Logistics Trends

Creating environments that support and facilitate the minimisation of waste and unproductive effort in the supply chain has become an increasingly significant logistics trend in Australia today. One result of this has been the integration of considered architectural design throughout the planning and construction of distribution facilities. This growing inclination is being reflected in the commercial property market where greater planning time is being assigned to projects at the initial developmental stages in order to create long lasting benefits to the building owners and tenants. In particular there is increased consideration given to logistical processes. Organisations at the forefront of this approach no longer view buildings housing such operations simply as sheds devoid of any complexity or intelligence. Instead, the building is viewed as a contributing factor to the productive operation of their core business. Collaboration, for them, involves the engagement of architects and planners at the initial stages of project delivery. In the past architects were not engaged until after sites had been chosen, briefs written and budgets allocated, if at all. However, an architects full service not only allows for earlier engagement, but offers it as an integral element in obtaining the best service. The most successful projects are those that ultimately reduce costs, time and waste from the supply chain process. Buildings are an integral part of any supply chain. The architectural challenge is to develop a strategy that is inclusive, understands the clients business operation, and provides added value through quality and flexible facilities. The logistics trend now being seen begins with advice on site selection followed by a master plan. This then leads to considered design and construction of the built facilities. Well planned facilities not only support successful logistics operations but also provide flexibility for future expansion. Moreover, they add to the stock of quality industrial/ commercial buildings and raise the standard of the workplace environment. The industrial sector is an intelligent, mature and dynamic market with increasingly sophisticated user requirements. Additionally, the rising cost of construction has meant that industrial properties are being considered as both quality real estate and an essential investment in the future of any business. In order to maximise the long term potential of industrial buildings, flexibility and adaptability must be built into the preliminary design to meet changing operational demands. This makes industrial building design and construction a complex process, even for modest projects. As such, it is essential to maximise the benefit from the investment. The initial brief development, site selection and master planning phases are the key determinants in the success of any project. Appropriate site selection is the first step and can predetermine future planning success. Aspects to be considered include access to transportation networks, road types, orientation and allowance for possible future expansion.

Additionally, locating an industrial building within reach of associated businesses and customers will also have long-term advantages. This is one reason for the increasing popularity of business parks. Another is the positive effect that they have on the lifestyle of business workers. Social and common facilities such as cafes, banks and even child-care centres improve the lifestyle of the workplace, the proximity of essential services making life easier for the workforce. The early analysis and well considered master planning of a site helps to reduce costs, wastage and time loss in the future, not only in terms of the design of industrial buildings, but also in relation to strategic property requirements.Architects are also able to design a building that responds aesthetically to the businesscorporate brand. This is especially important on significant sites where clients want to express their corporate brand visually. However, in relation to materials handling, it is the logistics solution that comes first and from which a buildings form emerges. Once the site is selected, it is the considered master planning at the earliest stages that will have a long-term effect on the efficacy of the supply chain. Siting the building according to the movement of the sun can impact the building users in both positive and negative ways. It is important to minimise the glare of low angle sun off hard surfaces for truck and forklift drivers, through material choice and shading, while allowing entry of natural light into the building, especially in office areas. The architecture should also respond to the natural movement of air, whether high force winds or internal ventilation. The positioning of office buildings can minimise northerly winds entering the storage areas while the bulk of the building will block the stronger south-westerly winds. For this reason, the dock should face towards the eastern, leeward side of the building. The positioning of the buildings main structure adds value to the project by reducing the impact of strong winds and air-borne dust, and using natural light to reduce energy costs.

Architecture Becomes the Sweet New Science

Long considered boffins and nerds, scientists have begun to take advantage of the power of architecture to raise their own profile and promote their work. Australian universities, in particular, have become active in engaging architecture to further the cause of science. Architecture is also fostering increased self-esteem within the scientific community. Great buildings contribute to great research. Local and international trends reveal that another consequence is more collaborative research as a result of better planned buildings. Scientists are being encouraged to build communication and connect with the wider community. A new generation of buildings is making this possible. These projects speak not only of technical rigour and sound investment, but provide kinder, more personable spaces than the sterile, anonymous box that largely left researchers to their own devices.

