STAR-POST (Art) January 2020 FINAL_STAR Post Art Jan 2020 | Page 34

WHAT
“Attractive classrooms
lend dignity to the
learning process”
Beyond the physical inadequacies of
the room, I also observed undesirable
behaviours such as students not working
together as a class or taking good care
of the space. They were always in a
lethargic mood. My suspicion was that
the ‘symptoms’ could be improved by
redesigning the environment.
Niemeyer D (2003) Hard Facts on Smart
Classroom Design
Current approaches to room design rarely
consider factors beyond functionality.
The difference in my approach was to
meet their psychological needs first
and simultaneously accommodate the
diversity of practices in the classroom.
In doing so, I hoped to impact their
behaviour through the space they
inhabited.
2.
Through a presentation, I convinced
users that the room was worth valuing,
using examples of how humans expect
our various home or work environments
to support our needs. I showed them
the different types of classrooms they
had encountered before and how these
rooms invited or discouraged the users.
Students were then primed to question
what they desired from their space.
HOW
In my planning, I wanted designs to be
led by, and inclusive of the needs of the
users. My two guiding questions were:
•
How can I involve my students in
the design of the classroom?
•
How do I make choices about
space that preserves needs, but
reimagines the area?
WHY 1.
I referenced ‘Headspace: The psychology
of City Living’ by Dr Paul Keedwell.
The book posits that urban design can
affect our wellbeing, as how places look
and are arranged are not just aesthetic
concerns but are critical for our mental
health. Some principles provided insight
into how spaces in our schools can cater
to users’ psychological needs, and these
will be introduced in this article. I borrowed an activity from ‘Rethinking
Classroom Design’ by Finley and Wiggs.
Every student was given two blue post-
its and two yellow post-its to write on.
They stuck their blue post-its on areas
that they associated with negative
emotions and yellow post-its on areas
they associated with positive emotions.
This exercise allowed users to be more
sensitive to their space.
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Sales Pitch
‘Emotional Audit’
I found that:
• Students loved having food,
natural light, a conducive
temperature, and social space
• They hated the furnishings,
lighting and lack of cleanliness
• Mixed feelings were felt about
functional aspects that reminded
them of work, like the printer,
personal work space and the
messy resource cupboard.
“Public consultation
at the planning
stage provides
useful feedback on
the first draft of the
design process…
When the comments
were almost entirely
positive the architects
knew they had got
the design right”
Keedwell P. (2017) Headspace
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