As is everything in architecture, visibility in schools occurs at different scales, with each having a different impact on education.
Student – Teacher – Material
On the smallest scale, there is the visibility within a classroom. The most important players in these spaces are the teachers, the students, and the material being learned. Providing easy access to this material and using light that properly illuminates the room without glaring is part of a delicate, but very important system of visibility. Any student will tell you that trying to learn in a classroom with low lighting and visibility issues is almost as impossible as learning in a classroom with heavy glare and uncomfortably direct sunlight. To help combat these issues, sun shading and proper glazing placement is key, as well as using proper materials inside the classroom to help with focus and not cause major distractions. There is a very good reason most classrooms do not use alarming and distracting colors when its hard enough to get children to focus as is.
Classroom – Hallway – Group
Outside the classroom the scale can be pulled back to include the hallways and the other classrooms. Stairwells and hallways are no longer just moments of circulation but are rather invitations for students to interact and have meaningful group discussions that move past saying sorry when running into someone while changing classes. The hallways act as main roads and the classrooms act as side streets, organized into such way to maximize the efficiency of moving through the building without compromising a chance to be inspired by other classes. Rather than viewing the same static material each day, more and more schools are paving their roads so that younger grades move past classes from grades other than their current level. This fosters inspiration and creativity, two important skills in any kid. Group work and play are essential components to education, yet far too often these groups are limited strictly to the group, and every other student is bullied out of the space by the design, without any opportunity to get involved.
Building – Environment
On yet another scale, the system and relationship between the school and its immediate surroundings can be incredibly beneficial or detrimental for classrooms. A pleasant and inviting surrounding environment can calm students and encourage productivity, while a chaotic surrounding view can be highly distracting. Creating colorful yet unchanging environments, such as parks or galleries, can not only provide the light and welcoming views, but develop community space desperately needed to keep kids wanting to be in schools. This bridge also is important in connecting the school to the world it is preparing students for, rather than feeling like a separate entity entirely. On the flip side, it is important to provide these spaces that might provide more safety and block off visibility from an ever increasingly dangerous world. Proper entry and gallery visibility is a difficult balance that is important to maintain for creating a safe but open environment.
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