-10 grey dark brown black pastel green blue

13-14 blue ultramarine orange 13-14 white black greeen olive violet lilac

Figure 43: Rejected and accepted colours for children with different ages

29
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Optimal Learning Spaces
Design Implications for Primary Schools

colours might be best suited for different age groups in learning design solutions in different parts of schools.
the school environment. Figure 43 is part of the results,
indicating a difference between each age group (Hein- Learning spaces for nursery and elementary grades
rich 1980, Heinrich 1992). Children of kindergarten through elementary-school
ages are mostly extroverted by nature. A warm, bright
In general, Heinrich found that black, white, grey, and colour scheme complements this tendency, thereby re-
dark brown were rejected by children between the ages ducing tension, nervousness, and anxiety; colour may be
of five and eight; red, orange, yellow, and violet were light salmon, soft, warm yellow, pale yellow-orange, cor-
preferred. At ages nine and ten, grey, dark brown, black, al and peach. Colours of opposite temperature should
pastel green, and blue were rejected. Preferred were also be introduced as accents. Under no circumstances
red, red-orange, and green-blue. The 11-12 year-olds re- should it be believed that by pinning drawings, cartoons
jected achromatic (white, black, grey), olive, violet, and or the like on the wall, the child’s need for changes in
lilac. Preferences of the 13-14 year age group were blue, hue, colour intensity, and lightness, is satisfied, or that it
ultramarine, and orange. Heinrich is the first to point out will reduce a monotonous room experience (Figure 44).
the difficulty of using preferred colours, as determined
in the tests. They are not always suitable as wall paints Learning spaces for upper grades
and must also be considered together with other factors, Softer surroundings created by subtle and/or cooler hues
such as visual ergonomics. have centripetal action, which enhances the ability to
concentrate by providing a passive effect. Side and back
The above discussion gives some indication of the range walls may be beige, sandstone, or light tan. However,
and depth of the research evidence on colour impacts Engelbrecht (2003) suggests that in classrooms where
and human sense perception. Based on these research students face one direction the end wall of the class-
works, Mahnke (1996) made some suggestions about room, behind the teacher, should be a different colour
applying these findings holistically to achieve optimal from the other walls. This idea is also offered by Pile
(1997) and Brubaker (1998). Thus, this wall might be in
medium tones of green or blue. The purpose of this is
to relax the students’ eyes when they look up from their
tasks, thus providing effective contrast with chalkboard,
materials displayed, training aids, and the instructor, as
well as drawing attention to the front of the room by
adding interest to the classroom through a different ap-
pearance from different direction, visual monotony is
avoided (Figure 45).

n Subtle hues are used to enhance the ability to

concentrate;
n Beige, pale or light green and blue-green are
appropriate;
n The front wall’s colour is different from the side

Figure 44: Learning and playing, a space for nursery (Top) and el-
ementary grades (Bottom) (Harlequin Kindergarten, East Kilbride,
UK - Illustrative Case) Figure 45: An example of the classroom for upper grade

30
 and back walls (relax the eyes, provide effective con-
trast, draw attention);
n Side and back walls may be beige, sandstone,
or light tan;
n The front wall might be in medium tones of
green or blue.

Library and/or reading room

Pale or light green creates a passive effect that enhances
quietness and concentration. (Figure 46)

Figure 47: The hallway with curved and blue wall gives a distinct
feeling (Temple Primary School, Manchester, UK - Confirmatory
Case).

low, sandstone, pale gold, pale orange, pale green and

blue-green are appropriate (Figure 48).
Figure 46: Library with pale green carpet (Seoul Foreign Elemen-
tary School, Seoul, Korea - Illustrative Case) n Where intense concentration is required, atten-
tion should be directed inward with cool hues.
n Elsewhere, soft yellow, sandstone, pale gold,
Corridors and hallways pale orange, pale green, and blue-green are appro-
More colour range is possible in hallways. Colour priate.
schemes should be attractive and give the school a dis-
tinctive personality. In the lower grades hues may be Cafeterias
lively; in a multi-storeyed school each corridor can be Cafeterias may be a bit brighter than other spaces, al-
treated differently. Complementary colour schemes are though colour should not be intense and aggressive.
quite appropriate. For example, light-orange walls offset Light red-orange, light orange, pale yellow, warm yel-
with blue doors; or a light-green wall with lower-chroma low, apricot, and pale green are good dominant wall
red doors (not the tone of fire doors). (Figure 47)

n Present distinctive personality.

n Each corridor can be treated differently in a
multi-storey school.
n Complementary colour schemes are quite ap-
propriate; light-orange walls with blue doors; or a
light-green wall with lower-chroma red doors.

