Innovative Learning Environments: A Comparative Analysis of Projects with New Versus Established Schools

This paper offers a comparative reading of two research projects from the dual perspectives of education and architecture expertise. The first project involved an initiative by a group of teachers to design and construct a new environment within an existing school: specifically, an outdoor classroom in the schoolyard. The second project examined the initial occupancy of a newly built school, prompting the teachers to critically reflect on their teaching practices. Our objective was to identify key themes emerging from feedback activities, including the importance of involving teaching staff from the earliest stages of any new construction or modification project and maintaining a clear focus on the intended use of the proposed new spaces from the outset. The first project originated from the school’s internal requirement to upgrade its existing spaces. It was a complex process that engaged multiple and diverse actors with the aim of enhancing the well-being of both students and teachers. In contrast, in the second project, the authors of this paper were commissioned to assess the practical use of a new school’s spaces after the first two years of occupancy. This assessment explored the alignment between the design solutions adopted and the day-to-day experience of the school community, drawing on various kinds of data collection and discussions with school staff.