THE ARCHITECTURE OF LEARNING SPACESTIMOTHY HORTONADVISOR: COLIN NEUFELD

The learning and education model for early years education in Manitoba has shifted towards a more individualized curriculum and it has become apparent that the traditional cellular classroom typology organized along double loaded corridors seen in many schools is no longer responsive to the educational needs. Due to the rapid advancement of technology, its inclusion in the classroom and the shift towards experiential learning, school buildings, as they are currently de-signed, are quickly becoming irrelevant in North America. This had lead some to ask, “What is a great learning environment in the Wikipedia age?”1

Classrooms are no longer the only place in a school where learning can occur. Education happens throughout the building, and even outside on the journey to and from school. While it is known that experiential learning produces the best results, this is especially true for children, which is why a school needs to be a place for discovery and serendipitous learning events. Jim Bacon, former premiere of Tasmania suggests that schools are “Places to grant children and young people opportunities to do, make, be, create, explore, that they don’t have anywhere else”2, and it doesn’t have to stop there. Schools should be integrated into the community and provide the same opportunities for students of all ages, promoting the idea of life long learning.

By studying various methods of both pedagogical practices and institutional buildings throughout history, as well as current developments in the field, research will culminate to form the design for a new prototype of a 21st century school using “Parcel 4” near The Forks in downtown Winnipeg as a site for realization.

1 Nair, Prakash, and Randall Fielding. The Language of School Design: Design Patterns for 21st Century Schools. Minneapolis, Minn.: DesignShare, 2005. 2 Peterson, Architects Inc. The Third Teacher: 79 Ways You Can Use Design to Transform Teaching & Learning. New York: Abrams, 2010.