The Korean Educational Development Institute (KEDI) has recently initiated a pilot project to develop a new prototype school, involving users in the design phase. This is the first time in Korea that users have been consulted on issues relating to school design.

The world has been changing so fast that educational systems have not had time to keep pace. We therefore need to rethink, renew and modernise our schools, as well as develop a new educational experience for children. In order to do this, it is crucial that we devise a new approach to developing...

Kunskapsskolan is a chain of independent secondary schools which functions as a comprehensive platform for personalised education, known as the Kunskapsskolan programme (KED). What is special about this programme is that students set their own objectives, work independently and are assessed...

Good architecture responds to contemporary challenges, irrespective of fashionable trends, and is characterised by rigorous building processes. Office buildings, housing, stadiums and theatres offer outstanding examples of this principle. But do school buildings figure among them? Happily, in...

What is the impact of school infrastructure on the well-being of students in Flemish secondary schools? A study, commissioned by AGIOn (the Flemish agency that subsidises school buildings), investigated the impact of educational spaces on their users and set out to identify empirical evidence...

In 2007 the Portuguese government launched a major school modernisation programme, and has taken steps to ensure the long-term sustainability of facilities. Projects now anticipate use by the broader community, allow for possible income-generating opportunities during the design phase and...

This paper presents the conclusions of a study, carried out in collaboration with schools in six European countries, which focused on tomorrow’s physical learning environments. It resulted in the creation of a learning space model that is flexible, modifiable and sustainable while supporting...

The Yakutia Republic is currently working to update its early childhood development (ECD) system. Its goal is to ensure a high quality environment for early learning and child care and to enable higher enrolment levels.

Through practical design projects, the Sorrell Foundation has demonstrated the advantages of involving children and young people as the main consumers of their school. It counts on good design to bring its customer to the forefront of the product; these in turn become better informed clients and...

The City of New Orleans is implementing an unprecedented plan for the systemic renovation and rebuilding of its schools and infrastructure. One of the cornerstones of the project was public involvement: more than 10 000 citizens were engaged in developing the plan. Its new schools will be but...