Architectus has emerged as one of the leading participants in this brave new world of architecture that brings a more human dimension to the world of nano-technologies and supersciences. The firms extensive body of scientific laboratory work is hallmarked by a commitment to creating habitable spaces within iconic envelopes. Recent projects by the firm that demonstrate this trend include the Victorian Governments $200 million Australian Synchrotron, the Electron Microscope facility at Clayton, Victoria (which is part of Monash Universitys push to attract the worlds leading researchers), and the new College of Pharmacy building in Royal Parade, Parkville. These projects demonstrate that cutting edge scientific work and humane, egalitarian workplaces are not mutually exclusive. In successful workplaces for the sciences, the design process must be integrated at a primary level. To achieve this, thorough design research must be undertaken from the very first stages of the project. This view is also held by Australian Synchrotron communications manager Stefanie Pearce. I was impressed that the entire staff of Architectus Melbourne was keen to engage with our project, she observes. They requested a presentation for their office after hours one evening. Everyone, from their IT people to the receptionist, wanted to understand the project and feel involved. That to me was a sign of a really cohesive team that demonstrated a pride and ownership in each and every project. Typically laboratory buildings tended to be functional and did not include consideration of their occupants. For instance in the Synchrotron building, the brief called for no natural light and yet our observation after visiting European facilities was that natural light was possible and highly desirable for staff wellbeing. Good, functional laboratories are also humane spaces and this quality really emerges from a high level of client collaboration and understanding. I think one response from our clients would be that while they have engaged us, we have also engaged them in the design process. Once the client understands the rationale for your approach there is a much greater chance of acceptance. Conversely, as architects you need good antennae to be receptive to what the client can bring to the design. Buildings for the sciences are very refined in terms of their performance specifications. They really are analogous to building a Formula One racer. Everything has to work. The interest of universities and institutions in hard-working, good-looking research buildings is now much better understood. They are strong brands that cannot afford to be caught with second-rate goods. The collection of science buildings by Architectus to date displays a design approach which, without incorporating any extraneous elements, has eschewed the rigid, austere minimalism so prevalent in science buildings in the past. In this way, Architectus has defined a new modernism with its recent work that is warm and humane, and encourages a new, highly socialised way of working. By creating buildings with a striking public face, Architectus has provided the scientific community with a powerful visible presence. Whereas sciences were once plugged into the back of a university and simply used by a single department, they are now a focus of national and international attention with a far less secretive modus operandi. Synchrotron project director Ruth Wilson of Architectus says that science is now listening closely to architecture and vice versa. Theres a new level of information sharing and scientists, by nature, are interested in this. It is refreshing, and sometimes challenging, dealing

with such enquiring minds. Scientists are very respectful of our skill base and they have a tendency to want to understand every aspect of what we do. The Synchrotron and Electron Microscope projects put a dynamic face to science but are as much about the fully layered work and social experience, she says. Sustainable design is intrinsic to our work. Its definitely not just applied. Everything from emissions to energy efficient, recyclable materials informs our approach. Before commencing design of a new science building, Architectus undertakes extensive research, often including interviews with the broader scientific community. Wilson notes that it is not uncommon to talk with scientists anywhere on the planet before putting pen to paper. We visited exemplary facilities in Europe and found scientists willing to share, and there is tremendous expertise and insight for the asking. The interesting thing is that they have very little to gain from the exchange. We take a half a day of their time and question them and they follow up with e-mails and they will give you as much time as you need. We encountered great generosity of spirit in that process. In some senses these new facilities can offer spaces reminiscent of the Gothic era. High ceilings can be uplifting and it is often those almost subconscious spatial moments that work it is a warm minimalism. In labs you do not often have plywood walls for example, yet we have shown it works. Work environments should be supportive. There can be a certain element of theatre when there is so much that is exciting about science. It need not be dull or drab. Architectus resisted taking the easy option. We could have been lazy, dropped the ceiling, and hidden the ductwork. What we have instead is something soaring. The ethereal feeling is quite palpable. The firm is strong on the notion of the collegiate/ communal space with a big, timber dining room table around which the scientific family gathers to discuss work that is under way. These spaces are strategically located near the front entrance and are closely linked to the kitchen (which happens to open into a beautiful garden) and the library. This effectively connects social and work activity. This approach to planning is consistent with Architectus design philosophy regarding modern office and education design. It is institutions that typically buy scientific buildings, and as they become more experienced in their purchasing, they are looking at architecture to underpin their long-term strategic aims. The University of Melbourne, for example, has gone down this path because it wants to be the place of choice on the basis of its superior facilities. Once you have this shared strategic aim, you have the possibility of great partnership with good architects. The bottom line is that good science needs good architecture. Melbourne IVF exemplifies this well, its business having grown beyond expectation since it started operations from its Architectus rejuvenated premises less than 12 months ago. Even the client has been pleasantly surprised by the results. They expected growth from the organisational synergies we introduced but the view is that good architecture has delivered a tangible bottom line benefit. Science, it appears, is finally discovering the elusive DNA of good design to be an investment that brings unexpected rewards.

