School design: opportunities through collaboration

Abstract

This paper explores the process of involving the whole school community, especially teachers and students, in the design of schools. A series of semi-structured interviews were conducted with a range of professionals who have worked with target users in this development process. The interviews were transcribed and then common themes from each of the interviews were developed. Findings suggest that a host of opportunities arise from the special mix of different processes, professions and people involved in school design, but that these are not always being recognised or exploited. The need to acknowledge the opportunities which lie within the process and to not just be fixed on the product – the finished school – appears to be significant. It transpires that the perception of the process from the different perspectives of all involved has an impact on the way in which the process unfolds. The proposed outline model conceptualises the school design process as a collection of opportunities which can arise from collaborative working. Suggestions are made for further research.

Keywords:

• school design
• user-involvement
• participation
• collaboration

Acknowledgements

Many thanks to the following who gave their time and reflections generously (roles when interviewed): Richard Alonso (Architect, Ellis Williams); Francesca Arseni (Architect, Ellis Williams); Andy Beard (CABE Advisor/Consultant Architect); David Challinor (Architect, Rivington Street Studio and CABE Client Design Advisor); Jane Clough (Consultation Officer, Knowsley Council); James Copp (Design Consultant/Facilitator and Associate of Doncaster Design Centre); Anne Cunningham (Facilitator, Community Development Manager, The Lighthouse, Glasgow); David Donnelly (Head of Innovation for Learning and Care, Barnsley Metropolitan Borough Council); Simon Dove (Architect, Associate, Penoyre and Prasad); John Edwards (Architect, Building Design Partnership, Sheffield); David Evans (Design Director, Transform Schools, Balfour Beatty Capital); Pepita Hannah (Arts Education Officer, Birmingham City Council); Harriet Harris (Architect and Facilitator, Penoyre and Prasad); Amy Harrison (Facilitator, Education Manager, Architecture Centre, Bristol); Jean Kerr (Educational Consultant, Scotland); Stephen Pidwill (Architect and CABE Enabler, Director, Shepherd Epstein Hunter); Henry Sanoff (Architect and Facilitator, Emeritus Professor of Architecture, North Carolina State University); Andrew Sidall (Architect and Facilitator, Director, civic Architects); Kim Tilbrook (Facilitator, Lead Developer – Creative Places, Real Ideas Organisation, Bristol); Sharon Wright (Facilitator, previous School Works Managing Director, founder Creative Wit). Thanks also to the EPSRC for the project funding, the project advisory group and researcher Maria Patsarika for her contributions.

Notes

1. A national project in development at the time which sought to help schools unlock the educational potential of local buildings, places and spaces in the built environment, through a single online portal to relevant resources and projects.