Architect Us

8/3/2019 Architect Us

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Logistics Trends

Creating environments that support and facilitate the minimisation of waste and unproductive

effort in the supply chain has become an increasingly significant logistics trend in Australiatoday. One result of this has been the integration of considered architectural design throughoutthe planning and construction of distribution facilities.

This growing inclination is being reflected in the commercial property market where greaterplanning time is being assigned to projects at the initial developmental stages in order to createlong lasting benefits to the building owners and tenants. In particular there is increasedconsideration given to logistical processes. Organisations at the forefront of this approach nolonger view buildings housing such operations simply as sheds devoid of any complexity orintelligence. Instead, the building is viewed as a contributing factor to the productive operationof their core business. Collaboration, for them, involves the engagement of architects and

planners at the initial stages of project delivery.

In the past architects were not engaged until after sites had been chosen, briefs written andbudgets allocated, if at all. However, an architects full service not only allows for earlierengagement, but offers it as an integral element in obtaining the best service. The mostsuccessful projects are those that ultimately reduce costs, time and waste from the supply chainprocess. Buildings are an integral part of any supply chain. The architectural challenge is todevelop a strategy that is inclusive, understands the clients business operation, and providesadded value through quality and flexible facilities. The logistics trend now being seen beginswith advice on site selection followed by a master plan. This then leads to considered design andconstruction of the built facilities. Well planned facilities not only support successful logistics

operations but also provide flexibility for future expansion. Moreover, they add to the stock ofquality industrial/ commercial buildings and raise the standard of the workplace environment.

The industrial sector is an intelligent, mature and dynamic market with increasingly sophisticateduser requirements. Additionally, the rising cost of construction has meant that industrialproperties are being considered as both quality real estate and an essential investment in thefuture of any business. In order to maximise the long term potential of industrial buildings,flexibility and adaptability must be built into the preliminary design to meet changingoperational demands. This

makes industrial building design and construction a complex process, even for modest projects.As such, it is essential to maximise the benefit from the investment. The initial briefdevelopment, site selection and master planning phases are the key determinants in the successof any project.

Appropriate site selection is the first step and can predetermine future planning success. Aspectsto be considered include access to transportation networks, road types, orientation and allowancefor possible future expansion.


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Additionally, locating an industrial building within reach of associated businesses and customerswill also have long-term advantages. This is one reason for the increasing popularity of businessparks. Another is the positive effect that they have on the lifestyle of business workers. Socialand common facilities such as cafes, banks and even child-care centres improve the lifestyle ofthe workplace, the proximity of essential services making life easier for the workforce. The early

analysis and well considered master planning of a site helps to reduce costs, wastage and timeloss in the future, not only in terms of the design of industrial buildings, but also in relation tostrategic property requirements.Architects are also able to design a building that respondsaesthetically to the businesscorporate brand. This is especially important on significant siteswhere clients want to express their corporate brand visually. However, in relation to materialshandling, it is the logistics solution that comes first and from which a buildings form emerges.

Once the site is selected, it is the considered master planning at the earliest stages that will have along-term effect on the efficacy of the supply chain. Siting the building according to themovement of the sun can impact the building users in both positive and negative ways. It isimportant to minimise the glare of low angle sun off hard surfaces for truck and forklift drivers,

through material choice and shading, while allowing entry of natural light into the building,especially in office areas.

The architecture should also respond to the natural movement of air, whether high force winds orinternal ventilation. The positioning of office buildings can minimise northerly winds enteringthe storage areas while the bulk of the building will block the stronger south-westerly winds. Forthis reason, the dock should face towards the eastern, leeward side of the building. Thepositioning of the buildings main structure adds value to the project by reducing the impact ofstrong winds and air-borne dust, and using natural light to reduce energy costs.

Architecture Becomes the Sweet New Science

Long considered boffins and nerds, scientists have begun to take advantage of the power ofarchitecture to raise their own profile and promote their work. Australian universities, inparticular, have become active in engaging architecture to further the cause of science.

Architecture is also fostering increased self-esteem within the scientific community. Great

buildings contribute to great research. Local and international trends reveal that anotherconsequence is more collaborative research as a result of better planned buildings. Scientists arebeing encouraged to build communication and connect with the wider community. A newgeneration of buildings is making this possible. These projects speak not only of technical rigourand sound investment, but provide kinder, more personable spaces than the sterile, anonymousbox that largely left researchers to their own devices.


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Architectus has emerged as one of the leading participants in this brave new world ofarchitecture that brings a more human dimension to the world of nano-technologies and super-sciences. The firms extensive body of scientific laboratory work is hallmarked by a commitmentto creating habitable spaces within iconic envelopes. Recent projects by the firm thatdemonstrate this trend include the Victorian Governments $200 million Australian Synchrotron,

the Electron Microscope facility at Clayton, Victoria (which is part of Monash Universitys pushto attract the worlds leading researchers), and the new College of Pharmacy building in RoyalParade, Parkville.

These projects demonstrate that cutting edge scientific work and humane, egalitarian workplacesare not mutually exclusive. In successful workplaces for the sciences, the design process must beintegrated at a primary level. To achieve this, thorough design research must be undertaken fromthe very first stages of the project. This view is also held by Australian Synchrotroncommunications manager Stefanie Pearce. I was impressed that the entire staff of ArchitectusMelbourne was keen to engage with our project, she observes. They requested a presentationfor their office after hours one evening. Everyone, from their IT people to the receptionist,

wanted to understand the project and feel involved. That to me was a sign of a really cohesiveteam that demonstrated a pride and ownership in each and every project.

Typically laboratory buildings tended to be functional and did not include consideration of theiroccupants. For instance in the Synchrotron building, the brief called for no natural light and yetour observation after visiting European facilities was that natural light was possible and highlydesirable for staff wellbeing. Good, functional laboratories are also humane spaces and thisquality really emerges from a high level of client collaboration and understanding. I think oneresponse from our clients would be that while they have engaged us, we have also engaged themin the design process. Once the client understands the rationale for your approach there is a muchgreater chance of acceptance. Conversely, as architects you need good antennae to be receptive

to what the client can bring to the design.

Buildings for the sciences are very refined in terms of their performance specifications. Theyreally are analogous to building a Formula One racer. Everything has to work. The interest ofuniversities and institutions in hard-working, good-looking research buildings is now muchbetter understood. They are strong brands that cannot afford to be caught with second-rate goods.

The collection of science buildings by Architectus to date displays a design approach which,without incorporating any extraneous elements, has eschewed the rigid, austere minimalism soprevalent in science buildings in the past. In this way, Architectus has defined a new modernismwith its recent work that is warm and humane, and encourages a new, highly socialised way ofworking. By creating buildings with a striking public face, Architectus has provided thescientific community with a powerful visible presence. Whereas sciences were once plugged intothe back of a university and simply used by a single department, they are now a focus of nationaland international attention with a far less secretive modus operandi.

Synchrotron project director Ruth Wilson of Architectus says that science is now listeningclosely to architecture and vice versa. Theres a new level of information sharing andscientists, by nature, are interested in this. It is refreshing, and sometimes challenging, dealing


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with such enquiring minds. Scientists are very respectful of our skill base and they have atendency to want to understand every aspect of what we do. The Synchrotron and ElectronMicroscope projects put a dynamic face to science but are as much about the fully layered workand social experience, she says. Sustainable design is intrinsic to our work. Its definitely notjust applied. Everything from emissions to energy efficient, recyclable materials informs our

approach.

Before commencing design of a new science building, Architectus undertakes extensiveresearch, often including interviews with the broader scientific community. Wilson notes that itis not uncommon to talk with scientists anywhere on the planet before putting pen to paper. Wevisited exemplary facilities in Europe and found scientists willing to share, and there istremendous expertise and insight for the asking. The interesting thing is that they have very littleto gain from the exchange. We take a half a day of their time and question them and they followup with e-mails and they will give you as much time as you need. We encountered greatgenerosity of spirit in that process.

