Innovative learning environments are known to have a positive impact on students and teachers alike. Not only do these environments inspire learning initiatives, but they also help build and strengthen human connections.
To further understand innovative approaches to education design in the region, Construction Week Middle East spoke exclusively with Avinash Kumar, associate partner at Godwin Austen Johnson (GAJ).
The design for educational facilities has been constantly evolving with new developments in teaching methods and related requirements greatly affecting planning adjacencies for key spaces, classroom design, and furniture layouts.
According to Kumar, not only do companies need to design more fluidly but also acknowledge the importance of the spaces between the classrooms and around the teaching areas, which can contribute enormously to the learning and self-discovery process.
He said: “A decade ago, school design meant a row of classroom blocks which were very rigid in terms of planning, with a highly structured interior layout and little option for variation in and around the spaces. Today, we place a greater emphasis on open areas that are bright and ventilated as a contributor to effective learning .”
In some of GAJ’s recent designs, the company has adopted the central atrium as a library area and included a stepped teaching space, thus creating a multi-use area. However, Kumar noted that one of the major changes GAJ has introduced in the classroom design in recent years has been the incorporation of interactive walls.
He said: “These [interactive walls] combine the touch technology of a tablet with a whiteboard’s educational functionality. They also encourage engagement and help strengthen communication between children.”
GAJ is working on Al Furjan secondary school campus which includes a dedicated auditorium block. The school features general and subject specific labs. According to Kumar, these labs have been planned in a way that they can be accessed from all floors.
In addition to these spaces, which are on the drawing board, the design and architecture company has also recently been handed the construction package of the primary school package for the Al Furjan School as well as a new project for the Dubai College, Citizens School, Ladybird Nursery which is close to completion, as well as the ISG American and British curriculum school in Al Khobar.
With several factors to consider for the design of educational institutions, sustainability remains central for GAJ, further supported by digitalisation.
Kumar noted: “While we have a number of trademark design points one of the key areas for us when working on schools is sustainability. We have been awarded LEED certification for three of our schools to date and our standard practice is to offer these services if the client brief lacks some of the sustainability and digitalisation guidelines.”
For school designs, both active and passive design features are considered cost effective. These design features consider the orientation of the building and creating an effective façade.
“Along with an effective building management system, effective air quality is a must for all teaching spaces. Our classrooms have CO2 sensors which, in the event of increased levels of CO2 concentration, send a signal to the air-handling units which automatically increase the fresh air cycle and bring the levels back to an acceptable limit,” Kumar said, adding that not only do they help in adding to the sustainability of the building, but also provide a healthy environment for users.
Green construction sites promote a safe, environmentally friendly culture. They serve as a constant reminder of the goals of saving energy and recycling resources wherever possible. This is the case in the Middle East, where such factors are critical to the design, and construction of schools.
Kumar concluded: “The key to our designs is flexibility. While we can’t predict what the future of education will look like we can bring in versatility. If the operator wants a new layout or wants to make changes to the spaces this can be done with the minimum disruption.
“I believe we are moving into a world where we will start creating digital twins of any built form to be able to check the performance during the life cycle of the building and to be able to use the real time data for future designs.”