The master plan is a dynamic long-term planning document that provides a conceptual layout to guide future growth and development.

The document is created to make a connection between buildings, social settings, and their surrounding environments by analysing the site aspects including weather, levels and transitions, indigenous importance and heritage implications. Allowing for the predicted growth/demand, existing use and suitability of existing structure, and social and economic conditions. 

Some projects that we have administered have begun with a greenfield site. i.e. no existing structures. For e.g. Ozcare’s Aged Care Facility and Retirement village in Hervey Bay as well as St Clare’s Primary School in Yarrabilba. 

Queensland students returned to their schools some time back which has given us the opportunity to discuss with our clients the future of the classroom after Covid19, explore how things have changed and what it means moving forward.

Architecture is dynamic in its nature, as Architects, we are constantly adapting to the changing needs of our clients and their end users, new technologies, new ways of thinking, new societal expectations and even global pandemics all affect how we design.

The pandemic saw schools open only to children of key workers, meaning that fewer students were being supported by physical learning spaces. The shift to learning at home and an adaption to virtual styles of learning has made us question the notion of the Traditional Classroom in a physical sense.

Flexible Learning Environments

The challenge as Architects is to respond to the change in pedagogy due to the pandemic, to re-structure existing classrooms to accommodate smaller groups – flexible spaces that can expand and contract as needed and incorporate innovative technologies to support the schools that may hold on to in a part digital, and part physical pedagogy.

In recent years, our clients have embraced collaborative learning environments with different spaces which allow students to find what works for them. Not only has this approach proved to enhance academic performance (see studies by ILETC), it is easier to reorganise these spaces into socially distanced arrangements, using elements like folding walls as well as moveable furniture and portable dividers to offer multi-purpose spaces, quiet pods for studying, one-on-one meeting spaces and small breakout areas or socially distanced arrangements if we’re faced with another event that requires us to do so.

Taking the learning space outside if possible or opening the classrooms up to wide verandahs to create larger indoor/outdoor multi-purpose spaces while increasing the natural ventilation that limits the spread of airborne disease and, as studies show, can foster a positive learning environment.

At Enrich Architecture, we believe that Civic and Community spaces should be designed with the intention to make a positive contribution to the community, whether it be culturally, socially or economically.

We endeavour to create thoughtful spaces that bring people together, strengthen communities, and enhance the lives of those who utilise them. When our team develops a design for Civic and Community projects, we ensure the following three design features are considered from concept to completion to create a nurturing community space: 

> Connectivity
> Socialisation
> Sense of Place

Connectivity

When we design community spaces, we consider how we can introduce flexibility to create ‘communal zones’ within an overarching space where individuals can feel connected to the broader community. 

Collaboration in a community is key in giving individuals purpose and bringing people together to feel a part of something. Collaboration fosters learning by encouraging people to work together and share ideas, as well as develop higher-level thinking skills, boost confidence and self-esteem. 

The Yarrabilba Kindergarten and Community Hub was designed to include spaces for private counselling services and larger multi-purpose spaces for community use. Providing a commonplace for the connection with local community groups and participation in events helps children build diverse relationships and understand their connections to a broader world, promote collaboration and active citizenship. Strong connection with the diverse community reinforces the ideologies that every child is an individual and helps build a strong sense of self, confidence in their abilities and a love of learning that they will take with them to school.

According to the 2016 Australian Bureau of Statistics Census indicate nearly one in four older Australians live alone. This is a huge number of people at risk of social isolation, which can then lead to a number of mental health issues.

Loneliness and social isolation; mobility and access to transport; lack of independence; and insufficient money are the top issues of concern to seniors; while their top health concerns are dementia and memory loss; mobility; frailty; and mental health (including depression). Retirement villages are especially designed for older people and can help alleviate these concerns.

Fostering a sense of place, community, and belonging: the design of the retirement village can encourage social encounters, increase community interactions, and build trust and civic engagement.

Reflections on the Bay retirement village design considers how the residents can SHARE public and common spaces, amenities and services to facilitate social connections with neighbours, friends and family.

The emphasis is on encouraging companionship and group activities, to get residents involved in contributing to a community spirit. Maintenance and other services provided by Ozcare allow more time and opportunities for the residents to socialise, make new friends and explore new interests. Fences between the courtyards of individual units have been intentionally excluded from the design to encourage a greater community atmosphere, safety overlooking and neighbourly discussion.

Our team of architects at Enrich Architecture designed the educational learning spaces at St. Clare’s Kindergarten. When construction was underway, we noticed the kindergarten children who were then occupying classrooms at St Clare’s Primary, were interested and curious about what was happening close by. As architects with a background in designing educational spaces, we are passionate about how the end-user, the students – will be able to learn and grow in these environments in a practical sense.