In some senses these new facilities can offer spaces reminiscent of the Gothic era. High ceilingscan be uplifting and it is often those almost subconscious spatial moments that work it is awarm minimalism. In labs you do not often have plywood walls for example, yet we have shownit works. Work environments should be supportive. There can be a certain element of theatrewhen there is so much that is exciting about science. It need not be dull or drab.

Architectus resisted taking the easy option. We could have been lazy, dropped the ceiling, andhidden the ductwork. What we have instead is something soaring. The ethereal feeling is quitepalpable. The firm is strong on the notion of the collegiate/ communal space with a big, timberdining room table around which the scientific family gathers to discuss work that is under way.These spaces are strategically located near the front entrance and are closely linked to the kitchen

(which happens to open into a beautiful garden) and the library. This effectively connects socialand work activity. This approach to planning is consistent with Architectus design philosophyregarding modern office and education design.

It is institutions that typically buy scientific buildings, and as they become more experienced intheir purchasing, they are looking at architecture to underpin their long-term strategic aims. TheUniversity of Melbourne, for example, has gone down this path because it wants to be the placeof choice on the basis of its superior facilities. Once you have this shared strategic aim, you havethe possibility of great partnership with good architects. The bottom line is that good scienceneeds good architecture. Melbourne IVF exemplifies this well, its business having grown beyondexpectation since it started operations from its Architectus rejuvenated premises less than 12months ago. Even the client has been pleasantly surprised by the results. They expected growthfrom the organisational synergies we introduced but the view is that good architecture hasdelivered a tangible bottom line benefit.

Science, it appears, is finally discovering the elusive DNA of good design to be an investmentthat brings unexpected rewards.


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Building for Learning

A selection of recent press articles from Malaysia, Australia and Sri Lanka highlight the diversity

of educational infrastructure provision between our near Northern neighbours in Asia andourselves here in Australia.

In Malaysia, sixteen schools and colleges have shown serious structural defects with one schoolbeing closed to students and staff indefinitely (New Straits Times, 3/2/2005). Apparently this hasnothing to do with the recent Tsunami disaster but rather reflects issues to do with the originaldesign and construction. Appropriate design guidelines and building regulations should preventthis happening. Regulations vary by location with some in high wind and earthquake zones beingmore stringent than regulations in other areas. Side-stepping these regulations can lead topotential long-term problems, as is evident in the case mentioned.

In Sri Lanka, on the other hand, the recent natural disaster caused by the Tsunami tidal waveindicates a different cause of building failure. One can only speculate on the structural strengthof the school buildings which were affected by the Tsunami. Of Sri Lankas 176 schools subjectto the forces of the Tsunami, 74 were completely destroyed (Khaleej Times, 21/1/05). Many ofthese were in the coastal zone and will not be rebuilt within 100 metres of the foreshore.

It is heartening to read that every school which was completely destroyed will be rebuilt thanksto sponsorship by UNICEF and other international donors. Architects Without Frontiers is anAustralian organisation which has been involved with re-construction of devastated regions inAsia.

By comparison, some issues and concerns of school provision in Australia are very different. In arecent article in the West Australian, it was reported that some boarding schools are upgradingtheir facilities to reflect higher expectations of the parents - the requirement for student privacy,space and security (West Australian, 29/1/2005). Gone are the communal showers and Spartanconditions of yesteryear the need to toughen up the rural class! Boarding, in its various forms,is now a serious alternative for rural and city students. Long, medium and short term stays canall be catered for, thus giving greater flexibility to families who may have, for example, lastminute business trips or other pressing family commitments.

Student comfort has also been in the news recently with the subject of classroom air-conditioningbeing aired in Queensland and New South Wales (Australian, 7/2/2005), (Sunday Telegraph,6/2/2005). Of course, it is Summer and this is the time when air-conditioning considerationscome to mind. It is self evident that students do not learn as well (if at all) in high temperatures.It is also evident that the States of Queensland and New South Wales cannot afford to air-

condition all their schools as Bob Carr commented, we cant do it, we simply havent got themoney.

Interestingly, there was not a comment in the above articles relating to appropriate buildingdesigns which would cut down on the need for air-conditioning. Education Departments have not


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embraced environmentally sustainable design until recent times. Too often it is remarked thatthese measures would increase capital costs of buildings beyond allocated budgets. There is atrade off. Again, more and more parents are using the presence or not of air-conditioning as aselection criteria when choosing a school. It is still depressing to visit schools where classroomshave all the windows shut with the air-conditioning on. In many cases, it doesnt need to be this

way, excluding, of course, very hot or humid places where air-conditioning is a necessarysupplement to thoughtful design.

Schools and Communities

Around the corner from my home in Melbourne is a primary school which has been there forover 60 years. On the cyclone wire fence surrounding the building there is a sign which readsWarning Trespasses Prosecuted. These school premises are under electronicsurveillance. Signed: School Principal and Council.

For some time this has struck me as the antithesis of the concept of schools as the centre ofcommunity, let alone the active promotion of any relationship between school and thecommunity. It is not hard to realize why this sign is there vandalism and stranger dangerbeing two reasons which come immediately to mind. But the message is not good. It challengesthe frequently espoused slogan that our schools are the centre of community and, by implication,are welcoming places.

I dont believe there is much evidence that our schools are indeed the centres of ourcommunities. Certainly in pre-industrial times, in Western countries, when districts were beingsettled and towns and villages established, schools were often one of the first community

facilities to be built. Usually these schools were small and were defining buildings in thecommunity. As transport and communication linkages were sparse, towns and villages weredefined by their physical buildings such as post offices, hospitals, banks, churches, court houses,hotels and schools. These structures created social centres which gave a strong sense of place.

During and after the industrial revolution, larger schools were established. This shift in size,together with the introduction of the graded classroom and subject disciplines, transformedschools into institutions supported by government bureaucracies. In the cities, they becameformidable buildings, in the suburbs, paradoxically, they were often isolated and away from theperceived centres of community although, at the same time, being in the heart of the residentialareas. For many of the suburbs, the centres of community were elsewhere and defined byshopping precincts and transport nodes.

In the past 50 years, there has been a transformation of many of the geographic centres ofcommunity. A number of the defining community buildings have either disappeared or lostsignificance. For example banks, retail strip centres and churches no longer have the influencethey once had. Economic rationalisation, transport improvements and the development ofinformation and communication technology have all taken their toll on the traditional communitycentres.


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Independent schools were never a part of the governmental planning process as were stateschools. The location of the older independent schools was more determined by transport routesand access to church property. The newer independent schools have been strategically located inpopulation hubs but again not always at the perceived centres of community.

Does all this matter and what is the significance of the relationship between schools andcommunity in the knowledge age?

There is much written and spoken today about the re-integration of school and community.This reflects an attitude that the isolationist, institutional school is not the most appropriatemodel for our times. The analogy of our students crossing the drawbridge each day to the islandschool where they supposedly learn the skills to operate on the mainland of life to which theyreturn each night strikes many as a fallacy.

There are now a myriad of out of school excursions, camps and time in the countryprogrammes to take students away. There are also work experience programmes and (in

Victoria) the initiatives of VET and VCAL curricula, many subjects being available in theworkplace. These programmes have developed from an underlying belief in the value ofauthentic, constructivist learning whereby students learn by inquiry and doing rather than bypassive listening and reading. The end result is a strengthening of the presence of the school inthe community.

At the same time there is a reverse trend for communities to be more involved with schools totake part in the governance of schools and to utilize the often under utilized school facilities.This is easiest with sporting and performing arts facilities. It is a greater challenge to extend thissharing to the more traditional learning spaces. But if we are to progress with life long learningfor all, then schools (particularly secondary schools and tertiary colleges) are a natural venue for

this activity. In many ways this boils down to an organizational issue, the answer to which maysimply be the employment of additional facilities staff.

