5 Key principles in educational architecture: what to expect?
Every person visits educational institutions whether these are schools, universities, colleges, or other destinations meant for studying. Have you noticed they differ from places people live or entertain themselves? The reason for that is the fact that constructions designed for educational purposes have a certain number of criteria they should correspond with. In fact, these are tasks set for architects who create a design of such buildings and a direction they work in is defined as educational architecture.
Originally, the term “educational architecture” was used for denominating physical buildings used for learning but gradually it has also been associated with the design of the educational process as well. If you compare both these terms, you will see that the design of schools, universities, and the outdoor environment next to them refers to physical representation or educational architecture. However, the design of courses and the development of the VR environment are parts of the educational process.
Key principles in educational architecture
It only seems a simple task to develop a design of an educational establishment, but there are so many details to consider that it may seem unbelievable for an ordinary person. However, professional architects not only create designs that correspond with hundreds of strict requirements but also implement them in reality. Thousands of schools, higher educational establishments, spaces for extracurricular activity are being built on the planet at the moment, but what is special about them? According to the professionals working in this sphere, every educational architecture project should meet the following requirements.
Integration of technology
Living in the digital era it is difficult to imagine classes without computers, smart devices, and other innovative equipment that can contribute to the educational process. Architects should consider special computer labs, bulky terminals to connect personal devices to, the power of energy resources, wiring the building, and many other things. A special accent should be made on common spaces and learning campuses since they are an integral part of the building.
Safety and security
Being one of the most significant principles in educational architecture, it sets lots of tasks for a professional in charge of this project. Every space for learning should be safe, so numerous measures should be undertaken and planned in the construction to guarantee this security. This is not only fire alarm or video surveillance but also the prevention of bullying with transparent design, clear lines of sight, larger windows, etc. Many schools require the installation of double-locked entries and sign-in screens to prevent unwanted access. All these protection measures should be easy to control which is very important too.
Transparency
Modern educational spaces are more often designed according to the principle of visual interconnectedness. There are opaque structures to divide different rooms creating open layouts like in many modern IT office
Multipurpose spaces
One of the main challenges for an architect is to provide a project with long-term flexibility. Naturally, people will observe numerous changes in the upcoming 50 years, and this educational space should be able to incorporate them if required. Modern tendencies in architecture look as follows:
- Corridor widening for it to be transformed into classrooms of necessary;
- Stairs are turned into sitting places;
- Walls are changed into writing surfaces or large screens for projectors;
- Altering environments that can be easily adapted to different types of work.
Outdoor studying
Learning environments outside traditional buildings should be adapted to studying. Therefore, the area should be provided with extra sitting spaces like benches, amphitheater, necessary amenities like Wi-Fi, and other important features.
As you can see, the number of tasks in educational architecture is overwhelming, so a quality project requires not only time and skills but also creativity. Nowadays, we can see lots of changes in the way educational buildings are built and there is lots of space for innovation too.