Administrative offices
In colour specification, there are those that should not
be used as dominant (wall) colours: no purple, violet,
vivid yellow, yellow-green, bright red, and no white or
grey. Beyond that the choice of hues, guided by good
judgement, is fairly broad. In offices where intense con-
centration is required, attention should be directed in-
ward with cool hues. In general office areas, the choice Figure 48: Headteacher office (Modular Building of School District
30, Northbrook, Illinois. Photo courtesy of the Modular Building
of warm or cool hues depends on preference. Soft yel- Institute. US – Illustrative Case)

31
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SCRI Research Report
Optimal Learning Spaces
Design Implications for Primary Schools

colours (yellow should not be too bright); some-what well as a desire to make built features. Built features en-
stronger for accents are blue and bluegreen. Laminated able people to identify or create order. They are visu-
tabletops may be in wood grain or the colours specified ally rewarding in simultaneously possessing diversity and
as appetite colours, such as warm red, oranges, warm unity. ‘Soft’ texture animates landscapes and enables
yellow, clear green. For purposes of cleanliness, floors people to connect what they see with their sense of
should not be too dark (textures and patterns may con- touch, as texture, like colour, provides unity and diversity
ceal stains) (Figure 49). in the surface of forms.

n A bit brighter but not intense and aggressive Texture can be manipulated in scale from coarse to fine
n Light red-orange, light orange, pale yellow, and can be used in juxtaposition or in gradients from
warm yellow, apricot, and pale green are good domi- rough to smooth, for example, from a branch of red
nant wall colours (yellow should not be too bright); flowers to a piece of green glazing (Dee 2001).
n Somewhat stronger for accents are blue and
blue green. Here, one pratical option stands out:
n Laminated tabletops may be in wood grain
or the colours specified as appetite colours, such as è Outdoors: Research indicates that the quality
warm red, oranges, warm yellow, clear green. of life in a school is much enhanced when an abun-
n Floors should not be too dark; texture and pat- dance of useable outdoor space is present. The va-
tern may conceal unremovable strains. riety can add to the aesthetic appeal of places, en-
hanced as environmental conditions change with the
seasons. There are also many practical applications,
such as encouraging children’s interest in thinking
and asking; promoting the goals of recreational ac-
3.3.3 Texture tivities; enhancing physical and cognitive develop-
ment; encouraging imaginative play, and stimulating
Nasar (1984) found that people normally perceive two
empathy.
styles of environment as having distinct features from
one another: natural (soft) elements, such as flowers,
plants, grass and water; and obtrusive built (hard) ele-
Outdoors
ments, such as intense land use, high style building and
busy traffic etc. The preference for the addition of nature Covered areas can be looked as a transition from the
and for natural over built scenes has amassed consistent school inside to the outside, from an enclosed space to
empirical support. Studies of specific features have con- a natural openness. Weather-protected transition spaces
firmed the preference associated with naturalness and a include porches and decks a minimum of two metres
decrease in the prominence of built features. in depth that can serve as learning and playing spaces
in their own right. From the POE surveys, the covered
People have a ‘natural’ positive response to texture as area between the inside and outside is always one of the

Figure 50: (Left) The rain-fall steps where water flows are used
to foster this curiosity and sensitivity in the young learner; (Right)
Figure 49: Cafeteria (Ditson Elementary School, Billerica, Massa- When the space is not used (Shirokane Kindergarten, Tokyo, Ja-
chusetts, US - Illustrative Case) pan - Illustrative Case)

