School Of Thought 2020

Img 1: Education inside four walls of a classroom.

Premise

Education is a form of absorbing and inculcating knowledge, of which learning is an integral part. Over the years, education has evolved into a system and has been organized and re-written innumerable times to a point where it has now it is majorly constrained to classroom teaching focused on academic learning.

The idea of hands-on experience and vocational training is still not a vital part of the curriculum for the majority of the schools and educational systems around the world. The ability of self-learning and creative thinking are automatically curbed due to this method of teaching, making education, not at par with the current requirement set.

Reports from McKinsey, show that by 2030 the need for cognitive, technological, social and emotional skills is growing, while physical, manual and basic cognitive skills will decline.

Is the curriculum and physical environment of school preparing the children for this?

 

Img 2: A classroom where learning is a unique perception.

Build Up

In order to impart knowledge, education has inevitably inclined towards academic gain rather than applicative skills and knowledge. One of the few different pedagogy techniques that developed after the World War Two, along with great economic and social development in Italy was the Reggio Emilia approach.

The Reggio Emilia approach is an educational philosophy that is focused on preschool and primary education. It is a pedagogy described as student-centered and constructivist that uses self-directed, experiential learning in relationship-driven environments. The program is based on the principles of respect, responsibility, and community through exploration and discovery through a self-guided curriculum. At its core is an assumption that children form their own personality during early years of development and are endowed with "a hundred languages", through which they can express their ideas. The aim of the Reggio approach is to teach how to use these symbolic languages (e.g., painting, sculpting, drama) in everyday life.

 

Taking insights from the Reggio Emilia technique of education, curated along with a curriculum that inculcates vocational training and skill development as a part of the educational system, a new form of pedagogy can be devised. The above diagram illustrates the new age requirements of a School that can be taken into account for this challenge.

More ideas can be added to the above depending on the design and concept of individual projects. Some of the examples of unique educational system integrated with a distinguished built physical environment have been shared for further reference (Pg 6).

 

Brief of the competition

Brief : To address the transition in the curriculum from only academic oriented learning to one that infuses an innovative model, the physical built environment needs an upgrade too. The challenge here is to design a high school where the space itself instigates this ideology. It must integrate the basic academic learning facility areas along with spaces for other forms of learning and activity.

• Grade: 9-12
• Capacity of students : 600
• Coaches/Mentors : 50
• Other Staff : 10
• Limit of each class : 40

 

Objectives

Implementation: Integrate a unique form of pedagogy in the built environment based on the ideas mentioned previously.

Universal: Curriculum as well as design must be universal in nature.

Collaborative: Create fluid spaces that collaborate with each other.

Interactive: The physical environment must have elements that interact directly with students.

The following objectives can be a point of beginning to conceive this design. Participants can assume their own contexts before initiating their design process.

 

Ørestad Gymnasium, Denmark

Ørestad Gymnasium is a high school that focuses on media, communications, and culture. It has an entirely digital platform that uses technology not only for teaching but for assignments and tasks. It works on the principle of open classrooms by creating an environment that teaches the students

 

Vittra Telefonplan, Sweden

The unique pedagogy at Vittra School Telefonplan is design that disrupts the traditional classroom. They have a learning landscape that serves as an educational tool and catalyst for learning. With their strong focus on innovative and digital teaching methods they have strategically created rooms where students can work with digital-based media.

 

Green School, Indonesia

Green School Bali’s curriculum is a progressive model of learning that connects lessons from nature to a relevant and effective preparation for a fast-changing future. Special programmes include Green Studies, environmental science, entrepreneurial learning, and the creative arts.

 

Img 3: A view from Toronto’s Nathan Phillips Square.

Canada

Canada is world’s Second largest country by area located on the southern part of North America. Their population is highly urbanized although sparsely populated with over 80 percent inhabitants residing in cities. It ranks highest among international measurements of government transparency, civil liberties, quality of life, economic freedom, and education. It spends about 6% of its GDP in educational development. They follow the K-12 education system where the school officially starts at the age of 4-5 for kindergarten and goes up till the 12 th grade.

 

Img 4: Site Map

Scarborough, Toronto

The site chosen for this project is located in the Birchcliff neighbourhood in the old district of Scarborough. It is an old quarry site that is now used for city’s redevelopment and urban planning. The site consists of a pre-school, petrol station, and a few stores in its immediate vicinity and is a part of a predominantly residential area. The “School of Thought” is aimed at serving the children in the neighbourhood of Birchcliff and it’s others in close proximity.

• Area : ~25,000 m2
• Height limit: 15 m (49.21ft)
• Site coordinates: 43°41'21.4"N 79° 17'09.0"W
• Ground Coverage : 30 %
• Max. Built Up Area : 7500 m2