Designing Scotland's Sustainable School of the Future

What is this?

This project, which was managed by the Lighthouse, brought together primary and secondary schoolchildren and architects, artists and other key educational stakeholders in workshops aimed at identifying new ideas for the classroom of the future (schoolchildren workshop) and developed building strategies, design criteria and design proposals for Scotland's sustainable school of the future (key stakeholder workshop). Ideas generated as a result of these workshops were developed and published to inform future thinking and building design.

FLaT involvement?

FLaT support was provided to consider the sustainable building types required in the future to provide the flexibility, accessibility and adaptability required to accommodate ICT developments, new ways of learning and teaching, community use etc. whilst also creating a positive learning environment for all pupils, including those with special educational needs.

Links with National Priorities?

2. Framework for Learning
4. Values and Citizenship
5. Learning for Life

Project aims?

To examine the connections between the quality of the built environment and learning and teaching
To explore the design impact of the use of schools as community resources
To develop new thinking and potential design solutions for primary and secondary schools
To develop explicit design criteria which encourage a forward-looking and sustainable approach to the design of school buildings
To learn from international experience in the design of new school buildings
To encourage new partnerships between educationalists and architects
To promote and disseminate the workshop process, thinking and design solutions produced amongst local authorities, teachers and pupils, providers of educational buildings other built environment professionals

Project outcomes?

Designed proposals and models resulting from "sustainable classroom of the future" for primary and secondary schools
Schoolchildren's workshop activity made available as model process for other schools
The production of a debate, design proposals and design criteria addressing the question of how the "sustainable school of the future" may look and feel
Design workshop process made available as a model
The development of selected design proposals into more detailed sketch designs as "design exemplars" for a primary and secondary school
Produced a publication aimed at inspiring new ideas and ways of thinking about the connection between education and the built environment
Produced Web based material from the workshops, design proposals and detailed sketch designs were made accessible online at www.ScottishArchitecture.com and www.buildingconnections.co.uk

Timescale?

The project was started in 2002 and was completed in March 2003.

Level of support?

FLaT support was a grant of £30,000 plus evaluation costs.

Contact?

Contact person: Dr Stuart MacDonald, Director, The Lighthouse, Scotland's Centre for Architecture Design and the City, 56 Mitchell Street, Glasgow G1 3LX. 0141 225 8402 stuart@thelighthouse.co.uk