This article focuses on the schools developed by Mary and David Medd within the Ministry of Education in Great Britain, 1949-1976. Their main contribution to the field of Educational Architecture was the definition of a design strategy known as "Built-in variety," where the self-contained classrooms ("empty-box-school")…

This paper focuses on a UK higher education institution (HEI) which redesigned three lecture theatres as 'Collaborative Lecture Theatres' (CLTs). Using Radcliffe's framework for designing and evaluating learning spaces and using his three related components; pedagogy, space and technology it will explore how the redesigned rooms (space) and the…

This article explores the affordances provided by altering the way in which a traditional structured classroom is perceived. The article, through an exploration of reconfiguring a classroom space in a drama intervention, outlines the affordances provided to young vulnerable people and the adults that they work with. Such reconfigurations are…

The aim of this article was to explore the views of parents regarding seating for children with cerebral palsy. Two interviews with parents were conducted. These were transcribed verbatim and thematic analysis was conducted. This small study outlines three themes: the importance of seating, seating and participation, and the parental role in…

In this paper we present the findings of an investigation into the ways in which the discourses and practices of school design produce educational spaces which influence the discourses and practices of teaching and learning when the building is occupied. It expands notions of post occupancy evaluation (POE) research by exploring how the…

Public education is one of the central tasks of a democratic society, and the buildings that house this important task not only shape the way one teaches, but provide icons and symbols for the values people hold common as a society. Perhaps unsurprisingly, this context has placed school buildings squarely in a position of debate and innovation…

This article first investigates historical trends in both the practice and the understanding of consultation, considering the often contrasting perspectives of architects and designers, compared to teachers and educationalists. Differing assumptions held by these two broad groups of professionals can lead to conflicting aims and objectives for…

The experience of designing and making installations of school furniture in collaboration with three countries--Norway, Portugal, and Spain--and of performing additional work in France, the Netherlands, and the United Kingdom provides the basis for this report. The ages of the pupils in the schools concerned ranged from 3 to 13 years. A theme of…

Asserts that the acoustical environment of the classroom is an important variable in the listening and psychoeducational function, both for children with hearing loss and those with normal hearing. Reports the results of a test of a sound amplification system in two primary classes; indicates the benefits of the system. (DSK)