Life course of school buildings: Sustaining dialogue between education and architecture
Date Issued
2011
Date
2011
Author(s)
Yang, Ching-fen
Abstract
This paper discusses the transaction between school education and buildings. In this paper, school education regards administrative system, educational policies and regulations, and educational practices. School buildings regard both physical facilities and their building processes. It was presupposed that a participatory design process would facilitate the coordination between the two parties. Three types of schools which have applied participatory design process were studied: a new school system running at new school buildings, an old school system at new school buildings, a new school system at old school buildings. Through field observations and interviews, this paper explored how participatory design process facilitated sustaining dialogue between education and architecture, and how the process highlighted the public feature of schools.
The findings indicate, 1. Educational concepts should be developed prior to the school building process which should fulfill the school needs and also facilitate the educational practices; 2. An open school system with a feedback mechanism will create an open milieu. This democratic practice encourages school members to engage in school affairs and also facilitate the coordination between school education and buildings.
On the other hand, school buildings are representations of education. And their life course should follow educational practice. That is, school buildings should be responsive to education. 1. People make places. Various users request for different needs and they use space with different ways. The diverse people-environment interacting patterns compose space scenarios, which are the basis of design concepts. 2. The incompatibility between school education and buildings could be a turning point of changes. When school buildings are more progressive, it challenges present educational concepts. On the contrary, when educational concept is more progressive, the adjustment to the buildings may provide settings for innovative educational projects. 3. A more open system of a school allows users transact with new architectural forms in a more innovative way. If these forms were developed by school members, they should be conveyed to new members, which will become an element of school culture. 4. The users should be responsible for the architectural building processes.
On the whole, school should be public space where school members are equally regarded. The architectural building process may embody school as public space and empower users to the space and school affairs. 1. The participatory process challenges the hierarchical school system. During the process, the diversity bodies of the school should cooperate to achieve collective goals. 2. The supports from central government and democratic milieu of the school are the key mechanism encouraging users to be involved in school building process. 3. The building process of school architecture should include all school members. Some vague, open and changeable spaces provide settings for formal and informal dialogue among school members.
At last, users’ participation will re-define the relationship between school education and buildings. The process let school members re-inspect their current educational concept and establish future images; while school buildings response to the needs, both physically and pedagogically. Eventually, education is school building, and school building is education.
Subjects
school buildings
education
pedagogy
participatory design
community empowerment
SDGs
Type
thesis
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