Peter Senge also talks about the learning community within the school. This, too, is a verycurrent topic in educational literature. The school community is defined as the teachers, students,parents working toward the enrichment of school life - indeed, working together, learningtogether, as opposed to a hierarchy of teachers and learners. Independent schools have alwaysplaced great value on the family of the school and benefit from the stronger ties ex-studentshave with their old school.

Well designed places and spaces within schools and in the community can assist greatly with allof these concepts. People will always gravitate to places where it simply feels good to be there.Side walk cafes, intimate spaces, cosy courtyards, places with a view of colour and movementare all enjoyable. Vast open spaces, sterile classrooms do not enhance the learning attitude.

In the end, our communities are defined by our physical capital, our human capital and also byour social capital the glue that holds us together. Whilst the physical place was vital for thisto function in the past (pre transport and communication technology), these days, we cancommunicate and function at the social level with greater ease and over greater distances.


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Nevertheless, place is still important. We need to know who we are and understand where wecame from. It is good to return there occasionally. We also need to connect physically with otherpeople especially in the formative years. It shows when we dont ! But in the knowledge age,we have greater flexibility to learn and connect without being confined to place. In this way, oursense of community is different and easier to maintain.

Secondary School Design for Purpose But Which One ?

Paper Presented to the OECD Conference

Creating 21 Century Learning Environments

London, United Kingdom

28th. May, 2004

Andrew Bunting

Architectus Melbourne

[email protected]

Introduction

A fundamental complexity of school design has always arisen due to the multiple and conflictingpurposes for educational institutions. Form follows Function is not so clear or direct when thereare multiple functions which buildings must serve. Schools present this scenario.

In our post-modern era, new understandings of learning, influences of information andcommunication technology and the employment requirements of the knowledge society haveplaced pressures and questions on the traditional provisions of education. New purposes ofschooling have evolved.

Promoting the school as a learning community is one current theme. The majority of our schooldesigns do not facilitate this concept. Rather, they reinforce the school as an isolated institution.What designs can schools adopt to allow them to connect more readily with local community?How can school buildings contribute more to the school as a learning community?


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Purposes of Schooling

Throughout history, education systems have aligned to differing purposes often more than oneat a time. Generally the four common purposes are considered to be:

ySocialization to replicate society, to imbue local and national culture and to promotecitizenship.

y Vocational to training people for employment, often via tertiary education.y Self-fulfilment - to develop individuals to their maximum potential, the liberal function.y Transformative to provide equal opportunity for learning and to encourage change to a

better world. (Sterling, 2001)

Beare and Slaughter cast the above four purposes into academic and non-academic states.Vocational and Self-fulfilment are considered academic. Socialisation and Transformation areconsidered non-academic. They note, in the process, that some of the most noble outcomes ofschooling are immeasurable; such as a love of reading, music and art. (Beare and Slaughter,

1993)

Certainly, different stakeholders within the broader education system have different expectations.Students and their parents desire individual success. For the majority of students and parents, thismay emphasise the vocational purpose over the intrinsic purpose. Some academically-giftedstudents may have a more liberal attitude to the educational experience and will seek as muchlearning as possible. Governments equate success with an educated workforce that willcontribute to economic growth and promote good citizenship. There is an importantsocialisation/nationalisation process at work as well. Since the introduction of mass education,governments have consistently striven for this. Employers are also looking for an educatedworkforce, but their concept of educated has undergone considerable change. Around 250 years

ago they were looking to the mass education system to provide workers with good habits anddiscipline. At the same time, the schools for the elite saw themselves as producing men ofcharacter. Self-control, discipline and sporting prowess took preference over academic learning.(Matheson and Liamond,1999). Today employers are looking for team workers and problemsolvers (Vick, 1998).

School Buildings Reflecting Purpose:

Let us consider school design in the light of the four generally accepted purposes of schoolingmentioned above. In doing so it is important to be aware that there are overlaps and crossinfluences between purposes; for example, between socialisation and learning. In addition, inmany Western countries, there is an emphasis on the holistic development of students; that is,their intellectual, psychological, social, emotional, spiritual, ethical, moral and the physicaldevelopment.

Socialization


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Schools designed to promote socialisation would address the concept of the community withinthe school as well as the relationship of the school to the external community. Specific designfeatures would include:

y Schools which are not isolated but are geographically connected to the hubs ofcommunity.

y Schools based on the house model and/or the studio model of learning.y Schools which provide traditional or caf type dining precincts.y Schools which provide for boarding or motel type accommodation.y Schools which provide amenable places for informal gathering and learning.

There is considerable importance attached to the socialisation purpose of schooling. Studentslearning to inter-act with each other in a controlled environment is the is main reason advancedagainst home-schooling. However, some would debate this.

Vocation

Secondary schools no longer provide vocational accreditation. Societal and employment changeshave had the dual effects of eliminating some avenues of employment at the same time asincreasing the technical requirements of others. Credentials inflation has increased the entryrequirements into many fields of employment. Generally, the majority of students proceed tofurther tertiary qualifications before entering the workforce. These may be in Universities ortechnical colleges.

Nevertheless, there is a growing provision of applied learning in secondary schools to cater forstudents who are not suited to traditional academic learning. Rather then have these studentsdrop out of school all together, it is considered preferable to have them stay in formal education

for as long as possible. Moreover, given the difficulty in obtaining University places and theconcern about declining trade skills within society, there is a return to applied learning insecondary schools with alternative pathways leading to the completion of year 12. For example,course are offered in areas such as hospitality, graphics, technology as alternatives to thetraditional academic subjects.

Clearly, specialised facilities are required for these subjects and not all schools are able toprovide for them. Networks of schools and technical colleges have been formed to share thislearning.

Self-Fulfilment

Whilst self-fulfilment takes place through formal learning activities and socialisation at school, itis also facilitated by such activities as sport and performing arts. These extra-curricula subjectsare offered in the interests of providing students with a more rounded general education, ratherthan necessarily conceiving of them as career alternatives, although for some, they will be. Sport,in its various forms requires specialist facilities as does music and drama. Often such facilitiesare also available for community use.


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Designs for this purpose would create spaces which encouraged individual learning, reflectionand researching; scenario spaces for discussion and team work along with libraries which wereconducive to private and group work. Self-fulfilment is also an outcome of informal learningwhich occurs between students.

Academic and non-academic activities would include:

y Sporty Performing Artsy Individual Learning and Researchingy Scenario Constructionsy Discussion and Debate on Values and Beliefs.y Transformative

Schools as places of transformation must focus on student development. This should happenthrough the formal and informal learning processes. However, if secondary schools are to be

successful in the Knowledge Age, then students need to leave such places having developed adesire to continue the process and engage in life-long learning.

How often does this happen? We still have many students leaving secondary schools withnegative experiences that almost ensure that they will never return to places of learning. Variousfactors can, of course, contribute to this, and the physical environment is one of them. Many ofour schools are not spiritually or educationally uplifting places to be. They may keep out theelements and be functional to an extent but they fail to produce that aspect of delight, such as thefeeling of being in a cosy English pub just good places to be !

Schools are also conceived as places of social levelling, but this tends to emphasise the lowest

common denominator rather than to raise expectations, opportunities and potentialities.Theoretically, government schools are intended to be places of equality of opportunity botheducationally and in the provision of facilities. In practice this tends not to happen. To achieveequality with the provision of facilities, governments tend to produce standard space schedulesbased on enrolment numbers. Although not impossible to overcome, this requirement creates atension with architectural innovation.

As places of transformation, schools are increasingly required to adopt the provision ofadditional social services for students, their families and the wider local community. Healthpractitioners of various guises and other social and psychological consultants and/or businessactivities are mooted as some of the partners to schools. The incorporation of these additionalactivities is designed to break-down the notion of the isolationist school and assist students toenter into society. At the same time, schools become more efficient and effective. Transformingschools into education centres which are accessible for greater periods of time during all phasesof the week is a vehicle to enable this.