Building for Learning

A selection of recent press articles from Malaysia, Australia and Sri Lanka highlight the diversity of educational infrastructure provision between our near Northern neighbours in Asia and ourselves here in Australia. In Malaysia, sixteen schools and colleges have shown serious structural defects with one school being closed to students and staff indefinitely (New Straits Times, 3/2/2005). Apparently this has nothing to do with the recent Tsunami disaster but rather reflects issues to do with the original design and construction. Appropriate design guidelines and building regulations should prevent this happening. Regulations vary by location with some in high wind and earthquake zones being more stringent than regulations in other areas. Side-stepping these regulations can lead to potential long-term problems, as is evident in the case mentioned. In Sri Lanka, on the other hand, the recent natural disaster caused by the Tsunami tidal wave indicates a different cause of building failure. One can only speculate on the structural strength of the school buildings which were affected by the Tsunami. Of Sri Lankas 176 schools subject to the forces of the Tsunami, 74 were completely destroyed (Khaleej Times, 21/1/05). Many of these were in the coastal zone and will not be rebuilt within 100 metres of the foreshore. It is heartening to read that every school which was completely destroyed will be rebuilt thanks to sponsorship by UNICEF and other international donors. Architects Without Frontiers is an Australian organisation which has been involved with re-construction of devastated regions in Asia. By comparison, some issues and concerns of school provision in Australia are very different. In a recent article in the West Australian, it was reported that some boarding schools are upgrading their facilities to reflect higher expectations of the parents - the requirement for student privacy, space and security (West Australian, 29/1/2005). Gone are the communal showers and Spartan conditions of yesteryear the need to toughen up the rural class! Boarding, in its various forms, is now a serious alternative for rural and city students. Long, medium and short term stays can all be catered for, thus giving greater flexibility to families who may have, for example, last minute business trips or other pressing family commitments. Student comfort has also been in the news recently with the subject of classroom air-conditioning being aired in Queensland and New South Wales (Australian, 7/2/2005), (Sunday Telegraph, 6/2/2005). Of course, it is Summer and this is the time when air-conditioning considerations come to mind. It is self evident that students do not learn as well (if at all) in high temperatures. It is also evident that the States of Queensland and New South Wales cannot afford to aircondition all their schools as Bob Carr commented, we cant do it, we simply havent got the money. Interestingly, there was not a comment in the above articles relating to appropriate building designs which would cut down on the need for air-conditioning. Education Departments have not

embraced environmentally sustainable design until recent times. Too often it is remarked that these measures would increase capital costs of buildings beyond allocated budgets. There is a trade off. Again, more and more parents are using the presence or not of air-conditioning as a selection criteria when choosing a school. It is still depressing to visit schools where classrooms have all the windows shut with the air-conditioning on. In many cases, it doesnt need to be this way, excluding, of course, very hot or humid places where air-conditioning is a necessary supplement to thoughtful design.
Schools and Communities

Around the corner from my home in Melbourne is a primary school which has been there for over 60 years. On the cyclone wire fence surrounding the building there is a sign which reads Warning Trespasses Prosecuted. These school premises are under electronic surveillance. Signed: School Principal and Council. For some time this has struck me as the antithesis of the concept of schools as the centre of community, let alone the active promotion of any relationship between school and the community. It is not hard to realize why this sign is there vandalism and stranger danger being two reasons which come immediately to mind. But the message is not good. It challenges the frequently espoused slogan that our schools are the centre of community and, by implication, are welcoming places. I dont believe there is much evidence that our schools are indeed the centres of our communities. Certainly in pre-industrial times, in Western countries, when districts were being settled and towns and villages established, schools were often one of the first community facilities to be built. Usually these schools were small and were defining buildings in the community. As transport and communication linkages were sparse, towns and villages were defined by their physical buildings such as post offices, hospitals, banks, churches, court houses, hotels and schools. These structures created social centres which gave a strong sense of place. During and after the industrial revolution, larger schools were established. This shift in size, together with the introduction of the graded classroom and subject disciplines, transformed schools into institutions supported by government bureaucracies. In the cities, they became formidable buildings, in the suburbs, paradoxically, they were often isolated and away from the perceived centres of community although, at the same time, being in the heart of the residential areas. For many of the suburbs, the centres of community were elsewhere and defined by shopping precincts and transport nodes. In the past 50 years, there has been a transformation of many of the geographic centres of community. A number of the defining community buildings have either disappeared or lost significance. For example banks, retail strip centres and churches no longer have the influence they once had. Economic rationalisation, transport improvements and the development of information and communication technology have all taken their toll on the traditional community centres.