32
Figure 51: Plan views of the same play space (Left: The design offers manipulable materials and settings for children; Right: The design
has only standardized play areas and rubber matting that offers less change and challenge)

children’s favourite places. At present, many outdoor spaces in schools are domi-
nated by playsets, such as climbing frames, turning pars,
In the case of Shirokane Kindergarten (Tokyo, Japan), balance beams and /or overhead ladder. Early childhood
there is a half covered plaza at the corner, which is educators and children are less likely to take ownership
expressed architecturally as a natural extension of the of these standardized play space.
building’s form. Children can move back and forth freely
between the building, plaza and playground. While many outdoor play spaces are characterised by
asphalt, they can potentially incorporating manipulable
On a rainy day, the pupils can be active on the wooden materials like sand, dirt, gravel, mud, plants, pathways
steps. During class time, these spaces become a place of and water into a play space, which can powerfully ex-
serenity, where children learn about tradition and man- press seasonal cycles. Varied outdoor elements offer
ners. Various design ideas have been introduced so that more developmental and play opportunities than spaces
children can experience the wonders of seasonal and that did not contain these elements (Figure 51). They
weather changes, and through the usage of these ele- easily allow children to exert control over their play space
ments children can stimulate and develop their natural and change their surroundings to suit their needs. Chil-
abilities, such as receptivity, imagination and vitality (Fig- dren want to play with responsive materials that can be
ure 50). carried, collected, damned, dug, floated, filled, scooped,
sifted, spilled, sprinkled, and thrown.
Taking all research collectively, it is safe to suggest that
fabric variety is psychologically the most beneficial. One Lumin Primary School is a private primary school located
reason is that normal consciousness, perception and within the urban mix of Yantai, Shandong, China (Figure
thought can be maintained only in a changing envi- 52). The school’s mission is to provide more creative out-
ronment. When there is no change, a state of ‘sensory door opportunities and displays a comprehensive design
deprivation’ occurs, which means that the capacity of integrated into the existing school buildings to provide
people to concentrate deteriorates, attention fluctuates pupils with a supportive atmosphere where they can
and normal perception fades. build self-confidence, develop a love of learning, suc-
ceed in their studies and build toward their futures.
Therefore, spaces outside and adjacent to the school
buildings can be used for more than simply ‘burning The design touched upon every usable square foot of
off energy’. In terms of the texture design of the school school property to maximize the pupils’ educational ex-
building and its landscape, the balance between unit perience and improve school circulation within the ur-
and complexity is a very important rule in the design of a ban constraints of the site. To maximize the chance of
beneficial environment. year-round use of parts of the outdoors, design elements
include all kinds of sports and / or ball field, track, game

33
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SCRI Research Report
Optimal Learning Spaces
Design Implications for Primary Schools

playground, sand play, trails, garden, small pet house, microclimates and allow for a variety of learning activi-
ponds and climbing wall etc., which create favourable ties and experiences not available indoors.

1 building 5 outdoor classroom 9 sand exploration 13 climbing wall

2 pavilion 6 game play 10 small pet house 14 water play
3 central play spaces 7 wooden playset 11 seat wall
4 aquatic plants 8 pergola 12 ball court
Figure 52: Part of the outdoor design (Lumin Primary School, Yantai, Shandong, China - Confirmatory Case)

34
4 Summary
Having set out the principles and elements that should The emerging approach gives prominence to address-
inform the design of optimal learning spaces at the ing fundamental users’ needs through an explicitly de-
start of this report, it is hoped that it can now be seen, signed approach to human sense inputs. This provides a
through the cases given, that these principles can be op- tremendous challenge for designers to understand how
erationalised in school designs. these underlying human goals may be enabled, whilst
also creating dynamic solutions that can accommodate
By focusing on enhancing the learning of school pupils, significant variations in users’ needs, both at any point in
successful designs will exhibit some combination of the time and over time.
set of practical design features summarised in Table 3.
To make this useful in the design process these are struc- This report provides and illustrates a range of possible
tured using the “practical options” axis in Table 1. practical responses to a broad set of design parameters.
Though these individual strategies can improve a school’s
The challenge is, of course, to create a coherent design building performance, only through whole-building
in a specific place for particular people, in which these analysis and integrated design can the positive impact
features reinforce each other and positively support the of the built environment on pupils’ attainment and well-
experience of pupils and staff. being be maximised. We hope that school clients and
designers are stimulated to take these ideas into their
It can be seen that the themes of (positive) naturalness, practice and to experiment with them.
individualisation and appropriate (low in some places –
higher in others) levels of stimulation pervade this report. At this point, how to integrate the design opportunities
It is also evident that complex practical issues are ad- raised here deserves more attention in future research
dressed alongside compounding psychological and so- work. It is anticipated that this will be achieved through
ciological issues associated with spaces, such as status, the study of practical applications, which will, in addi-
control and social belonging (Vischer 2005). Although, tion, provide a window on the interactive impacts of dif-
or perhaps because, this report is centred on young ferent sense experiences – a further aspect that we hope
children, it can be argued that the needs addressed to inform through additional theoretical work.
represent a raw exposition of universal human needs.

