The complete interview to read:
What challenges characterize school space planning today?
Simone: School space planning is currently a major concern for many municipalities. An important reason is demographic development. The population is growing, there are more students, and thus the need for suitable spaces is also increasing.
At the same time, school as a system is changing. Teaching, care, and societal expectations continue to evolve. Topics such as supplementary school care, day schools, and all-day use present schools and municipalities with new questions: How can a school campus be planned so that teaching, care, movement, retreat, and catering interact meaningfully?
Modern school space planning must therefore do more than just provide additional classrooms. It must consider the entire campus, the daily school routines, and the future development of the school.
Where do problems arise when architecture and pedagogy don't align?
Simone: The space should support its use, not the other way around.
When architecture and pedagogical concepts don't align, daily life becomes a balancing act. Teachers have to adapt their lessons to spaces that are actually unsuitable for them. At the same time, they are expected to fulfill the curriculum, enable modern learning forms, and foster the competencies children and young people need for their future lives.
Good school space planning therefore doesn't ask first: What does the building look like? Instead: What should happen in these spaces? Only when it is clear how teaching, collaboration, movement, retreat, and care should function can architecture truly become effective.
Why is Phase 0 so important in school space planning?
Simone: Many construction projects formally start with Phase 1, i.e., with strategic planning, preliminary studies, and preliminary design. For schools, however, Phase 0 is crucial. It precedes the actual building planning and clarifies the most important question: How will teaching and learning take place at this school?
Phase 0 deals with the pedagogical concept, the use of the spaces, and the future development of the school. Only from this can concrete requirements for room sizes, zones, furnishings, acoustics, access, and flexibility be derived.
Those who carefully develop these foundations create a better basis for architecture, administration, feasibility studies, and subsequent competitions. Phase 0 prevents the planning of a building that is aesthetically convincing but does not function optimally in daily school life.
For municipalities and school administrations, it is therefore an important lever to ensure that investments are used meaningfully in the long term.
What role do specialists play in Phase 0?
Simone: A good translation is needed between pedagogy and architecture. This interface is often overlooked in construction projects.
An external specialist can help translate the pedagogical concept into concrete spatial requirements. This includes questions such as: Which learning forms should be possible? Which zones are needed? How flexibly must spaces be usable? Which furniture supports teaching? Where is retreat, movement, or collaboration needed?
In addition to specialized expertise, the issue of resources also plays a major role. School administrations are heavily involved in construction projects but also have to manage their daily business. Depending on the size of the project, external support can therefore relieve the burden and ensure that central pedagogical concerns are not lost.
Professional guidance in school space planning helps to make more informed decisions and avoid subsequent planning errors.
What distinguishes classic classrooms from modern learning environments?
Simone: The classic classroom with a blackboard at the front, the teacher in the center, and 24 desks in rows dates back to a time when teaching was primarily focused on imparting knowledge. For this form of teaching, the room concept was understandable at the time.
Today, however, schools have changed. Of course, imparting factual knowledge remains important. At the same time, it's about interdisciplinary competencies, collaboration, independence, communication, creativity, and problem-solving.
A room designed exclusively for frontal teaching only partially supports these requirements. Modern learning environments therefore create various possibilities: concentrated work, group work, movement, presentation, retreat, and flexible use.
Good school space design does not mean fundamentally disparaging old concepts. It's about further developing spaces in the context of today's requirements.
How do flexible learning environments support Curriculum 21?
Simone: Curriculum 21 not only defines subject-specific competencies but also emphasizes interdisciplinary skills. These include, for example, collaboration, self-organization, communication, and independent learning.
Flexible learning environments can specifically support these competencies. They enable cooperative learning forms, different work settings, and more movement in lessons. Students can work alone, in pairs, in groups, or in plenary, depending on the task.
Individualization also plays an important role. Not all children learn in the same way, not every task requires the same environment. Well-thought-out school space planning therefore creates spaces that allow for various learning forms and do not just depict a single teaching situation.
Thus, the space itself becomes a pedagogical tool.
How is school space planning successful in existing or heritage-listed buildings?
Simone: Even with existing buildings, the central question remains the same: What pedagogical concept should be implemented in these spaces?
After that, it is examined what is possible within the existing structural framework. In heritage-listed school buildings or older buildings, the possibilities for intervention are often limited. Nevertheless, much can be achieved if existing spaces are carefully analyzed and creatively rethought.
Often, zones that were previously little used, such as corridors or transition areas, are exciting. At the same time, issues such as fire protection, access, acoustics, and safety must be considered.
Good school space planning in existing buildings therefore does not mean building everything new. It is about making better use of existing structures and creating more pedagogical quality with clever solutions.
How does the child remain at the center of school building projects?
Simone: School buildings can quickly become prestige projects. They look architecturally impressive, may win awards, but do not always meet the requirements of everyday school life.
To prevent this, courage and persistence are needed from school administrations, authorities, and project managers. The core business of the school must remain present in every phase: learning, development, relationships, care, and practical suitability.
A school building is not an end in itself. It is a place where children, young people, and teachers spend many hours a day. Spaces influence concentration, well-being, collaboration, and joy of learning.
Therefore, with every decision, the question should be asked: Does this solution support the daily life of the school? Does it help the children? Does it relieve the teachers? Does it promote good learning conditions?
If these questions are consistently asked, school space planning remains close to the people for whom it is made.
What does it take for ambitious school space projects to succeed?
Simone: Successful projects often arise where school administration and authorities jointly take responsibility. It takes people who have a clear pedagogical stance and are willing to explain it to the municipality, politicians, and the public.
When school administration and decision-makers jointly support a concept, trust is created. Then more courageous solutions can also be implemented, such as flexible learning landscapes, new spatial concepts, or a deliberately different use of existing areas.
The effect on teachers should also not be underestimated. Schools are employers. If leaders show that they want to create good framework conditions, this strengthens motivation, identification, and collaboration within the team.
Courage in school space planning pays off when it is professionally justified and the pedagogical goal remains clear.
What impact can colors and atmosphere have in learning spaces?
Simone: A striking example from practice shows how strongly spatial design can affect. Simone Meyer accompanied a color concept for a school. Originally, some rooms were simply to be painted white. Instead, the school decided to think more consciously about color and atmosphere.
After the summer holidays, the students returned to the newly designed rooms. One student described the effect roughly as follows: It was wonderfully quiet in the room, and the atmosphere for working was completely different.
That is precisely what good school space design is about. When children enter a room and feel comfortable, an important foundation for learning is created. Atmosphere, colors, acoustics, light, and furnishings are not minor matters. They influence how concentrated, secure, and open children can learn.
Conclusion: School space planning begins with learning
Modern school space planning does not begin with the floor plan, but with the pedagogical concept. If you want to create good learning spaces, you must first understand how teaching works today and what requirements schools must meet in the future.
Phase 0 is a decisive step in this regard. It connects pedagogy, architecture, administration, and practice. It helps to avoid planning errors and to develop spaces that truly function in everyday life.
Whether new construction, renovation, or existing projects: Good school spaces support children, young people, and teachers. They enable flexible learning forms, create orientation, promote well-being, and make schools future-proof.
