Whole School Exemplars: A+DS, Scottish Programme - Senses of Place
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DEFINITIONS AND QUESTIONS
This document contains our initial response to the design brief. “Emerging Educational Brief” Senses of Place 3 – 18. 18 (Position paper by Keir Bloomer). Bloomer) Keir Bloomers paper is provocative and engaging and in many ways, short of designing a building concept is difficult to react to in a meaningful way without resorting to grandiose statements or a text packed with wishful thinking. thinking We have avoided the latter and lightly touched the former. Our position is to define or begin to define a methodology which would enable us all to understand much more clearly just what some of the keyy issues are,, and to understand what the core terminology is and debate what this actuality means in order to begin the design process. If we do regard the curriculum for excellence as a manifesto, then like all previous manifestos, they are inherently the result of a substantial need for change from this perspective and in relation to future school design we would conclude that in order to proceed we need (collectively) to learn how to deconstruct the existing schools model and all its associated rhetoric and by doing so learn how to reconstruct a new model and a new associated language that will hopefully lead to a radically different learning environment to the ones we currently sponsor.
DEFINITIONS AND QUESTIONS
The curriculum for excellence is a manifesto – not a design brief. Embodied in the curriculum for excellence is the hope that the curriculum for excellence can be delivered in school buildings that support : •Creativity •Learning •Social Interaction •Self Awareness •Confidence to work harmoniously in a group or independently. If we are to truly advance our thinking on delivering education in line with the aspirations embodied in the curriculum for excellence, we need to accept an end to the status quo – i.e. the existing schools models that are processed and developed as “one size fits all” solutions. We need W d a cultural lt l mind i d shift hift and d we need d leadership l d hi that th t can ensure that this cultural shift in thinking and design will be mandatory.
EMERGING EDUCATIONAL BRIEF SENSES OF PLACE 3-18
existing school plan with circulation spaces shaded De:constructing the model
EMERGING EDUCATIONAL BRIEF SENSES OF PLACE 3-18
Take away the circulation space and have learning spaces that are either enclosed or open
EMERGING EDUCATIONAL BRIEF SENSES OF PLACE 3-18
think of class rooms as buildings
EMERGING EDUCATIONAL BRIEF SENSES OF PLACE 3-18
and the spaces between as parks
EMERGING EDUCATIONAL BRIEF SENSES OF PLACE 3-18
the parks become learning spaces
EMERGING EDUCATIONAL BRIEF SENSES OF PLACE 3-18
the buildings form a village
EMERGING EDUCATIONAL BRIEF SENSES OF PLACE 3-18
put a roof on the village and it becomes a school
EMERGING EDUCATIONAL BRIEF SENSES OF PLACE 3-18
spaces that require infrastructure such as the pool and the dinning room become fixed
EMERGING EDUCATIONAL BRIEF SENSES OF PLACE 3-18
class rooms can become temporary
EMERGING EDUCATIONAL BRIEF SENSES OF PLACE 3-18
and change to suit the needs of the school
EMERGING EDUCATIONAL BRIEF SENSES OF PLACE 3-18
Class rooms below the roof are protected from weather and so can be constructed from materials that allow for quicker and cheaper construction
EMERGING EDUCATIONAL BRIEF SENSES OF PLACE 3-18
Class rooms could be constructed from materials such as cardboards and natural rubber
EMERGING EDUCATIONAL BRIEF SENSES OF PLACE 3-18
At a time when the building industry creates 120 million tonnes of construction and demolition waste and the UK needs to reduce it’s landfill by 75% by 2020 we are proposing. . .
that our class rooms could be . . .