Table 3:. Design for school pupils linked to design parameters

Practical Design
Description [Page No.]
option Parameters

School location is suggested witthout any obstruction surrounded, such as buildings and trees because it may cast
too much shadow in the daytime. [8] Light
Location

School site is away from the busy roads. Open areas and trees can be used as a buffer-zone to give acoustic separa- Sound
tion. [8]
Located in a well-defined neighbourhood, the school can reach the communities and facilities easily and conve-
niently so that it might take advantage of the local community’s existing neighbourhood resources. [23] Connection

Classroom windows face the south-east or south-west and classrooms are so sited in relation to external obstruc- Light
tions that a minimum of 2 hours duration of penetration is obtained. [5]
The south rooms can heat up quickly, especially when the sunlight directly penetrates into the room. While the
Orientation

rooms towards the west experience stronger and more intense sunlight and sun heat than those towards the east. Temperature
The north rooms do not receive direct solar radiation for most of the time. [10]
School to be located as much distance as possible from the source and also in the windward side in terms of the Air quality
local predominant wind direction. [12]
Kitchen and cafeteria should be located towards the leeward sides in terms of the local predominant wind direc- Air quality
tion, so that the food smell can be avoided as a disturbance to the whole school building. [13]
The sensitive space or room can be carefully located and separated from intruding noise both from the outdoors Sound
and from within the building. [9]
Layout

The toilet and corridor act as a buffer zone to give acoustic separation. [9] Sound
A compact and simple plan is always better than a spread-out and complicated arrangement. The more complex Temperature
the form may result in more heat loss with more exposed surface and less heat gain due to self-shadowing. [10]

35
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SCRI Research Report
Optimal Learning Spaces
Design Implications for Primary Schools

Practical Design
Description [Page No.]
option Parameters

School elevation with diversity (novelty) catches the pupils’ attention and arousal; and order (familiarity) helps the Complexity
pupils make sense of it. A combination of order with moderate diversity can achieve pleasurable responses. [25]
Appearance

People’s preference is often associated with increase in order and related variables, such as unity, coherence, clarity, Complexity
compatibility and legibility. [26]
Strong colours on the facades can reflect the pleasurable nature of attending daycare. Also the colours can be Colour
used to counter the prevailing climatic conditions by stimulating the senses, with warm to hot paired colours. [27]
Windows are heads close to the ceiling in order to receive an amount of skylight and solar heat. A glazing ratio
(glazing area/wall area) of 40% is recommended for south, east and west facing windows, 55% is for north facing Light
ones. Small windows at the top can allow circulation but not draught. [6]
Clerestory windows admit light deep towards the back of the room and henceforth create a more uniform daylight
distribution throughout if there is another side window. [7] Light
Windows

The larger the window the more the solar gain and the greater the heat loss. Therefore, the glazing with a low Temperature
U-value is preferred for schools. [10]
Windows have to be carefully designed to allow for different weather conditions Windows (doors) are located on Air quality
opposite side for cross ventilation. [13]
For child-centred spaces, windows can be smaller and heights lower to accommodate children. It not only mini- Choice
mizes the institutional character of buildings but also creates more intimate spaces. [16]
Absorbents on classrooms ceilings can reduce reverberation and can damp out the most annoying components of Sound
impact sound. [9]
The stage is placed on the long side of the hall- the source of sound is not far from the fathest listener. Curtains
and moveable screens with sound-absorbent surfaces can be used in order to change the sound characteristics of Sound
the area. [9]
Spaces with varied heights can create liveable gathering places. Usually places to sit with views of others tend to Choice
attract people, as does activity. [15]
Rooms

