In Search of the Ideal Learning Environment

Over the past 20 years, how has educational building in the field of schools and kindergartens developed throughout Austria? How far back can the reasons for this develop­ment be traced? And which ideas have proven successful in practice? These questions are discussed by Raphael Eder (architecture), Isabella Marboe (architectural critique), Katharina Rosen­berger (education sciences), Harald Schabus (pedagogy), and Ursula Spannberger (process facilitation).

Moderated by: Barbara Feller and Christian Kühn

Barbara Feller Let’s begin with a general assessment: In your view, what are the most striking changes of the last 15 to 20 years?

Katharina Rosenberger When discussing this topic, one must keep in mind that in many schools, from a structural perspective, not much has changed—especially in the majority of schools that operate in existing buildings. At the same time, the composition of both teaching staff and the student body has changed significantly, creating new challenges. Only a minority have had the opportunity to experience newly designed and constructed buildings. I see the biggest change in the fact that teaching no longer takes place exclusively in “classrooms” but extends to other areas as well. This “opening of the classroom,” or the departure from traditional classroom-corridor building, affects the organization of the entire school.

Harald Schabus We now have had ten years of practical experience in a cluster school, and I likewise see the importance of personnel and organizational development. We have this at our school, but I miss the aspect of “spatial literacy” in higher education institutions a bit. Many students visit us, but it’s essential that new spatial concepts are actually experienced in daily practice. Fortu­nately, this fall we were able to offer a practical seminar for the first time since the pandemic happened.

Raphael Eder I consider it highly important that teachers and school administrations are actively involved in the planning process. Unfortunately, we see this as having diminished in recent years. In one of our current projects—a federal school—the Vienna Directorate of Education categorically rejected the idea of participation. The underlying concern was that too many wishes might arise that could not be financed.

Ursula Spannberger I had a positive experience in this regard in 2014 with a small study in Salzburg, where I was able to demonstrate that cluster schools do not require more square meters than corridor schools. Based upon the study, schools in the Salzburg region have been able to develop their own design concepts since 2018 under the new school building regu­la­tions. A small drawback, however, is that parti­ci­pa­tory processes are merely recommended but not mandatory. Many initiatives of the past two decades—such as the charter of the schulUMbau school restructuring platform—have helped highlight the importance of Phase Zero (the stage in which foundations are defined and participation processes should take place) and Phase Ten (moving in, starting up, and using). But they still don’t get the attention they deserve!

Christian Kühn Generally speaking, a new building or renovation is a great opportunity for school development that goes beyond architectural aspects. 

US Yes, one of the most important effects of participatory planning processes is that people become aware of the spaces they currently have, which ones serve them, and which ones hinder them. Ideally, this is also the beginning of team building and comprehensive organizational development.

Isabella Marboe I have visited many schools as an observer, and notice that these cluster models succeed or fail depending on whether the school administration and the teaching staff support them. If the staff doesn’t go along with the concept, it doesn’t work—then even the most beautiful architecture will crumble. It’s my impression that the more radical models have softened somewhat over the past 15 years, and it has become clear that total openness is not always well received. The models that work best are those in which teachers can still make adjustments themselves.

HS That’s a really interesting topic. In “my” school, for example, the glass walls of the teachers’ room were intensely discussed at first. But the concerns disappeared after two days. It’s like with so many things—a dialectic between open and closed, between transparency and niche. Primary school children especially need places to retreat to. In our case, everything happens within the cluster, which is essentially an open learning space. 

BF You’ve been with the school since construction on the new building began. How do you think your successor will handle the building? 

HS We all know that for a project to succeed, everyone involved must work together. Communi­cation with the architects doing the planning is essential. At our school, the functional and spatial program was developed jointly by users and authorities and was used as the basis for the architecture competition. Throughout the process, I was involved in shaping the “heart of the school,” meaning the clusters, and I made clear statements about what to do or not to do. My input—and that of my colleagues—was taken seriously. The school should continue in this spirit, even after I retire. I believe that the educational authorities are also called upon to ensure that this is reflected when a project is tendered. 

US Unfortunately, I have found that this is not always the case, and there are examples where the new administration couldn’t connect with the building at all. 

CK So does that mean that another Phase Ten is needed when a school’s leadership changes?

IM Sometimes it’s simply a matter of a few practical and justified reasons—like insufficient storage space or too few sinks, for example.

CK But these points of criticism shouldn’t take center stage. It’s important to convey the potential that a spatial-pedagogical concept has.

KR Perhaps the question isn’t just about what it takes for a built school environment to be used well, but also about what it takes for it not to be perceived as a burden. That’s something that goes very deep and can trigger strong emotions. I suspect that, apart from one’s general attitude toward openness or closed­ness in spatial design, it also depends on how well the everyday economy of school life is reflected. It’s often quite small details that matter. It’s very much about communication between those who designed the architecture and those who use it.

IM I also believe it’s essential that teachers feel they’re being taken seriously. I see a tendency among architects or spatial designers to be a bit dogmatic at times—for example, the idea that a kindergarten shouldn’t be designed with color because the children bring enough life and color in themselves. There’s a kindergarten I know where each room has a different color of linoleum, and I really think that helps the children find their way around. After all, every educator is different—some fill their rooms with objects, while others keep things very minimal and clean. 

