External Areas:Layout 1 01/07/2009 13:11 Page 25
external areas
Photography: New Line
Learning Academy.
Focal point environmental and ecological study. It is
To the south of the main building and through the development of these features
hidden from view of the car park, the that a school gets its individual character
‘Southern Plaza’ is made up of a series of as well as integrating the surrounding
spaces which are designed around landscape character into the school.
external learning. Each space is located
adjacent to a classroom and is easily Inside vs Outside
accessible for staff and students to use. The challenge for the Academy and for
The spaces are designed around seating every school is to develop the whole of its
configurations which focus the students’ site into an educational environment that
attention on the teacher whilst reflects its ethos and meets needs.
facilitating discussion and social interaction In most schools, traditional classroom
within the class. Spatially, seating and environments have been preferred as
planters divide the Plaza into the different they offer a controlled environment for
learning environments which are useable students to perform without distraction.
year round due to canopy structures. In contrast to this, external learning
spaces suffer as students are easily
distracted in open environments. The
it is through these other major problem with external
learning is the potential changes in
site-specific features
weather, which make it an unreliable
that a school gets
environment for structured learning. With
these problems in mind, most teaching
its character
staff would not take classes outside
unless it was for a specific purpose and
for a limited time. If, however, the external
Other opportunities to establish space was adjacent to the classroom and
external learning environments are best was ‘owned’ by the class, then these
looked at through the development of spaces would become viable options for
site specific features. On New Line experiments, breakout spaces or other
Learning Academy, the boundary planting class-based activities suitable to an
and protected woodland on the site external environment.
represent a natural environment rich in There is great potential for external
biodiversity and ideal for organised learning environments to be developed to
support and complement traditional
classrooms and so provide a more varied
learning experience for students.
www.placedp.com
www.ltl.org.uk
www.newlinelearning.com
edbmagazine.co.uk 25
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