For child centred spaces, elements and spaces can be smaller and heights lower to accommodate children. [16] Choice
To maximize the flexibility of instructional clusters, it is very useful to provide a space especially for shared activity. Flexibility
The teachers can have break-out groups anytime as this space is always available. [18]
There is widespread popular belief that smaller classes are better. Children are settled and secure, they are more Flexibility
engaged and interested in their education. [18]
‘L’ shaped classroom is a design patter that offers teachers options in how they might organize their classrooms to Flexibility
facilitate the development of their students in various learning activity. [20]
When selecting colours the nature of the task is relevant. Classrooms, corridor, library and cafeteria all sever differ- Colour
ent functions; therefore their colour scheme has to be treated differently. [29-30]
The circulation pattern should be clear and direct, covering all levels from access to the buildings to local circulation
Circulation

between spaces. Visually engaging paths with easily identifiable destinations transform aimless wandering into Connection
purposeful walking, thus encouraging people to move around the school safely and independently. [21]
Creating central activity nodes (breakout spaces) can increase opportunities for project-based learning, small group Connection
instruction and positive social interaction. [22]
It should be weather-protected. This transition space includes porches and decks with a minimum of six feet in Texture
depth that can serve as learning and playing spaces in their own right. [31]
Ourdoors

Planted school yards powerfully express seasonal cycles. With ample and change movement it has positive effects Texture
on learning and cognitive qualities. [32]
Texture variety is psychologically the most beneficial as it avoids the ‘sensory deprivation’. The outdoor should be
designed with a variety of learning activities and experiences, such as trails, gardens, fields, forested areas, ponds Texture
and other natural outdoor learning settings. [33]

36
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Design Implications for Primary Schools

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SCRI Research Report
Optimal Learning Spaces
Design Implications for Primary Schools

Appendix: General Impact of Colour in Spaces

There are many tried and tested ways to use colour in In practical situations, pure red is seldom used as the
space, based on how colours contrast with or enhance dominant colour, but more as an accent. Although phys-
one another, how colour temperatures are juxtaposed, iological arousal may be temporary, red psychologically
and how well our eyes are willing to accept optical tricks. exhibits emphatic characteristics. Therefore, the overuse
The statements that follow are a few of the most com- of saturated red adds to the complexity within a space.
mon observations about decorative colour. Modifications of pure red are much more suitable.
What RED can do?
n Colours look stronger in large areas than in
small areas. Therefore, the larger the space, the light-
er or more neutral the colour should be. Brightness
increases as surface size decreases.

n Colours are affected by their adjoining colours. intruding, disturbing, aggressive, advancing conscious, alert, per-
heavy haps pompous
A medium-toned colour looks darker against a light
colour than against a dark colour. The reverse also
holds true.
Pink must be handled carefully. It is generally considered
n Warm colours are more suitable for rooms with feminine, therefore usable in spaces considered to be in
northern exposures, as they simulate sunshine; cool the intimate feminine sphere. Typically it is considered
colours counteract the warmth of a sun-filled room. perfect for a young girl’s bedroom (pink for girls, blue
for boys), but it has become quite a cliché. As an alterna-
n Light colours make small rooms look larger; tive, light blue-green as a dominant colour may be used
dark colours make large rooms look smaller. for both genders, but accents can tip the scale in favour
of feminine or masculine. With pink much depends on
n Simple colours are recommended on elaborate the exact nuance used; a bubblegum pink will be much
forms and vice versa. livelier and somewhat cheaper-looking than an elegant
old rose.
People can design environments that serve a specific
What PINK can do?
function, and it makes a difference how to use colour,
but it does not work through the method of trying to
create a stimulus that only calls forth a physiological re-
action of some type. When designing with colour, peo-
ple have to see it in context, and not apply it through
generalities. Although it might work in some cases, each delicate, comforting aggresion-inhibiting, perhaps too delicate,
too sweet if not unfamiliar in this lo-
particular situation needs to be analyzed individually to greyed down cation
see generalities pertain.

In choosing appropriate surface colours, much depends Orange is more mellow than red and is easier to live with.
on the specific hue, its value and intensity. Also, where But if it is too bright, it can hardly be used as anything
colour is placed, how much of it, for what purpose, and other than an accent. Pastel orange is appropriated to
for what length of time should all be taken into account? set cheerful, lively, and sociable moods. In its reflection
It is clear that any strong colour will cause an immediate on skin it may enhance some complexions, especially
reaction that can be physiologically measured. However, when its hue position is close to peach (making it an ap-
the duration of the effect is not continuous. For example, propriate colour in the bathroom or toilet).
red may increase the blood pressure, but after a length
of time the body will normalize the condition, or even What ORANGE can do?
show an opposite effect. (Hope and Margaret 1990)

Here are some typical examples of how typical hues and

their location (top, bottom and sides) can make a great
deal of difference in influencing a room’s character and stimulating, attention- warm, luminous activating, motion-
seeking orientated
its impact on people’s sensation and perception.