At this time, the teachers noticed the students’ curiosity towards the construction sites and took it as an opportunity to make it a unique learning experience for them. The students were encouraged to make observations, imagine what the spaces were for, and make their own predictions about what might happen next. They also used building blocks to recreate their drawings or “mini-construction plans.” Not only is this a fun activity for children, and a great way to get them involved in things happening around them, constructive play has many added developmental benefits for children.

What is constructive play?

Constructive play is an organised form of play that is goal-oriented and thoughtful. It allows children to engage with materials to create something, problem solve and learn about the attributes of different materials. 

This type of play can range from simple things like counting bricks, measuring weights and moving objects. It is an engaging and different way to help young minds develop and think independently to make decisions based on what they’re learning. Activities like this help foster creativity, problem solving and fine motor skills, team-work skills, and hand-eye coordination. Giving children the opportunity to nurture creativity and be inquisitive in a learning environment is a necessity in education.

Children’s development when designing learning spaces

We consider constructive play in building design to ensure indoor and outdoor areas have a range of textures for sensory exploration and learning. From the dirt and bark chosen in the garden to the open plan classroom setting for moving around furniture and playing with building blocks and scales. These elements are all essential when designing spaces for young children as they add diversity and adventure to their play. 

Independent problem-solving activities are a fun way for children to engage with the world around them and foster their early-learning development. We love hearing stories of what the teachers and educational leaders at centres like St Clare’s Kindergarten are doing for their students and being a part of the process. Who knows, after taking an interest in constructive play activities, maybe one day these children will be our next generation of architects!

​Classrooms are people-centric, social spaces for learning, meeting, exploring and thinking. The design scope of learning spaces has evolved over time, and now in 2019, it is much different than what it used to be. No longer do classrooms need to be designed following the “sage and stage” model with a platform for teachers at the front of the room and all chairs facing that way. As modern architects, we ensure we reflect on the past to create spaces rooted in their history, while staying up to date on new research and changing trends when it comes to architectural design. This allows us to design educational spaces that reflect the spatial requirements of current pedagogy whilst also being mindful that in the future, the built environment may need to be converted, scaled or modified to suit.

Flexibility of Space

Collaborative classrooms with a diversity in seating arrangements have been shown to help students break out of ruts, stay focused and gain fresh perspective. In a similar sense to effective coworking office spaces, having different “zones” and flexible seating helps students to work collaboratively and more productively. Compared to 30+ years ago, there is now more in-depth research on individual students’ learning styles and creating spaces to enhance this. As future-forward architects, we use these insights to develop learning spaces to be open and fluid. This ensures there is a variety of ways furniture can (and should) have the ability to be shifted around to create learning zones to suit students’ needs.

Spaces that Nurture

Studies have found that enclosed spaces increase cortisol, the stress hormone, which makes them detrimental to learning. Rooms with high ceilings stimulate “visuospatial exploration” which means these spaces make people more attentive and focused.

Emotional connections and attentiveness are crucial for a positive learning experience. Incorporating open plan learning spaces and high ceilings into the architectural design of schools can encourage these fundamental learning responses amongst students.

Educational spaces are not limited to the classroom, spaces outside and adjacent to the formal teaching space are important to the delivery of good educational environments. Creating a connection to outdoor break-out spaces and learning areas, space for the individual and outdoor collaborative learning areas increase opportunity for learning arrangements.

Awareness of Environment

We’ve completed numerous architectural projects for schools across Brisbane, and natural lighting where possible is always a high priority.

Studies have found that students who learned in classrooms with more natural light, achieved higher grades than those from the same area that did not. As well as this, low levels of light affect students’ ability to regulate their body’s natural sleep cycle, making them more likely to feel sleepy in class. Designing classrooms to leverage natural light or use artificial lighting that mimics natural sunlight can improve students’ school attendance rates, achievement levels and overall health.

Just like adults, if primary school-aged children are distracted by a glare from the window, inadequate lighting or uncomfortable acoustics, they’re focused on the distraction rather than their learning. Distractions can be stressful, and when our kids are stressed, they’re not learning as well as they could be. Proactive thinking from the architecture team during the design phase can eliminate these small stresses that make the biggest difference in the long run.

When designing any space, we know it is essential to do our research, listen to our client, and think proactively about what the end-user will practically use this space for. This is especially important when designing learning spaces for students — our future generation. We use this approach to guide our design decisions from start to finish, mindfully creating modern, practical spaces that can be evolved to suit in the future.