The Space, Queen Anne's School

Reading, United Kingdom

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The Space, Queen Anne's School

Reading, United Kingdom

Firm

Lewandowski Architects

Type

Educational › High School

STATUS

Built

YEAR

2016

SIZE

10,000 sqft - 25,000 sqft

BUDGET

$1M - 5M

“The Space is a beautiful, iconic building, but what it has brought to us as a school is so much more than that. The Space is a bright and dynamic environment that has become the hub for the rhythm of school life. The Space inspires us to think big, enables us to pursue our individual journeys and brings us together as a vibrant and developing community that recognises the importance of our links with each other and the world outside”

Mrs Julia Harrington, Headmistress, Queen Anne’s School

The new Sixth Form Centre at Queen Anne’s School is a state-of-the-art educational environment that, at its core, aims to enhance teaching and learning through innovative approaches to education.

The Centre, named The Space, has been designed to allow students the opportunity to feel more like adults, not only in their education but in their social development, preparing them for life beyond school, be that higher education or in industry.

In recent years there has been a significant change in the attitude of schools in relation to their requirements and desires for new learning environments. There is an inherent excitement and open-mindedness amongst schools, both private and state, to create unique, vibrant and more adult environments that promote innovative teaching methods. Exploring this relationship and the impact it can have on a student’s ability, willingness and excitement to learn is something that many of the most progressive schools are looking to embrace.

As a practice Lewandowski Architects are passionate about the relationship between the built environment and its impact upon education. This passion was first explored and truly manifested on a project for Eton College; The Tony Little Centre for Innovation and Research in Learning. The Tony Little Centre is a flagship facility that was created when Lewandowski Architects fully refurbished an existing, tired and very traditional teaching block into a contemporary, light and bright hub of activity. The Centre ensures Eton College continue to lead the way in global teaching and learning developments. The function of this facility is a statement in itself, demonstrating how teaching and learning is enthusiastically being experimented with at the school. The individual environments are examples of how new technologies, advancements in furniture design, spatial planning and architectural design can liberate the traditional classroom environment.

The Space, which was officially opened in September 2016, builds upon some of the concepts developed at Eton College, tailored to the exacting requirements of Queen Anne’s School. Lewandowski Architects designed the building and the internal fit out to provide exciting educational environments within a unique and contemporary setting. The building creates the experience of an innovative 21st century company such as Google or Apple, containing vibrant spaces with which students can interact.

The Centre is equipped with an entirely digital library, containing an extensive collection of digital resources accessible through the school’s network. There are several large, bespoke study pods offering enclosed workspaces where students can engage in seminars or group work. These are equipped with interactive screens enabling users to project and control media from computers and mobile devices.

The classroom walls are coated with write-on, projectable wallpaper which allow teachers and students to utilise the walls as versatile visual aids. Twinned classrooms are conjoined by sliding doors, allowing them to be doubled in size, giving the school opportunities for larger events such as lectures or group work in a larger setting.

Collaborative learning and group discussions play a more influential role in the modern day classroom. In turn this requires a more inventive use of furniture with an ability to be more flexible and create different environments. The Centre contains innovative furniture which enables varying environments. There are segmental tables which can be arranged in patterns such as clusters, arcs or rows, and they can be combined to create larger tables. These allow teachers to adjust the classroom according to the desired teaching method and allow students to customise their learning environment to their needs. Rooms are equipped with dual sitting position chairs, which can be safely tilted forwards and backwards to straighten the pelvis and spine, a design that improves circulation to the abdominal and back muscles.

There are ‘breakout’ spaces, decorated according to themes chosen by students, including Central Park, a West End Theatre and the inside of Big Ben. These spaces are creative zones, to enhance learning, allowing students to relax, work and engage in a radically different environment.

The Space, encapsulates the schools recognition of the importance of collaborative learning environments which enable dynamic, interactive discussion to foster deeper learning. The school want their teachers to harness the power of positive emotional contagion within the classroom to increase the motivation of all students to learn. The building’s design, the flexibility of the space and the furniture enables more effective teamwork.