42
There is a great difference between the browns of natu- especially in hallways and long corridors, and certainly
ral materials such as wood and brown paint. Brown as a when it is light. Medium or deep tones are appropriate
paint is never as comfortable-looking or warm as wood. in incidental areas. Pale blue is refracted sharply by the
Brown paint should not be used in certain institutions so lens of the eye and therefore tends to cast a haze over
as not to evoke faecal associations. details and objects in the environment. This may cause
distress to some people confined to a particular area for
What BROWN can do?
a long period.
What BLUE can do?

oppessive and heavy secure and assuring if steady, stable

(if dark) wood; much less so if
painted
celestial, cool, less cool and distant (if inspiring feeling of
tangibly advancing (if light), encouraging effortless movement
light), heavy and op- and space-deepening (if light), substantial
pressive (if dark) (if dark) (if dark)
Because of its high visibility, yellow serves many safety
purposes, especially in industrial environments. It also
appears brighter than white and is useful in poorly illumi-
nated and dim spaces. Pastel yellow can be harmonized It is often argued that white, grey and even black are
with many accent colours, thereby enlivening a space an ideal background to set off coloured decorative ef-
in its predominant mood-cheering and friendly flavour. fects. Regardless of accent colour distribution, the main
The accents may then push it toward being either more impression of the environment more likely will remain
exciting and warmer (orange, red), or cooler and more neutral. Also, people subjected to understimulaiton
calming (green, blue-green). show symptoms of restlessness, excessive response, and
difficulty in concentration. Such environments, in fact,
What YELLOW can do?
are anything but neutral in the effects they have on their
occupants.
What GREY can do?

light (if toward lem- warm (if toward or- elevating, diverting
on), luminous, stimu- ange), exciting to ir-
lating ritating (if highly satu-
rated)
shadowy neutral to boring neutral

What WHITE can do?

Green, along with blue-green, provides a good back-
ground environment for meditation and tasks involving
concentration.
What GREEN can do?
empty, no design ob- neutral to empty, ster- touching-inhibiting
jections - helps to dif- ile, without energy (not to be walked
fuse light sources and upon)
reduce shadows

protective (reflection cool, secure, calm, re- natural (up to a cer- What BLACK can do?
on skin can be unat- liable, passive, irritat- tain saturation point),
tactive) ing if glaring (electric soft, relaxing, cold (if
green), muddy if to- toward blue-green)
ward olive

hollow to oppressive ominous, dungeon- odd, abstract

Blue tends to be cold and bleak if applied to large areas, like

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SCRI Research Report
Optimal Learning Spaces
Design Implications for Primary Schools

Picture Credits
* Permission to use copyright material has been sought and obtained where possible. While all reasonable efforts
have been made by the University of Salford to trace and obtain permission from copyright holders some material
has been included where this has proven impossible within the time limits available. The University of Salford will
be pleased to make amends to any such copyright holders at the earliest possible opportunity. Please contact scri@
salford.ac.uk