Other Considerations


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Most schools are designed with a combination of the purposes of socialisation, vocation, liberalpursuit and transformation. However, there are other sub-purposes or considerations whichinfluence school designs to various degrees. Some of these conflict with the main purposesdescribed above. These can be summarized as:

Discipline and Supervision

Schools are understood to be places of discipline. In the broader sense this is the shaping of thestudent in a controlled and positive environment. Discipline can also mean punishment forwrong-doing or breaking the rules. Schools serve social engineering purposes as well.

In a recent Australian Government Survey of parents and community members attitudes toschooling, discipline rated as the most important social factor for parents of children atgovernment schools. By contrast, in non-government schools, values were regarded as the mostimportant social factor (Government, 2003). But there are other factors operating here.

Supervision is an integral part of discipline. Physical supervision is mostly achieved by visualoversight or, more recently, electronic surveillance. Traditionally sight lines were important andhad the unfortunate consequence of reinforcing the long and straight corridors of so manygovernment schools.

The Duty of Care for students to the end of secondary schooling is an aspect of supervision.Parents expect their children to be safe in schools and are very ready to take legal action if theyare not. Hence, schools must be safe places. this involves the identification of all staff andvisitors who enter the school grounds. This creates a tension with the projection of the school asan open and friendly community facility. This provision also has ramifications for the risk oftaking students off site for learning in the real world.

What do these factors mean when considering more relevant learning experiences for students ?To what extent do these factors impinge on school design ?

Organisational Efficiency Economies of Scale - Size

School design has always been subject to organisational efficiency and economies of scale. Inthe post-war period when large numbers of students had to be accommodated in schools,standard designs utilizing lower quality and low- priced materials prevailed. Currently, designand building efficiency is maintained by standard space-schedules, which tend to emphasiseminimum rather than optimum spaces, and lower end construction budgets.

Economies-of-scale are also achieved by increasing the size of schools. Whilst this has aneconomic impact, there are also arguments for the benefit of larger course choices due to size.Opposite points of view maintain that there is a loss of community as the size of the schoolincreases. Some of this may be overcome by the introduction of sub-schools or house groupings.


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Efficiency and effectiveness are often opposite qualities. Schools can be very efficient but veryineffective; likewise, they can also be effective but inefficient. Striking the balance is the art ofgood education, just as it is of good architecture.

Streaming, Filtration and Care-taking

Some view the purpose of secondary schools as being a filter for students progressing to furthereducation or employment. In a positive sense, it would be hoped that the inherent intelligences,talents and aptitudes of students would be identified and channelled in suitable directions. Itwould not be desirable if this resulted in type-casting students as academic or not.

Students who are disaffected by this sorting process want to leave school despite being requiredto stay until they reach the end of compulsory schooling. Schools then take on the role ofcaretakers. From all perspectives, this is an unsatisfactory outcome, and flies in the face ofarguments for access and equity.

Equality and Equity

Equality of opportunity and equality of provision means giving every student the same learningenvironment. Providing a level playing field is an important element of schooling as atransformative purpose. Because of the interplay of various elements, this is rarely achieved inpractice.

Equity is a different concept. It means giving each student what is necessary to extend them totheir full potential. Therefore, some may have additional tuition to bring them to the standard ofthe others in the group others may have additional tuition to take them beyond the groupbecause they are capable of further development and learning.

Considerations of equality and equity have significant implications for the provision of schooldesign. But if we acknowledge that all students are different and all approach learning indifferent ways, what are the implications of this for providing equality-of-opportunity andequality-of-provision? How should or do these concepts influence school design?

Australian Scenarios

The purposes and sub-purposes of schooling are being re-examined in a world which isexperiencing great societal, economic and educational change. This has led some to look to thefuture by creating scenarios of what may be.

Six scenarios have been constructed by the OECD in the: What Schools for the Future? (OECD,2001) Riel Miller has also considered some future directions with his paper: Where schoolsmight fit in a future learning society (Miller, 2003)? Two Australians have also recentlycontributed to this endeavour.

Looking to the future of schooling in society, Suter poses three scenarios. The first is business asusual, where schools operate basically as they do at present. This is premised on the fact that


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people do not like change, that most of the teachers who will be around in ten years time are inthe service now, and that since the infrastructure is already in place, the conservative forces willact to preserve the status quo. This is not an attractive scenario and is not sustainable. The secondscenario is that students would be educated at home via cyber schooling. This would free up a lotof real estate and promote individually tailored learning but where is the socialisation? The third

scenario is represented by the community learning centre. Keep the school facilities but expandand change their role. Add additional forms of learning for all ages, food at all times andadditional community services such as health and sport. Would this then be the glue to hold thecommunity together (Suter, 2001)?

Caldwell also offers three scenarios for future schooling. His first is that the divide betweenGovernment and Private schools would increase and that Government schools would only act assafety net schools in the public domain. Government would support the private school networks.The second scenario is that there would be a greater commitment to the public good. This wouldbe evidenced by the government vacating the ownership and delivery of education but would beactively supporting all schools with increased revenue. Community support would be high.

Curriculum and learning technologies would be varied and state-of-the-art. The third scenariois that schools would decline as institutions and their place would be taken by communitylearning centres and home based learning (Caldwell, 2000).

One of the relevant issues raised by Caldwell is Tofflers contribution to the understanding of theimpact of societal transformation. Second wave people (those moulded in the industrial era)would defend school systems of that time. Third wave people would be looking ahead to newways of operating. Thus, second wave people would oppose efforts to de-massify the schoolswhile the forces of the third wave call for a crack-up of the giant bureaucracies and fight forless standardisation, more individualisation in the schools Toffler, as cited in (Caldwell, 2000).

We are virtually led by Suter to adopt his third scenario as the most acceptable. One can imaginefurther consolidation of the real estate of schools along with extensive upgrades to the remainingstock. Caldwell bundles this option in with the growth of home based learning and thedescription he gives it does not sound as appealing as that given by Suter. With an eye to theadherence of core values, Caldwell constructs a matrix for the three scenarios based on Liberty,Equality, Fraternity, Efficiency, and Economic Growth. On this basis his second scenario is thepreferred option. Suters scenarios are clearly linked to the building fabric of schools whereasCaldwells are not. But we can imagine that if all schools are in the private domain and they havestrong community support, they would have freedom to design and create their own physicalenvironments within the funding available to suit their purposes and be integrated with theircommunities.

If we synthesise these two scenarios, we come up with a community learning centre which isoperational all hours, accessible to all people, privately operated but government resourced, andis well equipped with state-of-the-art facilities and learning materials appropriate to thespecialisations on offer.

Starting Anew


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What if we were creating a universal education system now as we proceed from the Informationsociety to the Knowledge society instead of when it actually happened during the move from anagricultural to the industrial society? What sort of schooling system would it be, and whatphysical facilities would be required, and where? Lets assume, for the purpose of this exercise,that there has been some private education for the elite in country boarding schools, there has

been considerable home schooling provided by one or more parents or grandparents, that therehave been children in the workforce working in offices, factories and mundane serviceindustries. What systems could we build or devise? Phoebe Palmieri considered the increasingflexibility of a number of educational components.

Peter Drucker talked of innovative organisations being able to abandon yesterday. If we didnot do this already, would we, knowing what we now know, go into it? (Drucker ,1999)

Conclusion

The purposes and sub-purposes of schooling are many and have changed over the years since

mass schooling was introduced. There is a strong link between the purposes of schooling andschool designs. As we continue our early journey through the 21st century, it is crucial to re-define the purpose of our secondary schools. Not only is this important to ensure that ourphysical facilities are not hindering the learning process we desire, but it is also essential to beassured that the enormous investment we have in our school facilities is giving us a sound return.Only when the purposes of secondary education have been re-defined can we pay attention to thesuitability of our existing school facilities.

