Designing Educational Environments: Christoph Wiederkehr, Federal Minister of Education, in conversation
What memories do you have of the architecture of the schools you attended?
As a pupil, you don’t necessarily consciously notice the architecture of your school. But the school I attended in Salzburg was, as I recall, quite modern.
You visit many schools in your role as minister. What challenges regarding school architecture do you take away from these discussions? Do you ever encounter users who are enthusiastic about the architecture of their school?
What I am often told during school visits—and rightly so—is how new school buildings are flagship projects for environmental protection and sustainability. Educational institutions play a pioneering role for society as a whole. After all, school buildings are used not only by students but also by staff and, frequently, parents.
What do you expect from a good school building spatially, functionally, and symbolically? What ideas should it embody?
When I think of a good school building, I see more than just walls and classrooms. It is a place that inspires children and young people, positively shaping their development. Such space is open to change and makes young people feel welcome. A school should be a vibrant place where children and young adults can develop—a space that awakens curiosity, invites exploration, and enables encounters. It is a place where people grow together, discover talents, and develop skills that go far beyond the curriculum. Different areas provide the right setting, whether someone wants to work alone in concentration or to communicate ideas in small or large groups. The openness and transparency of these learning landscapes aim to create an atmosphere that fosters self-guided and creative learning. This makes it possible to support students individually, to collaborate on project work, and to learn in a variety of different group sizes. Inclusion requires the same kind of flexibility.
Do you see it as the responsibility of the Ministry of Education to contribute to Austria’s architectural culture?
Yes, and this is also reflected in the long tradition of holding architecture competitions for federal school buildings. Close cooperation with the Chamber of Architects ensures that current professional and design standards are incorporated. The interdisciplinary composition of the juries brings together a broad range of expertise, enabling innovative, quality solutions for educational buildings. This is how the Ministry of Education is able to play a key role in the further development and cultivation of Austria’s Baukultur.
Some experts have high expectations for the educational landscape concept as a connection between formal, non-formal, and informal education. How do you view this?
Educational institutions are increasingly evolving into full-day learning and living environments. In addition to formal learning anchored in the curriculum, they also provide an important impetus for non-formal educational opportunities—for example, as courses, working groups, or youth employment programs. Such additional opportunities can provide great added value, especially for children and young people from educationally disadvantaged families, as they open doors to new experiences and competencies. Informal learning—for example during leisure activities, in clubs, or among friends—also plays a central role. Schools can support these processes by creating interaction spaces and working closely with out-of-school partners.
How much say should users have in the design process?
Participation has long since become a central instrument in the planning and development of modern educational institutions. It brings the know-how, experience, and creativity of users—particularly educators—directly into the design process. Successful participation is more than just the formal involvement of users—it is the core of sustainable, functional, and future-oriented educational architecture. It creates spaces that truly fit their purpose, are embraced by users, and remain adaptable for future challenges.
Will artificial intelligence change the professional profile of educators—key phrase “digital learning support”? Will this affect spatial requirements?
Teachers are already using digital tools to provide individual guidance, motivating and supporting self-directed learning. They act as mentors for media literacy and help students learn to use AI tools critically and responsibly. They curate content that can be personalized using AI, thereby actively shaping learning environments. By relieving teachers of routine tasks, more time remains for relationship building. Modern spatial concepts equipped with technical infrastructure support innovative pedagogy, enhanced by digital learning. The space should make diverse educational settings possible—digital and analogue—and offer students flexible learning environments that they can shape individually. As learning becomes increasingly individualized, traditional classrooms are losing their significance. In their place, open, flexible areas and retreat spaces for focused work and individual support are becoming more important.
Going beyond the SCHEP school development program, does Austria have any other strategies for the development of educational infrastructure?
I see the current SCHEP 2020 as a central strategy of the federal government. It is a forward-looking program for school construction in a great many respects, and its aims integrate numerous essential topics such as architecture and Baukultur, full-day schooling, the school as a living environment, digitalization, sustainability, and energy efficiency. These priorities will remain, and can always be strengthened or expanded. The good examples in this book illustrate how Austrian schools are being further developed as modern, sustainable, and equitable places.