EMERGING EDUCATIONAL BRIEF SENSES OF PLACE 3-18
linear transitional school
EMERGING EDUCATIONAL BRIEF SENSES OF PLACE 3-18
curved transitional school
EMERGING EDUCATIONAL BRIEF SENSES OF PLACE 3-18
circular transitional school
EMERGING EDUCATIONAL BRIEF SENSES OF PLACE 3-18
rad ial
transitional school
DEFINITIONS AND QUESTIONS WHAT DO THE KEY WORDS REALLY MEAN AND HOW CAN A CLEAR UNDERSTANDING OF THESE WORDS INFLUENCE OUR APPROACH TO DESIGN?
context [kon-tekts]
noun 1 the circumstances that form the setting for an event, statement, or idea. 2 the parts that immediately precede and follow a word or passage and clarify its meaning. DERIVITIVES contextual adjective contextualize (also contextualise) verb contextually adverb. ORIGIN originally denoting the construction of a text: from Latin contextus, from texere ‘to weave’.
human [hyoo-muhn]
adjective 1 of, relating to, or characteristic of humankind. 2 showing the better qualities of humankind, such as sensitivity. y noun a human being. DERIVATIVES humanly adjective humanness noun. ORIGIN Latin humanus, from homo ‘man, human being’.
scale [skeyl]
noun 1 a graduated range of values forming a standard system for measuring or grading something: a pay scale. 2 a measuring instrument based on such a system. 3 relative size or extent: he operated on a grand scale. 4 a ratio of size in a map, map model model, drawing drawing, or plan plan. 5 Music an arrangement of the notes in any system of music in ascending or descending order of pitch. verb 1 climb up or over (something high and steep). 2 represent or draw according to a common scale. 3 (of a quantity or property) be variable according to a particular scale. 4 (scale back/down or up) reduce (or increase) in size, number, or extent. PHRASES to scale with a uniform reduction or enlargement. in scale in proportion to the surroundings. ORIGIN Latin scala ‘ladder’.
DEFINITIONS AND QUESTIONS WHAT DO THE KEY WORDS REALLY MEAN AND HOW CAN A CLEAR UNDERSTANDING OF THESE WORDS INFLUENCE OUR APPROACH TO DESIGN?
[kon-tn-oo-i-tee, tn oo i tee, -tn-yoo-] tn yoo ] continuity [kon
noun (pl. continuities) 1 the unbroken and consistent existence or operation of something. 2 a connection or line of development with no sharp breaks. 3 the maintenance of continuous action and self-consistent detail in the scenes of a film or broadcast. 4 the linking of broadcast items by a spoken commentary.
transition [tran-zish-uhn, -sish-]
noun 1 the process of changing from one state or condition to another. 2 a period of such change. DERIVATIVES transitional adjective.
curriculum [kuh-rik-yuh-luhm]
noun (pl. curricula or curriculums) the subjects comprising a course of study in a school or college. DERIVATIVES curricular adjective. ORIGIN Latin, ‘course, racing chariot’.
WHAT DEFINES COMFORT? COMFORT IS A HIGHLY PERSONAL MEASUREMENT
Temperature Light y Humidity Noise Air Quality Space Privacy Colour Materiality Posture Stress Security / Safety p Ownership Familiarity Scale
WHAT DEFINES SCALE?
S/M/L/XL
CHARLES AND RAY EAMES : POWERS OF TEN
WHAT DEFINES SCALE? SPACE AND POPULATION
USA
S tl d Scotland
The Netherlands
= 1 million people
WHAT IS HUMAN SCALE?
h man human
proportions
TRANSITIONS
WHAT IS THE CURRICULUM FOR EXCELLENCE?
Challenge & Enjoyment
Breadth
Progression
Depth School as a community Personalisation & Choice
Coherence
Relevance
Interdisciplinary learning
Citizenship
U d t di the Understanding th world ld
CURRICULUM FOR EXCELLENCE THINKING LAB / SPACES IN WHICH TO LEARN
informal teaching group working
independent learning
flexible spaces
CONSIDER THE KIND OF PLACES PEOPLE GATHER AND INTERACT
IN ORDER TO UNDERSTAND SOCIAL INTERACTION WE SHOULD IDENTIFY THE CONTEXT IN WHICH SOCIAL INTERACTION TAKES PLACE AND THINK ABOUT THESE SPACES AND STRUCTURES AND HOW THEY OPERATE.
stadium
the beach
church
restaurant
town ce entre
the park
th he waterfro ont
th he market
theatre