Changing the system is hard. It has been tried before and failed. However, in like conferencesand research all over the world, educators and architects are saying that we can do better with thedesign and provision of our educational buildings. I believe this energy to keep trying is driven

by the belief that developments in information and communication technology have changed therules of architecture our concepts of place, space, and time. I also believe that we understandconsiderably more about the process of effective learning and the importance of the environmentto this. And finally, I believe we are energised to seek more meaningful community because theimportance of some of our old social geographies has faded. Somehow we think schools shouldbe a part of this.

y Architectus Injects Creativity in Pharmaceutical Buildingy Portable Classroomsy Will the form ever follow the function?

The Permancy of School Facilities


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In Victoria we have examples of school buildings constructed over a period in excess of 100years. These buildings tell a story of attitudes to education at the time they were designed. Whatis that story and where might that story be leading?

Solid Brick and Permanent

In the late 1800s and during the first half of the 1900s, schools in Victoria were purpose built andconstructed of solid brick. These schools were built to last. There was no flexibility in theirdesign and the learning environment was teacher centred.

These schools were regarded as permanent built symbols of the community along with banks,churches, railway stations, hospitals, post offices, hotels, police stations and law courts. As suchthey were particularly important in country towns. Such construction of school buildingsreflected the Governments proud promotion of the infant public education system.

But where are all these built symbols of the community now? Many of them have been closed,

demolished or recycled for alternative uses. Those remaining are often struggling to operate asoriginally intended. Their malaise has been brought about by a combination of structuraleconomic change, the impact of technology and changes in patterns of living and community.This has had a dramatic impact in country areas.

Some of the schools of this period have disappeared, but many live on and are in current use.

Light Construction and Temporary

In more recent times, to accommodate the post-war baby boom and the fact that many studentswere staying on at school for longer periods, the Victorian Government could not afford the time

or cost of continuing with solid brick school construction. This problem was so acute andoverwhelming that temporary portable buildings had to be imported from England whilst a homebased solution was devised.

The answer was the LTC or light timber construction model. The then Public Works Officedesigned the standard from which many schools were subsequently built across the State fromthe 1950s to the 1970s. What did these buildings say? Once again these schools were of uniformdesign but their rapid construction indicated that the Government was catering for masseducation of the student population. There was no community consultation relating to schooldesign. The architecture was industrial and catered for a centralised and standardised educationsystem. These buildings did not exude permanency or community.

Innovation and Economy

During the last ten years or so the Victorian Government has encouraged creative architecturaldesign for schools. Initially through the Public Works Office and latterly through theappointment of private architectural practices, This programme has delivered innovation to thedesign of schools whilst adhering to economic construction and pre-determined space schedules.


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An important feature is that many school designs are now unique. The process also allows for theinvolvement of the school community in design and once again, and to this extent, schools areseen to be community facilities embodying the local culture. This sense of the school as acommunity facility is heightened where there is an adoption of life long learning within thecommunity which makes use of the school facilities. Flexibility and Adaptability essential for

the variety of current learning methodologies - are concepts widely adopted in current designs.

Buildings for the Future

There are currently major changes at hand which will effect the future design of schoolsHowever it will take some time for these to be extensively reflected in the built environment.

Technology is the most obvious change. We are currently in the eye of the storm of theinformation revolution and this is effecting our lives in incredible ways. Changes in educationare evident. The use of computers in schools - the use of computers at home. The links betweenthe two and the links world-wide are causing basic questions to be asked such as where does

learning happen? Does it all have to happen at school and if not, what is the purpose of school?What is learning?

Redefining community is another change. There is much anguish at the breakdown of manyexisting community structures and the seeming void of replacement models. In many sprawlingAustralian suburbs there is no community focus. Many of the icon buildings spoken of earlierhave gone or are not constructed in the newer areas and, if there is a heart, it is more often aretail heart. In a planning sense the siting of schools does not always take into account theconcepts of community focus or heart. Often schools are located away from other communityfacilities and separated by fences. In the redefining of new community, where will new school(or learning centre) be located and what will it be designed to do? How will it integrate with the

rest of the community facilities?

The recognition of alternative means of learning has an impact on learning spaces. No longer islearning teacher focussed but rather incorporates the offerings of interactive electronictechnology and team and project based activities. In addition, more and more learning is outsideof school rather than confined to the four walls of the classroom. Indeed, some would say thatmore learning takes place in the community than in the school! The possibilities within thecurriculum have increased and it is now recognised that more and more choice is required toconstruct a learning programme. Consequently, the changing learning approaches, changingpedagogy and changing curriculum have all had an influence on the learning spaces.

In addition to the above trends, there is a growing appreciation that the physical environment hasan impact upon the students and teachers attitudes to the place called school. So, the buildingsas well as being spatially functional must be inspirational. They must uplift and they must givethe students an appreciation of the beauty of design. Quite simply, school should be a stimulatingplace to be. The environment should communicate to the school population that the communitycares and wants to give them the best environment for their stage of progress.

The Importance of Buildings


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It is evident that there is a changing emphasis on the importance of the design of buildings incommunity. It is not just schools that are effected by this trend - but all institutional buildings.Some would argue that it is preferable to spend resources on computer technology rather than onbuildings. Others would say that buildings such as schools are no longer relevant! But thequestion which always returns is the one which relates to the socialisation of humankind. We are

not designed to operate alone - even as cy-bodies although some do it this way. For most of us, afulfilling existence is predicated upon our interaction with other human beings. Although muchof this may come naturally, we still have to learn lessons to perfect our relationships and in theformative years this is done at home, in the community and in schools. To this extent, schoolbuildings are still relevant. The fact that our school buildings may not be constructed to last aslong as their forebears is perhaps not as important.

Trends in School Design

Since the advent of mass education (around the time of the Industrial Revolution), studentlearning in primary and secondary schools has been based on the model of teacher instruction.Students were thought to learn by absorbing what the teacher said and then reading about it inprescribed text books. School design facilitated this by creating corridors and boxes. Each of theboxes (classrooms) had rows of desks for the students and a desk at the front for the teacher.Visual supervision around the school was also important. Student numbers in classes were often40 to 50 students, if not more.

Over the years the number of students in classrooms has decreased due to the recognition that theeducational quality is diminished when teachers do not have sufficient time to spend withindividual students during their time in class. The teacher unions have also had a strong rolehere. Hence we often hear Governments boasting of falling student numbers in classrooms

indeed now to the low 20s. But other developments have been taking place as well.Information and communication technology has had a profound impact on student learning. Allschools would now support many computers most of which are in learning spaces where thestudents spend much time. These computers which take up space and generate heat requireadditional space considerations. All this equipment is usually networked with specialist staff

looking after the infrastructure.There has also been much development in the understanding ofhow students learn.

The chalk and talk approach of previous years has now been modified to the extent thatstudents now enter a variety of places and spaces to understand the issues they have at hand. Thismay involve them spending periods out of the school environment indeed learning in real lifesituations. A great deal of learning is also done via projects and in student teams and often cross

disciplinary (eg; science, maths, English). This activity requires more flexible spaces. All ofthe above developments have implications for school design.


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Learning spaces of various configurations have taken over from the standard classrooms. Thereare large spaces for group assemblies, smaller intimate spaces for informal learning andconversation, greater consideration for spaces which are attractive instead of institutional and

greater attention to the work places for teachers.Attention has also focused on the externalenvironment. It is no longer thought that wall to wall asphalt or grass is appropriate. The

external environment can provide rich learning opportunities particularly about theenvironment and nature. And here too we can design spaces to be attractive and welcoming. Ingeneral, our schools now are less crowded than in previous times. Whilst adequate space isimportant for recreation and learning, the design of that space is also paramount.

Vandalism in Schools

The wilful damage to our schools costs the State and school communities millions of dollarseach year. It is estimated that in Queensland this figure represents about $2.5 million per year.(Courier Mail 28/11/05). Multiply this amount for all the States and it is a significant sum.

