Charter for the Design of Educational Institutions in the Twenty-First Century

Plattform schulUMbau

This charter formulates recom­mendations for con­tem­porary and future‑oriented educational architecture. It is the result of the work of an interdisciplinary group of educators, architects, and administrators who, with support from the Köck Privat­stiftung, came together to create the “schulUMbau Platform” and discuss new learning environments in a series of workshops. In January 2010, the platform published the Charter for the Design of Educational Institutions in the Twenty-First Century, summa­rizing current challenges and corresponding solutions in 11 points. It is intended as a basis of discussion for every new construction or renovation of an educational facility.

I
Educational institutions and their atmosphere have a direct impact on the people who learn and live in them. This is especially true for children and young people who come together in kindergartens and schools during a formative stage of their development. Here, foundations are laid for lifelong learning, for the joy of learning and education, and for active participation in society. 

II
The quality of educational buildings—from kindergartens and schools to universities and adult learning centers—reflects the value a society places on education and on the people who teach and learn within these spaces.

III
Educational institutions of the twenty-first century are places of a new culture of learning. They are not sites of instruction and places where children can be stored for the day, but rather settings that allow for diverse ways of teaching and learning—spaces where, alongside instruction, self-guided exploration of the world, social interaction, mutual support, and the development of a sense of community can be experienced and learned.

IV
Educational buildings and their outdoor spaces must therefore be working and learning landscapes, places where it is enjoyable to be, spaces of togetherness, and sites where children and young adults can grow up together, experience beauty, develop a sense of community, unleash creativity, and live democracy. As schools increasingly evolve into full-day institutions, the greater the demands placed on them in this regard become.

V
School development, curriculum development, and spatial design must go hand in hand. Therefore, every new building, conversion, or refurbishment of an educational facility requires a preliminary phase that involves all key stakeholders. During this process, the specific potentials of the site must be identified and then used as the foundation for a spatial-pedagogical concept. 

VI
Regulations for school buildings and furniture should define performance requirements rather than set prescriptive standards. They must facilitate concepts that view the entire usable area of a school building as a continuum of interrelated learning and experience spaces. These include, for example, learning streets and study islands.

VII
The planning of new buildings and renovations of kindergartens, schools, and their outdoor areas is an architectural task for which intellectual and creative services may only be commissioned following an appropriate quality-assurance procedure. Renovation projects are also opportunities for pedagogical and spatial improvement. 

VIII
The planning and refurbishment of educational buildings adhere to the principles of economy, functionality, and beauty. Educational facilities must be barrier-free, gender-equitable, and environ­men­tally responsible, as well as highly energy efficient. The current state of technology and scientific knowledge must be taken into account to ensure the most holistic understanding of sustainability possible.

IX
Educational buildings must protect and promote the health and safety of their users through their design, construction, and choice of materials. However, in environments that accommodate the diverse experiences inherent in living and learning, the complete elimination of all risks is neither possible, sensible, or desirable. 

X
To support the motor and cognitive development of children and young adults, both the indoor and outdoor spaces of educational facilities are to be designed as stimulating areas for movement. Outdoor spaces, in particular, play an essential role as places of regeneration, closeness to nature, and social learning. 

XI
The integration of educational buildings into urban planning and landscape design is of particular importance, particularly for the vitality of neighborhood and village structures. Educational institutions are part of a network of community and cultural institutions. Ideally, they function as a cultural infrastructure that can be used year-round and all day by different user groups.

→ PDF download: Charta_Schulumbau.pdf [66 KB]

The original signatories included: DI Wojciech Czaja, Architekturpublizist; DI Peter Dietl, BMUKK; Dr. Barbara Feller, Architekturstiftung Österreich; Judith Frisch-Wurth MAS, Improgress; Prof. Dr. Franz Hammerer, KPH Wien-Krems; DI Dr. Edeltraud Haselsteiner, ARGE Baustelle Schule; DI Petra Jens, Elternverein Integrative Lernwerkstatt Brigittenau; MR DI Margit Kornfeld, BMUKK; Univ.Prof. Dr. Christian Kühn, TU Wien; DI Maja Lorbek; Mag. Georg Neuhauser, Cool Impulszentrum; DI Mag. Christian Peer; DI Brigitte Rabl, ÖISS; Mag. Edwin Radnitzky, Initiative BildungGrenzenlos; OSR Dir. Josef Reichmayr, Integrative Lernwerkstatt Brigittenau; DI Franz Ryznar, aap Architekten und Österreichische Kinderfreunde; Dr. Kurt Scholz, Stadtschulratspräsident für Wien i.R.; Dir. Mag. Herbert Schmidt, BRG/ORG 23, Anton Kriegergasse; Dir. Mag. Heidi Schrodt, Initiative Bildung­Grenzen­los; DI Karin Schwarz-Viechtbauer, ÖISS; DI Ursula Spannberger, Architektin, Mediatorin; Mag. Rosa Strasser, EOS; Mag. Petra Wagner-Luptacik, generation innovation; Patrick Wolf, Abteilung ASP/Stadtschulrat f. Wien; Mag.(FH) Irene Varga, Köck Privatstiftung.

This text was translated from the original German and the functions of the signatories have been retained as first signed.