Learning
Classrooms of the future Meryl Townley describes how independent schools are leading the way in STEM school design As technology evolves, so does society, and curriculum and pedagogy with it. Digital and scientific advancement is progressing at an astounding rate, and our children have educational needs and expectations never encountered before. Students no longer expect or desire to be passive observers, preferring instead to be fully involved, integrated and connected. Their surroundings, therefore, must also be integrated. This rapid change requires a unique response, an inventive modernisation of the traditional ‘classroom plus specialist space’ format. Pupils of STEM subjects require the physical ability to link to and connect with the spaces they work and learn in. Wireless/ digital/integrated tech are therefore key considerations when designing STEM facilities, and the way in which these elements are combined with analytical space planning is integral to how a building can have a lasting impact. Inspired children will go on to become the next generation of innovators in a global market, so preparing them for the modern competitive workplace is crucial. Work environments are changing too: problem solving in groups is used by leading companies to create a community of learning, opening up shared information streams; whilst open collaborative areas, especially between disciplines, foster a critical cross-pollination of ideas. Crucially, the majority of teaching is dictated by the syllabus and this does not allow much scope for overlap between
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Spring 2018
departments. Collaborative learning, therefore, mainly happens through Project Work or Extended Project Qualification. Although many schools are striving to encourage more of this type of learning, there is no specific hub for this type of activity. This is in part why STEM buildings can become such great assets to schools, as they provide a unique, dedicated space for cross-curriculum teaching and project-based learning. An award-winning design-led practice, van Heyningen and Haward Architects (vHH) has over 35 years of specialist experience in the Education sector. As the national curriculum and pedagogic approaches have developed, it has become more and more evident that an essential element of the design of a STEM building is recognising that the circulation, social and foyer spaces, and congenial outside spaces, are key for crossfertilisation and informal learning. These shared, informal, social spaces are where conversations and debate take place, ideas are sparked and participation encouraged. The nontechnical spaces are just as important for learning and the sharing of ideas and allow the expensive technical spaces to be timetabled more heavily. At Latymer Upper School, we were appointed in 2013 to build our third building for the school, a new Science and Library Building with 3 floors of labs and a ground floor library and resource centre. Their constrained campus meant that the full STEM approach was not available, and so the focus was