Schools are a sitting target for breaking and entering, theft and arson. Of all our publicbuildings, schools are closed for the most number of hours and usually are unattended during thattime. The long holidays, and particularly the Christmas break is a busy time for the wrong-doers. And, of course, there are a greater number of schools in our community than other publicbuildings therefore the incidence of damage to schools is disproportionate to the damage of thoseother buildings.

But why do people damage schools and who are they likely to be? It would be interesting toascertain from the Courts or Police records the reasons that culprits give for perpetrating suchdamage. In the absence of this information, we can only speculate. Theft, perhaps, is the mostunderstandable. All schools have computers and other expensive technical equipment. Theseare attractive to remove as high value, readily transportable and easily convertible into cash. Themotivation for this action is possibly no more than the offenders need for quick money.

Of more concern are those who wilfully damage school property by graffiti, internal damage andarson. Who are they and what is their motivation? Assuming that most of these people havepassed through schools as students at some stage, is it possible that they are inflicting retributionfor past experiences? Unfortunately, not all students leave our schools with happy memories oftheir educational experience. Schools are seen as suitable targets to express anger,disappointment and frustration.

But is there a broader, cultural issue here in that our communities do not place enough value onour schools and school buildings? Our schools are significant and very visible public assets.Many of them give a negative image of the value that the community places on education and as


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places of learning. If our school buildings were of a higher standard and more carefullydesigned, and if our schools were more integrated with community life, could we assume thatvandalism to the buildings would be less?

Increasing security (more lighting, more deterrent/warning signs and more fencing) is one way to

approach the problem but it does not address the underlying cause. A longer-term change ofcommunity attitudes to our schools is necessary. Is it time to re-think the concept of our isolated,institutional schools in an effort to improve their status and respect in the community.

Dr Andrew Bunting

[email protected]

ICT and the Re-engineering of Learning: Implications for the Physical Environment

In the times of Aristotle and Plato learning was woven into the life of the community. Students(males!) were orally instructed by the sages - in buildings, cloisters and even under the shade oftrees. There was no separation of learning from life.

The ICT of the Day

Gradually, the Church took on this role of extending oral instruction and learning was associated

with monasteries and privilege. History and truths were passed down from one generation ofholy people to the next, with the material being only handwritten manuscripts. This was the ICTof the day! To this extent, learning was divorced from the community, although those who wereeducated comprised a small minority of the population.

Mass education came with the Industrial Revolution. The growing cities required a workforcethat was disciplined and compliant. This was the charter for the early schools. The schools wereuninviting institutions, where mass teaching was teacher-centred with the mode ofcommunication being the blackboard and rote learning. Students sat in rows of fixed desks inrooms lining long corridors. This was the significant beginning of the separation of learning fromhome and community.

Architecture and Learning

Buildings have been around in various shapes and forms since the days of the nomads and theirtents. Why do we need them? We need them as a form of shelter and because they bring togetherthe three concepts of time, place and space. When you go to the movies in the shopping mall,you meet at a certain time. The shopping mall is the place where you meet and the theatre is thespace youll be in for the show. The main game is the film but the building is the envelope where


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it happens.Buildings have performed this role for all sorts of human functions and activities. Inthe context of this discussion, it is interesting to consider all those public buildings of formertimes and how they have adapted or been superseded:

y banks;y court houses;y churches;y railway stations;y post offices;y town halls; and,y schools.

The roles and functions of most of the above buildings have changed. Rationalisation andeconomies of scale account for some of this trend but the impact of ICT has also beensignificant. Changed banking operations are a good example of this.

Schools Slower to Evolve

Schools, as public buildings, have been slower to adapt to these changes for reasons includingeducational conservatism, bureaucratic systemic constraints and the provision of equality ofopportunity and economic stringency. The planning of school layouts, as distinct from the fabricof the buildings, has changed little over the last 100 years. The open-planned innovation of the1970s was one exception, although this did not lead to a long-term change of direction.

The Influence of ICT on Time

Schools provide an environment for teaching, as distinct from learning. This is not to say that

learning does not happen in schools it does but it is not only confined to schools, as withteaching. Schools, as traditionally established, are based around the concept of teaching takingplace in small blocks of time and with one teacher in contact with 25 to 30 students. Theoperational times of schools are set to cover the teaching day and the timetable is usually based

on a weekly cycle.ICT has the potential to free up this framework. To date, computers inschools have largely been confined to computer laboratories and some schools have also wiredeach classroom for two or three computer outlets. Other schools have adopted a laptop

programme and many students have access to computer technology at home.All of thesedevelopments mean that the imposition of time for learning is fading. Learning can, and does,happen outside of school. Hopefully, thankfully, it always has! However, ICT has acceleratedthis potential to free up time. A number of schools have taken advantage of this to shift the

responsibility for learning more towards the students. They are then able to control when theyundertake components of their learning, along with the where and the how.With greaterconnectivity to teachers (facilitators), other students and wider information, students are able tostructure their time of learning to suit themselves to a greater degree than they were able topreviously. This, of course, applies to a larger extent as the students become older. This is avariation on the theme of correspondence distance education. But it is richer, because the studentbenefiting from ICT can tap into many more educational sites and databases of knowledge.


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The Influence of ICT on Place

Schools as isolated institutions of teaching and learning are being re-thought. Learning can takeplace anywhere, as well as in school. For reasons not to do with the introduction of ICT, someschools have taken students off-campus and into alternative environments to experience nature,

the country and to interact with other students and staff in the outdoor environment. A widerappreciation of the environment, experiential learning and relationship building have all been a

part of this shift away from traditional school for segments of the school year.This trend hasbeen enhanced by the introduction of ICT. Now, students and staff are able to access theirschool, their family, friends, and indeed, all their other contacts from wherever they are. Theworld information system follows them wherever they wish to go. Satellite communicationsystems ensure this. So the logical extension of this is the concept of students joining aneducational ship in Melbourne, Australia, and taking a year to cruise the world, stopping offnumerous times and in various ports and countries, without any interruption to their educationalprogramme - whatever that may be.

The Influence of ICT on Space

Can we say therefore that the traditional classroom spaces and layouts are still appropriate? Inthe secondary school situation, it is necessary to distinguish the learning by doing rooms fromthe learning by listening and writing rooms. The former rooms cater for subjects, which includescience, technology, hospitality, music, drama and physical education. Much of the learning thathappens in these spaces is constructivist. The latter rooms cater for the traditional instructivistteaching of subjects, which include maths, English, history, geography, business studies andlanguages. Aside from the oral transfer of knowledge by the teacher, the print medium has been

the main form of communication for the students in these general-purpose classrooms.It ismore difficult to see that the spaces, which require special equipment, will significantly change

in layout than it is to see the possibilities of change for the general-purpose classrooms. With thedecline in emphasis on teacher-centred environments and the greater emphasis on student-centred learning, the spaces where this occurs should be geared for student comfort and studentamenity. Given that ICT will shift the balance of learning in this direction, learning spaces will

need to change.In addition to ICT, but again facilitated by it, there is the introduction of newcurriculum models and new pedagogies. Team-based teaching and learning, interdisciplinarycurricula and thematic learning are all concepts being practiced in various schools at present.These impact on the design of learning spaces.

The Potential of Virtual Reality

But perhaps the most significant impact of ICT yet to be implemented in any meaningful wayoutside of laboratories is virtual reality. This technology allows students to learn by enteringunreal environments to experience whatever is being studied. This technology has been aroundfor a while and used widely for pilot instruction in flight simulators. We all benefit andappreciate that! It will soon extend into general education though; and when it does, it will havean impact on the learning by doing rooms. Will it be necessary to diminish the forests bycutting up wood for materials technology when it could all be learnt and experienced in a virtualsense? The applications are many and the impact on facilities significant. At the edge,


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classrooms could be akin to learning laboratories - heavily equipped with technology forsimulation and virtual reality.

