Learning environments

One important function of the building envelope is to protect the interior from unwanted outdoor noise. Sound insulation is an important parameter of building components, as outdoor noise can have negative effects on health, mood and learning capabilities.

Well-designed classrooms can help boost the academic performance of students. One of the deciding factors is a good acoustic environment. In this article, we look at what noise in classrooms really means, and how architects and designers can minimise its negative effects.

Giving young school children a sense of ownership of "their" classroom promotes a sense of self-worth and responsibility and has also been shown to improve academic performance.

While stimulation, colour and visual complexity are important to creating a vibrant learning environment in classrooms, what is the healthy balance between under-stimulation and over-stimulation?

Children spend more time within the walls of their school than anywhere else but their own homes. How much time are we talking about?

Schools are complex environments, where a wide variety of factors interplay to determine the kind of experience children will have, whether in the physical, intellectual or social domain.

Have you ever thought about how 64 million European children spend more time at school than anywhere else other than their own home?

Did you know that well-designed classrooms make a significant difference to academic performance? Studies have found that improved physical characteristics can boost the learning abilities of students. In this article, we dive into what daylight and electric light mean to the equation.

Hessenwald School in Weiterstadt, Germany, is an example of energy-efficient, contemporary architecture that offers a new teaching and pedagogical model. At the centre of both model and building stands a well-lit and well-ventilated three-storey atrium.

Ryparken Lille Skole (literally "Ryparken little school") is situated in a century-old former textile factory in Copenhagen. For years the school and its inhabitants suffered from the building’s decrepit conditions, until in the early 2010s, the school board decided to start a major renovation project.

There’s no doubt that the physical design of classrooms can have a positive or negative effect on children’s learning outcomes. One of the key factors identified by studies over the past several decades is the importance of consistent thermal comfort.

Just like the bowls of porridge in the well-known fairytale of Goldilocks and the Three Bears, the temperature in classrooms should be neither too hot, nor too cold, but just right.

We all know that the best antidote to the ‘winter blues’ is a break in a warmer, sunnier climate, preferably with white sandy beaches and clear blue waters.

In 2012 local authorities ended more than 10 years of talks by adopting a plan to refurbish the old vocational school in Huddinge, Sweden. The school, originally built in 1961, represented classic 60s architecture and was good quality.

Poor indoor air quality can not only seriously inhibit students’ concentration and overall performance, but can also lead to increased absenteeism due to illness. Adequate ventilation is therefore imperative for healthy classroom design to help students flourish.