Figure 1: SCRI, University of Salford, 4th Floor, Maxwell Building, Salford, M14 5WT, UK
Figure 2: SCRI, University of Salford, 4th Floor, Maxwell Building, Salford, M14 5WT, UK
Figure 3: SCRI, University of Salford, 4th Floor, Maxwell Building, Salford, M14 5WT, UK
Figure 4: SCRI, University of Salford, 4th Floor, Maxwell Building, Salford, M14 5WT, UK
* Figure 5: (Modified)http://www.architechweb.com/News/emATWeeklyem/ArticleDetails/
tabid/254/ArticleID/6502/Default.aspx (accessed on 15 Sep. 09)
Figure 6: Mahlum, 71 Columbia, Floor 4, Seattle, Washington 98104, US, www.mahlum.com
Figure 7: SCRI, University of Salford, 4th Floor, Maxwell Building, Salford, M14 5WT, UK
Figure 8: SCRI, University of Salford, 4th Floor, Maxwell Building, Salford, M14 5WT, UK
Figure 9: SCRI, University of Salford, 4th Floor, Maxwell Building, Salford, M14 5WT, UK
* Figure 10: (Modified) Designing Quality Learning Spaces: Acoustics, p14
* Figure 11: 21 Century Schools creating a more effective learning environment, Creating a more
effective learning environment, 2008, Vol 3. No.4 P25
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cessed on 15 Sep. 09)
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Sep. 09)
Figure 15: SCRI, University of Salford, 4th Floor, Maxwell Building, Salford, M14 5WT, UK
* Figure 16: Nicholls, R., Low.energy.design. 2002, Oldham: Interface Publishing. viii, p56
Figure 17: SCRI, University of Salford, 4th Floor, Maxwell Building, Salford, M14 5WT, UK
* Figure 18: (Modified) Designing Quality Learning Spaces: Ventilation & Indoor Air Quality, p18;
Figure 19: SCRI, University of Salford, 4th Floor, Maxwell Building, Salford, M14 5WT, UK
* Figure 20: (Top) http://www.panoramio.com/photo/19492255 (accessed on 15 Sep. 09);
* Figure 20: (Bottom) http://www.kindergaerten-city.de/index.php?id=kita_
detail&kita=24&map=true (accessed on 15 Sep. 09)
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Figure 22: http://www.spacesforchildren.com/uclafoto1.html (accessed on 15 Sep. 09)
* Figure 23: http://pengreen.granttech.co.uk/pagedisplay.php?article=550&name=Gallery (accessed
on 15 Sep. 09)
* Figure 24: (Modified) http://www.educationdesign.co.uk/ndna.html (accessed on 15 Sep. 09)
Figure 25: SCRI, University of Salford, 4th Floor, Maxwell Building, Salford, M14 5WT, UK
* Figure 26: http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-1004520/Parents-fed-crowded-classes-spend-
20-000-primary-school.html (accessed on 15 Sep. 09)
* Figure 27: (Modified) Peter Blatchford, Paul Bassett, Harvey Goldstein & Clare Martin; Are Class
Size Differences Related to Pupils’ Educational Progress and Classroom Processes?
Findings from the Institute of Education Class Size Study of Children Aged 5–7 Years,
British Educational Research Journal, Vol. 29, No. 5, October 2003: 709-730
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44
 cessed on 15 Sep. 09)
Figure 29: CABE/A&M, http://www.cabe.org.uk/case-studies/redbrook-hayes?photos=true (ac
cessed on 15 Sep. 09)
* Figure 30: (Modified) Franklin Hill; Patterns for Small Learning Communties at the Elementary
Level: The “L” Shaped Classroom (2008), p5 (http://www.schoolfacilities.com/uploads/
files/85.pdf (accessed on 15 Sep. 09))
Figure 31: The Architectural Partnership, The Sharp Building, 206 south 13th ST. STE. 906, Lin-
coln, NE 68508, http://www.taparch.com/
Figure 32: (Modified) http://www.kingsmead.cheshire.sch.uk/virtualtour/vt.html (accessed on 15
Sep. 09)
Figure 33: http://www.kingsmead.cheshire.sch.uk/virtualtour/vt.html (accessed on 15 Sep. 09)
* Figure 34: (Modified) http://www.designshare.com/index.php/projects/west-haven-elementary/im
ages (accessed on 15 Sep. 09)
Figure 35: http://www.farnboroughgrange.hants.sch.uk/ (accessed on 15 Sep. 09)
Figure 36: SCRI, University of Salford, 4th Floor, Maxwell Building, Salford, M14 5WT, UK
Figure 37: SCRI, University of Salford, 4th Floor, Maxwell Building, Salford, M14 5WT, UK
* Figure 38: PEB Compedium of exemplary educatonal facilities 3rd edition (p27 up; p24)
* Figure 39: PEB Compedium of exemplary educatonal facilities 3rd edition (p25)
Figure 40: (Left) White Design Associates, 101 Sevier Street, Bristol, BS2 9LB, UK
Figure 40: (Right) http://www.kingsmead.cheshire.sch.uk/virtualtour/vt.html (accessed on 15 Sep.
09)

* Figure 41: http://www.xinzhou-sz.com/index.asp (accessed on 15 Sep. 09)

