Learning Space Design Brief

2158 Words5 Pages

Rationale: This design brief is intended to take into account the results of Heath’s VAST heuristic (relating to activities) (1989, in Elliott-Burns, 2003) and a selection of Lackney’s Design Principles (n.d.). Hennah’s (2007) concepts of traffic flow and layout will be incorporated. The design will also consider the requirements of integrating a guided inquiry pedagogy. The users of the space will also be given the opportunity to take part in the process. Heath’s VAST heuristic offers a “rich alternative” (p7, 1989, as cited in Elliott-Burns, 2005) to a checklist approach to designing and can be used to evaluate a learning space and lead to the design of a new one. Heath (1989, in Elliott-Burns, 2005) elaborates distinct elements which need to be considered in designing spaces for living and working. The VAST table relating to Activities within a space was used to critically appraise what was done in the junior section of the Library and to generate solutions. Lackney’s (n.d.) framework of 33 Design Principles is intended to serve as a framework of principles around which educators and design practitioners can organise the process and production of an educational facility design. The 33 Principles have been derived from educational research and the reflective practices of educational and design practitioners (Lackney, n.d.). In this design brief, I have chosen to focus on Principles 1, 3, 6, 12, 14, 23 and 27 as being most relevant to the context. Hennah (2007) contextualises a library as a retail store, advising library designers to consider users as customers. How space is used and the traffic flow in a library can be used to determine hot spots and draw links between library usage and layout. Hennah’s recommendations on t... ... middle of paper ... ...ved April 25, 2010, from School Design Studio: http://schoolstudio.typepad.com/school_design_studio/33-educational-design-pri.html Lyons, A. (n.d.). DESIRE LINES. Google. Retrieved May 26, 2010, from ttp://74.125.155.132/scholar?q=cache:zgKiOrILK3AJ:scholar. Michell, P., & Spence, S. (2009). Inquiry into Guided Inquiry. ACCESS , 23 (4), 5-8. Nair, P., & Fielding, R. (2005). The Language of School Design: Design Patterns for 21st Century Schools. DesignShare Inc. Radcliffe, D., Wilson, H., Powell, D., & Tibbetts, B. (2008). Designing Next Generation Places of Learning: Collaboration at the Pedagogy-Space-Technology Nexus. St Lucia: University of Queensland. Seeley Brown, J. (2006). New Learning Environments for the Twentieth Century: Exploring the Edge. Change , 38 (5), 18-24. Sens, T. (2009). 12 keys to library design. Library by Design , Spring, 34.

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