One Scenario

A well-quoted architectural convention is that Form follows Function. In this context, if thefunction of education delivery changes and the importance of time, place and space arediminished, then the form of the buildings which house whatever emerges should change. Isthere still a case that necessitates a structure to bring together the concepts of time, place and

space?Many educationalists would argue that there will always be the need for the passionateteacher the one who can enthuse their charges to explore their subject. (Better than a thousanddays of diligent study is one day with a great teacher: Japanese proverb) There is no argumentwith this and the appropriate spaces should be provided for this to occur. The point is that thistype of one-to-many contact will not take place for as much time as it does at present. It maydevelop into more of a lecture, a tutorial and self- study environment, as it presently the case atuniversity level.

A Reshaped Environment

Teachers, tutors, facilitators - whatever they are called - will also be housed in more appropriateless cramped environments than they at present and they will have improved access at their desks(or workstations) for continuous electronic connectivity. Many schools have given their teachers

laptop computers to encourage this level of communication.The environment for students willimprove. At present, the only personalised space for students is their locker space and this isoften cramped in a congested corridor. Student homerooms, where students will have their ownworkstation and computer facilities, will evolve. These spaces will be allocated to the studentsfor a whole year and so there will be ownership of them and care of them. Teachers/facilitators

will come to the students for instruction where necessary for those subjects, which do not requirethe provision of special equipment. Lockers will disappear.E-learning will increase inimportance, as will interactive multimedia learning tools. Some of this will be for entire learningcontent - others will be for top-up or extension purposes.

New Concept of a School

More learning will be undertaken outside of the school and there will be more community use ofthe school. This will lead to a deinstitutionalisation of the school. This could even lead tolearning being a seamless activity within the community once again. The concept of school coulddisappear. Learning centres could evolve and be indistinguishable from shopping malls which, in

many instances, are the new hearts of communities.The convergence of time, place and space,in the form of a building for learning, will change but not disappear. Learning is more than theacademic absorption and understanding of knowledge. It is also the process of maturing andsocialisation of human kind. The pro-social aspects of growing up, and becoming a well-adjustedadult, is as important as academic achievement. That is why education should not take placeentirely as a cyborg at home, without external physical contact with others, unless there areextenuating circumstances. In any case, subjects like sport and drama are especially difficult to'do' on your own!


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Andrew Bunting, Director, Architectus Melbourne

School Building Decay

In a critical article entitled The State of Decay, (Melbourne Age 10/10/05), educationjournalists, Caroline Milburn and Shane Green, wrote of the declining standard of VictoriasGovernment school facilities. Drawing on interviews with Professor Brian Caldwell [immediatepast Dean of the Faculty of Education at The University of Melbourne], Andrew Blair [Presidentof the Victorian Secondary Schools Principals Association], Brian Henderson [Victorian BranchSecretary of the Education Union] and myself [Victorian President of The Council for EducationFacilities Planning International], the article condemned the generally poor standard of VictorianGovernment school facilities. Professor Caldwell drew on his international travels to comment,I cannot name a developed country where the overall condition of school buildings is as bad asit is in Victoria.

The reasons for this state of decay are well known. Firstly, schools account for the highestpercentage of public building stock. Simply, there are a lot of schools to maintain. Secondly,construction quality fell during the 1950s to 1970s due to the requirement for a greater quantityof schools to house the post-war baby generation. Thirdly, successive governments have failedto allocated sufficient resources for school building maintenance and replacement. Theconsequence is that the problems persist and only escalate.

And how much of a crisis is this? It is true that the influence of the physical environment is oneof the important ingredients of a successful school experience. But how important? Respondingto Dr. Kevin Donnellys book, Why our Schools are Failing, Ian Keese wrote recently thatthere was no crisis in education. (Professional Educator, Oct. 2005). Teachers were well trained,Australias achievement with educational outcomes was well above the OECD average, theincrease in private school enrolments was a drift and not an exodus, and our governmentschools teach a cross-section of values held in our society. Keese made no mention of thefailing standard of the physical facilities in government schools.

In contrast to the proceeding thoughts, Caroline Milburn (Melbourne Age, 31/10/05), reported ona survey commissioned by the Australian Council of State School Organisations. In her article,Networking Lures Parents, she quoted the author of the survey, Dr. Richard Denniss, as sayingthat, Parents send children to private schools to ensure their offspring are exposed to bettersocial and job networks. Academic standards and facilities were the second and third mostcommonly mentioned reasons why parents chose the private option. Interestingly, parentswhose children remained at government schools also, cited reasons similar to those mentionedby the private school parents, although they nominated academic standards and the provision offacilities as the most important factors.

So, does the deteriorating standard of our government school buildings represent a crisis?Insofar as poor facilities negatively impact on students and teachers attitude to school and the


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process of learning, the answer must be, yes. Obviously parents are cognisant of this. Theconventional wisdom still remains that private schools are better than public schools.Increasingly, parents in Victoria are enrolling their students in private schools where the

standard of facilities is often much higher than that provided in government schools. Oneconsequence of this is that, the local school is breaking down as the glue that binds local

communities. The notion of a school being central to the fabric of a community often no longerexists.

Whilst government schools remain as separate institutions, the only remedy for this situation is asignificant capital injection by the government and/or utilizing private financing initiatives, ashas been done in the UK. Interestingly, unions now see this as a viable way forward inpreventing the increasing decay of these institutions.

Dr. Andrew BuntingDirector, Architectus Melbourne

Architectus Injects Creativity in Pharmaceutical Building

Architectus has designed a $17.5 million multi-use, purpose built facility for ContractPharmaceutical Services Australia Pty Ltd at Eden Park, North Ryde.

The facility comprises 2,800 square metres of production space, 600 square metres of officespace and car parking accommodation for 270 cars over two basement levels. The facility alsohas a further 4,800 square metres of additional space for another tenant.

Mr Ray Brown, Architectus director and lead project designer said the development posed threemajor architectural challenges: an extremely tight deadline of three weeks for initial conceptthrough to development application; the need to provide both industrial and commercial spacewithin the one facility; and, the need to create an aesthetic treatment for a specified seven metrehigh, windowless wall at the front entrance of the building.

We had to put together the program concept in just three weeks. The design had to capture theaesthetic vision of the client as well as logistically cater for the buildings users no small feat insuch a constrained timeframe. Mr Brown said.

Essentially, we were creating a building which is an industrial facility with a commercial officeon top. The challenge came in designing a building that could accommodate the separate useswithout compromising the commercial aesthetics of the project.

We achieved this by providing two distinctly different entrances to cater for the differingsecurity needs of the tenants and by giving prominence to the commercial component over theindustrial


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Metal walls, roof sheeting, pre-cast concrete panels with various textures give the buildingsexterior a modern yet functional aesthetic and sun shading have also been used to give depth tothe faade.

The building required a seven metre high exterior wall with no windows so we used textured

treatments to add dimension and interest, Mr Brown said.

The building was completed in December 2004 and is fully leased with the Department ofEmployment and Workplace Relations taking the remaining 50 percent of office space.

This month, the building won the 2005 Professional Excellence Award for Ecologicallysustainable construction in the $10 million to $50 million category by the Australian Institute ofBuilding and it has been awarded 4 stars under the Australian Building Greenhouse Ratingsystem.

Portable Classrooms

The recent State Government budget has allocated funding to many schools for the constructionof permanent facilities. The news has been received by these schools with a combination of reliefand joy. Typical of this reaction is that of the principal of Rochester Secondary College who saidthat he was over the moon, absolutely over the moon. He went on to say , You cant imaginewhat this is going to mean to the school. [Shepparton News, 7/5/2003]

Much of this exuberation is related to the fact that these schools will be able to rid themselves ofmany, if not all, of their portable buildings. The strength of emotion when schools farewell theirportable buildings is strong. There are good reasons for this.

Portables are rarely regarded as part of the school. They are accepted as necessary to cope withmedium term numbers in excess of the core enrolment or as temporary emergency measures butnot as a significant long term component of the school infrastructure. Due to funding limitations,portables often stay around longer than intended and wear out their welcome.