US I think it’s important that teachers engage with the topic of space. This should be emphasized much more in teacher training, and students must also be prepared for the fact that most of them won’t work in a new school building—and that they shouldn’t feel like they are at the mercy of the existing spaces. We address this through small spatial experi­ments designed to get the best out of a given subject area and setting. This benefits not only those who work in new or renovated schools, but everyone develops a sensitivity to how strongly space affects people, and can then pass this on to the children and young adults.

IM Almost all the teachers I’ve spoken to have told me that in new or renovated schools, children are calmer and more relaxed—simply because the acoustics are right, the lighting is right, the space is improved, it’s brighter, and there are quiet areas. These changes have an immediately noticeable impact. 

RE I’d also like to point out the importance of furniture design, because I find it can be disastrous when the spatial program and the furnishings aren’t coordinated. Unfortunately, this is sometimes the case. 

CK Every new school eventually becomes an old school. From the very beginning, things are rearranged, shifted, and rebuilt. Architecture is always in flux.

US I often use that phrase myself, and my students always look surprised at first. But in conversation, it quickly becomes clear that the ability to adapt to changing circumstances is one of the most essential qualities of architecture. 

BF We’d like to touch on one more topic: Back in our school days, outdoor spaces were generally an asphalt area with a basketball hoop. Now, open spaces are being given much more attention. Where does this development come from?

KR I believe that issues like climate change and our relationship with nature play a major role. Unfortunately, though, I can think of several schools whose courtyards still look more or less the same as before. In fact, it’s the everyday reality for most, with only a few having the great opportunity to access a terrace—or even better, a greenspace—directly from every classroom. And when you look at how school works and the pressure teachers are under, the tasks they have to manage, there’s often just not enough time (unless it’s a full-day school) to go outside with the kids or schedule time for them to be outdoors. So yes, I think there is major tension between “how things should be” and “how things actually are.”

HS But staying indoors just because of academic pressure doesn’t help the situation. On the contrary, you have to go outside—and then use the time afterward all the more effectively. At our school, there’s always an outside break from 10:30 to 11:00, unless it’s pouring rain. Especially with regard to future requirements, this seems crucial to me—particularly in schools in challenging urban areas, where unfortunately there’s often very little outdoor space. 

RE Outdoor space is where children regenerate best. But you can run into surprising situations. We recently renovated a school in Vienna where there used to be an asphalt basketball court. We added an extension and turned the roof into greenspace—and now the students aren’t allowed up there because it’s been designated as a terrace for the teachers. 

US Well, teachers need to regenerate too. 

RE Yes, that’s true, and I understand that. But at another school, the principal made the gyms, outdoor areas, terraces, etc. accessible to all students during breaks. The children are allowed to move freely throughout the entire school and let off steam as they wish, because he knows how important exercise and regeneration are.

CK To conclude, let’s take a look into the future. What do you see as the greatest challenges?

KR I see the greatest challenge in the fact that schools can no longer rely on the stability they’ve had over the past decades, and this applies on many levels. This could mean, for instance, greater openness toward inter­disci­plinary collabo­ration, such as involving external professionals who work with students or teaching staff within the school. It also means dealing with a great deal of uncertainty and unpredictability. The question is how we can respond to this architecturally and spatially, without major financial or other expenditures.

RE From an architectural standpoint, I see climate change as the greatest challenge for school buildings. Right now, we are working with external shading and mechanical ventilation, but in the future, air conditioning may become necessary—which, of course, we’d like to avoid for cost and environmental reasons. The second key aspect is that the building stock itself will be the material of the future. We need to learn how to adapt old buildings. We’ll have fewer sites available in the years to come, so we’ll have to get used to working with existing structures, which is also far more sensible from the perspective of a circular economy. 

IM Schools will need to be expanded and adapted, and we’ll probably have to make use of other types of spaces as well, such as office buildings or even shopping centers. And we have so many schools from the 1970s, where it has become evident that the large central stairwells and wide corridors are very well suited for adaptation. I’ve also noticed that kindergartens are now more frequently being built with two floors. For a long time, it was considered essential that they be on a single level so children could run straight out to the garden. Now, however, there are more two-story kindergartens, which then have terraces and an overall more interesting spatial layout. This approach also consumes less land. 

HS It’s important not to fix everything absolutely, but to create and offer opportunities that can accommodate the changes schools will face.

US I see the greatest challenge as the creative handling of existing building stock and the recognition of open spaces within seemingly rigid structures—whether architectural, pedagogical, or organizational.

CK I still like Hartmut von Hentig’s definition about what school is good for best, namely “to strengthen people and clarify things.” Architecture can contribute to both—strengthening people not only through good functional organization but also through atmosphere, through spaces in which one enjoys spending time, for the many thousands of hours we expect our children to do so. For teachers, it’s a few thousand hours more over the course of their careers. And to clarify things, we need spatial opportunities that invite research and discovery, as well as the opening of schools to their surroundings and to the many other places where formal and informal learning take place. To be prepared for the future, we must think in terms of educational landscapes rather than individual school buildings.