* Figure 42: Dudek Mark, Schools and Kindergartens a design manual (P151 left and middle)
Figure 43: SCRI, University of Salford, 4th Floor, Maxwell Building, Salford, M14 5WT, UK
Figure 44: http://www.harlequinkindergarten.org.uk/ (accessed on 15 Sep. 09)
Figure 45: SCRI, University of Salford, 4th Floor, Maxwell Building, Salford, M14 5WT, UK
Figure 46: http://www.sfs.or.kr/elementary/eslibrary.html (accessed on 15 Sep. 09)
Figure 47: SCRI, University of Salford, 4th Floor, Maxwell Building, Salford, M14 5WT, UK
Figure 48: http://www.modular.org/Magazine/savemoney02_03.aspx (accessed on 15 Sep. 09)
(photo courtesy of the Modular Building Institute. US)
* Figure 49: http://picasaweb.google.com/inga.leonova/Projects#5134723127267171266 (accessed
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 Comments on this Report from Experts

“This report is a first of its kind - a thoughtful and thorough reflection on the essential link between school environment and the brains and minds of those who
study and learn there. Systematically applying Neuroscience knowledge to practical design know-how, as this report superbly demonstrates, is the surest way to
guarantee school designs that support brain development. The neuro-architecture and neuro-interiors that result from this essential linkage represent the best
application imaginable of this new paradigm.”

John Zeisel, PhD, President and co-founder of Hearthstone Alzheimer Care and author of “Inquiry by Design” and “I’m Still Here”

“The perception of the physical environment is a complex matter, and designing for it is never easy. In a very practical and useful evidence-based guide this SCRI
Report provides valuable advice for creating places where children, students and teachers might actually want to be. Focused towards primary schools, much of
it is equally useful for other school environments too.”

Alastair Blyth, Analyst, Centre for Effective Learning Environments, OECD

“The work that we are doing with Salford has the potential to transform the design process and ensure the environment we create is truly fit for purpose. It
will challenge the way we assess designs - particularly at the early stages of the process. It may well prove to be the most significant built environment research
project we have been involved in.”

John Lorimer, Capital Programme Director, Manchester City Council

“This timely report will help with the important task of defining what delivers value in a school building. Higher pupil achievement is linked to appropriate design
and that is worth a lot. The three identified drivers of response, naturalness, individualization and stimulation, are good axes on which to organize ideas. Seeing
the school building as ‘silent curriculum’ should also be very helpful to educators: our unconscious responses to environment is made clear. The building can also
teach sustainability: how man-made things work with nature, and how they are designed and made.”

Richard Saxon,CBE, former director of the Building Design Partnership and author of the Constructing Excellence report “Be Valuable”

“If you are involved in the design of school buildings, an essential reading is Optimal Learning Spaces: Design implications for Primary Schools. Naturalness,
individualisation and level of stimulation are the three defining principles identified through a review of research evidence on people’s response to environmental
stimuli. Highly illustrated with photographs and diagrams, the report aims to help readers understand and apply each design concept. Newly built and refur-
bished primary schools should be considerably improved through application of the knowledge contained in this guide.”

Alexi Marmot, Director, AMA Alexi Marmot Associates and Professor of Facility and Environment Management, Bartlett School of Graduate Studies,
University College London.

“This is the most important construction research report I have ever read. The research clearly demonstrates the value of defined elements of good design in
creating the best school environments. The goal of creating learning environments that enhance performance is not just one that is critical to the education sec-
tor, it is fundamental to every commercial organisation in the world. If the results of research into the value of design aspects can be translated into other sectors
such as office environments it will fundamentally transform architecture and the way we make all places.”

Chris Woods, Research and Development Director, Wates Group

“The design requirements for primary schools are not well understood, even though most school boards have formulas based on previous designs. This report
provides criteria (and the associated background studies related to the criteria) that can be used by educators and their architects in developing satisfactory
schools. Eventually if we are to truly understand such themes as naturalness, individualisation, and appropriate levels of stimulation we need to undertake more
research at the level of the brain and the mind and to tie this knowledge to the impacts of different sense experiences.”

John P. Eberhard, Founding President of the Academy of Neuroscience for Architecture and former Director of the Institute for Applied Technology at the
National Bureau of Standards and President of the AIA Research Corporation. Also author of “Brain Landscape: The Coexistence of Neuroscience and Archi-
tecture”.

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