The best of these facilities are functional the worst, are not. They usually keep out the weather,they provide space which may or may not be adequate, but that is as far as they go. They are notdesigned to exude an atmosphere of, this is a good place to be.


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It is tempting for schools not to allocate time and resources to care for portable buildings.However, they should be maintained to a minimum standard for Occupation, Health and Safetyreasons. In the State system, funding for this is allocated from PRIMS.

Nevertheless, it is clearly noticeable when a school enhances these buildings by creating (forexample) useable spaces between them maybe courtyards with shade cloth and surroundingthem with appropriate landscaping.

In many schools the siting of these facilities is a compromise. One of the main considerations fortheir location is the necessary access for trucking and/or craning them in and out. This can mean

the loss of valuable recreation spaces and portable prominence whereby their visibility detractsfrom the main structure.

School masterplans should take account of the siting of semi-permanent portable buildings sothat they are located in the most desirable place with due thought to the relationship they havewith the external environment. State schools should be aware that there is a triennial programmefor masterplan/full planning/ and construction. It is important for schools to lock themselves intothis programme, even though sometimes it is the squeaky wheel which gets the oil.

Mr. Andrew Bunting

Director

Architectus

[email protected]

Will the form ever follow the function?


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Form follows Function is a well known architectural maxim espoused by Louis Sullivan in1896. In fulfillment of this, hotels are designed to function as places for drinking andaccommodation, churches as places of worship, hospitals as places of healing and schools asplaces of learning. What Sullivan went on to say (which is rarely mentioned) was, where thefunction does not change neither should the form. By implication, therefore, it is safe to say

that where the function does change, then so should the form.

The problem with most buildings is that they are long term assets. We build them to last,generally for 40 or 50 and more years. For previous periods in history this was not so much of anissue, but in the current age when change is all around us and the rate of change is increasing, thefunction within buildings is moving but the form is not. This brings us to the dilemma ofWinston Churchill who, in 1924, (complaining about the Houses of Parliament in London) saidwe first design our buildings and in time then they design us. This is the concept of formdetermining function.

With our schools, the reality is that most of them have been on the ground for a number ofyears and were designed along industrial process lines to suit the didactic paradigm ofeducation at the time. A number of these schools were built of light weight materials andconstructed in great quantity to cater for the baby boomer years of the Post Second World Warperiod. Many of these schools will last a lot longer than the present some for the next 20 to 30years.

However, education has changed at least educational leaders tell us this at conferences. Thegeneral reality, though, may be somewhat different. Across the system, change may not be asradical and dynamic as conference presenters would have us believe. Nevertheless, there arepockets of innovation happening in individual schools which give cause for hope.

There are reasons for slow rates of change in education. Firstly, teachers are generally consideredto be a conservative group of professionals. Some of them have never been out of the classroomand so dont know how to operate any differently than the way they were first taught and the way

they were taught to teach. Secondly, systemic change is hard. It is difficult to scale up good ideasto operate throughout the entire system. Thirdly, the curriculum, mandated assessments andschool accountabilities act as dampeners for change, particularly in the senior years of SecondarySchool where enter scores for tertiary institutions are all important. And then, there is theimpact of existing buildings which dont support the new pedagogies.


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But if we could redesign our schools to be places which support the new ways of learning in theknowledge age perhaps taking on board some of the ideas from existing innovativeinstitutions, what sort of things would we consider ?

In Primary Schools, for the most part, students dont move from one room to another during theday. Generally, their room is their place and space for the entire year and this is often evident bythe way they personalize their space with colour and various adornment. At their levels withinthe primary sector, it is considered important to have this form of security. Furthermore, thecurriculum does not prescribe that the primary learning content is broken into distinct subjectspecialties as it is later on. Primary schools are excellent places for interdisciplinary learningperhaps using teams of students for projects and teams of teachers to assist. If learning spaces arebased on year levels (and they dont have to be recall the one roomed school house for allgrades), then adjacent break out nooks and generous resource areas are important to support thismore independent and team based approach.

Learning spaces dont have to be enclosed as are traditional classrooms. There may be somedefinition of space but three sides may be sufficient with the fourth side being open to a commonresource area. This area may include the library together with supporting information andcommunication technology and media facilities. And it all needs to be at the appropriate scale forthe junior students.

Early learning philosophy supports the importance of the environment for younger students Montessori, Steiner, and Reggio Emilia being some of the theories. Included here are the issuesof physical comfort, eg; temperature and light, but also of spaces that elicit curiosity and wonder.The external environment is a part of this. Whilst it is necessary to have adequate play spacewhich may include some hard surfaces, it is undesirable to have wall to wall asphalt in anyschool. Much can be done with the external environment to create learning experiences. Creativegardens, water ponds, bird hives and so on all give rise to rich learning possibilities.

When students progress to the traditional Secondary School, they enter a new type of learning

regime. The curriculum is divided into subject disciplines, learning time is divided into periodsof 40 minutes (for the most part) and the students are faced with many teachers in lieu of the onethey had in primary school. The students are constantly moving around the school from oneroom to another which makes for lost time and points of congestion.


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In comparison to Primary Schools, many Secondary Schools are often bland and basic buildingtypes. There seems to be an assumption that the physical environment is not important tosecondary school students. However, we know that this group are still impressionable and can beled to appreciate good design an attribute which will stay with them for the rest of their lives.Good design encompasses appropriate planning of the internal and external spaces as well as the

external elevation or faade of the buildings. Both aspects are equally important.

Within the Secondary School learning environment, there have been many pressures for change.The first would be the recognition that students have preferred methods to learn. This has comeout of the work by Howard Gardner and others on multiple intelligences. The didactic methodmay be appropriate for some but totally non-productive for others. The recognition of the valueof constructivist learning is also taking hold.

There has also been a re-questioning of the purpose of our Secondary Schools. In general theirpurpose has shifted from being vocationally oriented institutions to places where the students notonly learn various subject contents but also learn how to process information and create newknowledge. They learn how to learn and how to defend and demonstrate their learning withtheir peers. Students should leave Secondary Schools with critical minds and problem solvingabilities skills which can then be applied to many and various academic disciplines and lifesituations.

The quantity and quality of information available to students via the computer network hasgrown exponentially. The skills of accessing and sifting this information as part of the learningprocess.

Communication technology has given students the ability to converse with anyone, anywhere inthe world. It has also given students the freedom to work off campus to various levels and to takecourses in the virtual sense entirely divorced from their physical school environment. Thequantum of communication happenings from SMS text messages to synchronous voice and videocommunication has burgeoned. This has given education a new dimension. It is possible for the

virtual school to replace the physical school and this has happened for a while with our OutbackSchool of the Air. Although virtual schooling is possible it is not a first option for the maincomponent of the educational experience. Humans need social and physical contact. In the realworld, much work and leisure happens with other humans in groups and teams. The educationalexperience should mirror this.


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Whilst the curriculum has broadened considerably in the Secondary Schools, the method ofassessment has largely remained with the examination system. To a significant extent this hashad a negative influence on learning innovation in the senior years of secondary schooling.

Nevertheless, pockets of innovation have occurred and much has been spoken about new ways ofdoing things. High on the agenda is team based learning where students learn in groups insteadof individually. Added to this could be that the content studied spans various disciplines and agegroups. Mix this with the resource of unlimited electronic information and the ability to meet andwork in the virtual sense rather than always in the physical form and we have a new educationalparadigm. This is already happening in some places The School for Environmental Studies(The Zoo School) in Minnesota being one example.

Furthermore there is a trend to have students engage in authentic or real life learning in thecommunity rather within the confines of the school. This is particularly relevant to the morevocationally oriented courses. Partnerships with tertiary institutions and industry are ofimportance in this respect.

What does this all mean for the design issues for secondary schools ? Firstly, it means that theindustrial desig

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