Scandinavian designs

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volume 8 issue 9
september 2013
Design news and inspiration for industry professionals • BD3.5 • KD3 • RO3.5 • QR35 • SR35 • Dh35 • www.tradearabia.com
Scandinavian
designs
D.tales adds new brands
Maiden
voyage
Top design
brands at Dubai
event
Furniture
showcase
Turkey gets
ready for major
event
Floor
coverings
Experts
line up for
Domotex
[ at last ]
Learning centres
SAEED ZAKI on trends in educational space designs
O
Urban designer
Dr Zaki, PhD, is regional managing director (Southeast Asia)
of international architecture
and interior design firm (design worldwide partnership).
ur surroundings impact the way we appreciate different situations, so it is little surprise that the designed environment of educational facilities plays a role in the
learning experience.
Subject to institute and user type, the trends and
approaches to interior design of educative arenas,
such as schools, colleges and universities, have
changed remarkably in recent years. These changes
result from a combination of factors including enhanced research and knowledge on user behaviour;
the advent and increased use of information and
communication technology (ICT) in learning and
expected moral leadership from institutions, in reduced environmental impact of their buildings.
The continual research and knowledge on the educational space user behaviour has led to creating far
more dynamic, vibrant and conducive-to-learning
interior spaces. Clever, creative use of natural and
artificial light, orientation of seating within a classroom, use of colour, texture and materials are a few
elements that require careful attention.
Classrooms, which are typically repeated spaces,
require careful approach to allow users ease of orientation and recognition, easily achieved through
colour and finishing materials variation, and wayfinding signage. While large public spaces, such as
libraries, lecture theatres and auditoriums require
special focus on lighting, acoustic design, as well as
use of art and motifs.
Libraries have changed over the years. Books are replaced by research material, available through internal and external online databases. This means library
space design has to cater to ICT use and allow more
space for individual study and group discussions.
Public spaces play a critical social role in educational institutes and design concentrates on user
behaviour. Such spaces, if well designed, allow users to congregate informally and can create a great
social environment, as well as an extension on communal study spaces, by subtle creation of nodal
56 | MIDDLE EAST INTERIORS September 2013
spaces, provision of small cluster seating zones and
facilitating wifi use.
ICT penetration has revolutionised the way we
teach and learn today. Chalkboards or whiteboards
are slowly disappearing from classrooms, as more
and more teaching switches online. Students have
become totally dependent on ICT and, in particular
the internet, for their learning. Electronic media is a
given in any modern educational institute.
All this has greatly impacted on the way we design
today’s educational spaces. Whole institutes have
to be wired or wifi-enabled, for convenient internet access. For designers, it is a constant challenge
and reward to keep pace with technology changes,
since, although fast-paced, this gives rise to new
benefits that can be employed in efficient design of
learning spaces. Significant benefits are flexibility in
use of spaces, reduction in net area per user, and
books replaced by laptops/tablets means a shrinkage in storage and working space requirements.
Educational institutes are still considered society’s
moral leadership centres. With the worrisome deterioration of our global environment, social awareness on minimising impact on the environment
has gained prominence the world over. As a moral
compass, it is expected for educational institutes
to be at the forefront of mitigating environmental
damage, leading by example.
One fundamental requirement in the brief of
any educational institute design today is to reduce
or neutralise their ecological or carbon footprint.
Designers must come equipped with a design approach, knowledge of materials, standards and
technologies, and training to facilitate this. For
example, designing a Leed-certified building confirms the commitment to minimising environmental impact through design and construction.
The future of learning institutes is very exciting,
not just for educators and students, but also for designers, as the above aspects continue to evolve with
time, so too must design.