28
/ BUILDING DIALOGUE / MARCH 2016
W
e live in an ever changing economy. Stu-
dents, and employees joining the work
force today, think, work and act differ-
ently than past generations. I believe it is our
responsibility as designers to create spaces that
respond to this younger generation. They are, in
fact, future leaders of our nation.
The “Active Learning Spaces” research insight by
Steelcase is just one example of a study that shows
collaborative work produces outcomes greater than
can be developed by a single individual, requiring
a different balance of spaces than singular student
desks or employee work stations. In response, de-
signers are creating physical environments that are
better configured, and also better tuned to support
small, medium and large group interactions.
These spaces are designed to adapt over time, al-
lowing for variety of activities such as online learn-
ing where students gather information on a path
to knowledge, messy maker spaces where students
tinker and allow the creative juices to flow, or col-
laborative spaces where classmates share ideas and
insights. These spaces also spill over from the edu-
cation world to the workplace, resulting in collab-
orative and adjustable work spaces that meet the
needs of all employees.
As a firm, we are fortunate to practice across mul-
tiple sectors, including both education and work-
place. Our design teams regularly share valuable
information on trends and benchmarks that will
shape the future of facilities for both user groups.
One common theme we see in both settings is the
high degree of flexibility day-to-day and adaptabil-
ity year-to -year. Three kinds of specific spaces are
emerging as the appropriate support for the day to
day activities of the creative economy:
• Gathering spaces that support synergies among
many.
• Pods that encourage small group interactions.
• Huddle spaces that foster one on one dialogue.
One current trend in education is the subtle shift
in how curriculum delivery is providing content
along all of the spectrums of learning from early
childhood to post-secondary. Elementary schools
are starting to include spaces geared for multi-age,
multimodal learning. In these facilities, students are
grouped according to their learning levels where
they are allowed to determine the length of time
and order of their day-to-day activities, with either
peer or teacher interaction as needed for them to
complete their given assignments.
Continuing along the spectrum of lifelong learn-
ing, high schools are incorporating an increased
focus on project-based learning, and/or career and
technical education pathways (CTE) that allow stu-
dents to apply theory to practice in a specific con-
tent area that holds their interest. This is consistent
with the development of work environments that
are specifically tuned to the culture and products of
a specific industry.
In higher education, this trend continues with an
increased priority on the right mix of research, lec-
ture, collaboration and social spaces that promote
and foster social interaction and engagement. The
power of community is evident when peers gather
to talk about a common problem or required out-
come or deliverable.
Along with the need for specific spaces that en-
gage appropriate activities is the need to create a
home base from which all can work and learn. Both
point and counterpoint, these are the spaces that
will allow for colleagues and peers in the creative
economy to work in teams that can adapt to the size
and length of a project. These are the spaces that can
enable students to better transition from school to
business. And these are the spaces that can enable or
encourage creativity, a willingness to innovate, and
an ability to succeed.
\\
Pam
Loeffelman,
FAIA
Principal,
DLR Group
TRENDS
in Transition
Photo courtesy LaCasse Photography
Aims Community College Student
Center Remodel
Photo courtesy LaCasse Photography
Falcon Virtual Academy
Photo courtesy LaCasse Photography
Rally Software
Huddle Spaces for Lifelong Learning
