Learning environments
ARTHI BALASUBRAMANIAN
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Design in the delivery of education
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In the last few decades, we have witnessed India scale new heights in terms of economy, sport, science and business. Yet in the U.N. development report for 2007/2008, we rank 152 in the world literacy tables. The government, as well as independent charitable organisations, seem to have realised that channelling the potential of future citizens is the only way to reach the next level of progress. Government programmes such as Sarva Shiksha Abhiyan (SSA) , the District Elem
entary Education Plan (DEEP), the work done by NGOs such as UNICEF, and Asha for Education have seen a burgeoning of school buildings of different scales and teaching methods.
Though education has now been identified as an immediate concern requiring fast action, the value of design in school buildings has been undermined as ‘making pretty’ and hence superfluous. Good architecture combines aesthetics, function and buildability to provide benefits for everyone involved in the process, and most importantly the end users.
Creative planning
There has been some emphasis recently on design of classrooms, and the work done by Building as a Learning Aid (BALA) scheme in bringing innovation to the classroom, especially for children with special needs, is commendable. An exemplar school must incorporate some essential design and planning criteria that take advantage of the available space. Young minds are curious and absorb everything around them, so it is important to feed their curiosity and impart character by a rich palette of materials, detailing, colour, creating surprise and innovative use of spaces.A school should have among its priorities a sensible fencing strategy, adequate fire exits, passive supervision by intelligent planning of spaces, avoiding nooks and crannies. Each child must feel valued, and their needs must be accounted for. Some of the basic design measures that we can incorporate are use of ramps, Braille signage, right mix of colours, accessable toilets, etc. Comfort in terms of the level of lighting (glare), noise levels, and temperature have to be looked into. A comfortable environment is without doubt more conducive to learning. A good ventilation strategy, shade, choice of materials with inherent cooling properties and the use of more greenery and water can cut down the power bill significantly.
A feasibility study and a brief to discuss the above topics and any others with the locals, teachers, students and a design team should be taken up. Student workshops, public consultations, and open exhibitions are all ways to involve the end user in the planning and design process.
A clear idea of the requirements helps to develop an enabling strategy and design taking into consideration the local conditions such as the economy, weather, materials and skills available. The resultant building will be fit-for-purpose, a source of pride, and cost-effective from a build and long-term maintenance perspective. Quality school architecture will contribute towards reaching targets in terms of enrolment, retention and higher levels of achievements. We are at a point where we have the chance to build creative learning environments.
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