A Natural Learning Habitat

During the #DesignPopUp Virtual Panel webinar on Thursday 27^th August, four guest speakers from the industry discussed the future of design in the education sector, focusing on the role of natural habitats, using materials inspired by nature and the importance of outdoor learning.

The webinar aimed to highlight how and why architects and designers should focus on creating more flexible, adaptable natural learning habitats which prioritise learner wellbeing — offering insight, solutions and ideas to suit the ever-changing needs and circumstances of those being educated.

 

A positive connection to nature

 

The importance of outdoor learning has been an increasingly hot topic in early years education for some time. A growing body of research supports what we instinctively know — that learning outdoors in nature is beneficial in terms of wellbeing. It can improve recovery from stress, cognitive function and creativity, with the success of the Scandinavian model of outdoor learning often cited as aspirational.

But, as the panel noted, there is a marked disconnect between the focus afforded to outdoor learning in early years and that in most secondary or tertiary education settings, and subsequently into workplaces, echoing the progression through life from play in youth to work and responsibility in adulthood.

So how can that focus be manifested and realised from an architectural and design perspective, and how can it influence the governing processes of education? And perhaps even more importantly, how can architects and designers work to create more “natural” learning environments to benefit learners?

One idea is leaving the intended usage deliberately open to interpretation, with a ‘looser’ space that more people can interpret and use in their own way. If the form of design facilitates multiple uses and applications and perhaps echoes some of the changes and rhythms ever-present in the natural world, designers may be able to get closer to a solution suitable for more people.

In order for true freedom and flexibility of use to be adopted and accepted, however, there needs to be a cultural shift in leadership modelling. Jill and Stephen discussed how senior leaders need to challenge the norms and lead by example, ‘permitting’ through their own behaviours new ways to access and interact with natural and indoor spaces. Diarmaid agreed, pointing out that culture is a key mechanism by which more natural learning environments can be enabled, as people may need to feel “permitted” to move away from the expected behavioural and environmental norms of an educational setting.

Aligning the role of design with administrative governance

 

“As designers, we are passengers to the decisions of those determining the curriculum and pedagogy. If these three elements understood and communicated with each other more effectively, could we reach an ideal level of alignment?” — Stephen Long, Scottish Future Trust.

While the panellists all agreed that it is not the role of designers to instruct or advise on curriculum or teaching practices, the consideration of the environment in which learning happens is an inextricable component of the educational system. As Stephen suggested, it is potentially in the relationship and communication between the curricular “what”, the pedagogic “how” and the environmental “where”, that we may get closer to an ideal of a learning habitat. Karen highlighted that dictating curriculum or pedagogy may not be the role of the designer, but what designers can do is remove barriers and create pathways between learning environments, both literally and by association.

 

Is there such a thing as an ideal learning habitat?

There is mounting evidence to suggest that we don’t really know much about the ways that people learn. What we do know is that there is no “one size fits all” solution; we all learn in different ways and respond individually to different situations, environments and stimuli. The growing appreciation of recognising and celebrating difference could lead to a new exploration of flexibility, open interpretation and multiple functionalities of space.

Karen believes that it is very much about creating spaces which can flex and adapt for individuals, allowing them to assign their own meaning and use to a given space. So it is not necessarily for the architect to provide a complete solution, but to provide a spatial framework to be filled in by the users, following the theories of Herman Hertzberger. This hands the power to the people using the space to let them use it as they will — a “terrifying notion” for an architect perhaps, but one which moves towards the looser fit discussed earlier.

Jill agreed, adding that it is not just the differences between individuals that will influence their experience of an environment, but also the changes of mood and circumstance that each of those individuals goes through on a daily basis. We live in a constant state of change ourselves; also echoing the natural rhythms and evolutions of the natural world. When scaled up across educational settings, the need for open interpretation and flexible usage of space becomes even more imperative.

Stephen also observed that there is no universal agreement that outside is always good, and reminded us that “natural” habitats are not just green or rural spaces, but instead incorporate urban landscapes, as well as social structures and behaviour.  The alignment of place and purpose, Stephen outlined, will help make those spaces make more sense; while chemistry in a lab may confuse and bore, it could come to life on a farm, for example. Human nature and experience are inextricably linked with their environments, and it is in the relationship and interaction between humans and their environments that a feeling of psychological safety can be reached, which is essential for learning.

Diarmaid recounted how, at a talk some years previously, a child stood up in front of hundreds of people and spoke convincingly about what it takes to create a positive learning environment. It boiled down to three things for her: creating spaces for comfort and safety, creating spaces for stretch and challenge, and creating spaces to retreat to when you’ve simply gone too far and need to regroup. We have a psychological connection with our surroundings, and as human emotion and experience are in a constant state of flux, it is important for those environments to be open to adaptation.

So whether we are dealing with hardscapes, urban or rural landscapes, indoors, outdoors, whatever and wherever — we should strive to create opportunities for those three basic needs to be met, and to create the pathways to link them without obstacle. If we can achieve that, allowing users some degree of control and flex in their environment, then perhaps we can get closer to a better, more natural learning environment to suit more individual needs.

Looking to the future

If the last six months have taught us anything, it’s that the future is unknown. The panel agreed that knee-jerk reactions to create sterile, wipe-clean environments filled with antimicrobial materials would be a travesty. But perhaps we do need to look at the longer-term implications of new technologies and techniques; as Karen said, modern ventilation systems have been welcomed thanks to their increased energy efficiency and temperature control, but as they allow very little fresh air, they could have been seen as a hindrance rather than a help during the pandemic.

All speakers agreed that the only certainty is uncertainty, and therefore the role of flexibility and adaptability is crucial to creating fully accessible, diverse environments which can be experienced individually and en masse, and where purpose and place are aligned by the user, not only the designer.

Utilising natural habitats and landscapes to inspire material choices, layouts and pathways between interior and exterior environments is a major part of this. But so is looking to nature for inspiration in terms of constant flux; of shifting light and sound and purpose, of behaviours, social and natural ecologies, and in creating spaces which have the capacity to be adapted and repurposed as required by the users to optimise their own quality of experience.