Independent schools were never a part of the governmental planning process as were state schools. The location of the older independent schools was more determined by transport routes and access to church property. The newer independent schools have been strategically located in population hubs but again not always at the perceived centres of community. Does all this matter and what is the significance of the relationship between schools and community in the knowledge age? There is much written and spoken today about the re-integration of school and community. This reflects an attitude that the isolationist, institutional school is not the most appropriate model for our times. The analogy of our students crossing the drawbridge each day to the island school where they supposedly learn the skills to operate on the mainland of life to which they return each night strikes many as a fallacy. There are now a myriad of out of school excursions, camps and time in the country programmes to take students away. There are also work experience programmes and (in Victoria) the initiatives of VET and VCAL curricula, many subjects being available in the workplace. These programmes have developed from an underlying belief in the value of authentic, constructivist learning whereby students learn by inquiry and doing rather than by passive listening and reading. The end result is a strengthening of the presence of the school in the community. At the same time there is a reverse trend for communities to be more involved with schools to take part in the governance of schools and to utilize the often under utilized school facilities. This is easiest with sporting and performing arts facilities. It is a greater challenge to extend this sharing to the more traditional learning spaces. But if we are to progress with life long learning for all, then schools (particularly secondary schools and tertiary colleges) are a natural venue for this activity. In many ways this boils down to an organizational issue, the answer to which may simply be the employment of additional facilities staff. Peter Senge also talks about the learning community within the school. This, too, is a very current topic in educational literature. The school community is defined as the teachers, students, parents working toward the enrichment of school life - indeed, working together, learning together, as opposed to a hierarchy of teachers and learners. Independent schools have always placed great value on the family of the school and benefit from the stronger ties ex-students have with their old school. Well designed places and spaces within schools and in the community can assist greatly with all of these concepts. People will always gravitate to places where it simply feels good to be there. Side walk cafes, intimate spaces, cosy courtyards, places with a view of colour and movement are all enjoyable. Vast open spaces, sterile classrooms do not enhance the learning attitude. In the end, our communities are defined by our physical capital, our human capital and also by our social capital the glue that holds us together. Whilst the physical place was vital for this to function in the past (pre transport and communication technology), these days, we can communicate and function at the social level with greater ease and over greater distances.

Nevertheless, place is still important. We need to know who we are and understand where we came from. It is good to return there occasionally. We also need to connect physically with other people especially in the formative years. It shows when we dont ! But in the knowledge age, we have greater flexibility to learn and connect without being confined to place. In this way, our sense of community is different and easier to maintain.

Secondary School Design for Purpose But Which One ?

Paper Presented to the OECD Conference Creating 21 Century Learning Environments

London, United Kingdom

28th. May, 2004 Andrew Bunting Architectus Melbourne andrew.bunting@architectus.com.au Introduction A fundamental complexity of school design has always arisen due to the multiple and conflicting purposes for educational institutions. Form follows Function is not so clear or direct when there are multiple functions which buildings must serve. Schools present this scenario. In our post-modern era, new understandings of learning, influences of information and communication technology and the employment requirements of the knowledge society have placed pressures and questions on the traditional provisions of education. New purposes of schooling have evolved. Promoting the school as a learning community is one current theme. The majority of our school designs do not facilitate this concept. Rather, they reinforce the school as an isolated institution. What designs can schools adopt to allow them to connect more readily with local community? How can school buildings contribute more to the school as a learning community?

Purposes of Schooling Throughout history, education systems have aligned to differing purposes often more than one at a time. Generally the four common purposes are considered to be:
y y y y

Socialization to replicate society, to imbue local and national culture and to promote citizenship. Vocational to training people for employment, often via tertiary education. Self-fulfilment - to develop individuals to their maximum potential, the liberal function. Transformative to provide equal opportunity for learning and to encourage change to a better world. (Sterling, 2001)

Beare and Slaughter cast the above four purposes into academic and non-academic states. Vocational and Self-fulfilment are considered academic. Socialisation and Transformation are considered non-academic. They note, in the process, that some of the most noble outcomes of schooling are immeasurable; such as a love of reading, music and art. (Beare and Slaughter, 1993) Certainly, different stakeholders within the broader education system have different expectations. Students and their parents desire individual success. For the majority of students and parents, this may emphasise the vocational purpose over the intrinsic purpose. Some academically-gifted students may have a more liberal attitude to the educational experience and will seek as much learning as possible. Governments equate success with an educated workforce that will contribute to economic growth and promote good citizenship. There is an important socialisation/nationalisation process at work as well. Since the introduction of mass education, governments have consistently striven for this. Employers are also looking for an educated workforce, but their concept of educated has undergone considerable change. Around 250 years ago they were looking to the mass education system to provide workers with good habits and discipline. At the same time, the schools for the elite saw themselves as producing men of character. Self-control, discipline and sporting prowess took preference over academic learning. (Matheson and Liamond,1999). Today employers are looking for team workers and problem solvers (Vick, 1998). School Buildings Reflecting Purpose: Let us consider school design in the light of the four generally accepted purposes of schooling mentioned above. In doing so it is important to be aware that there are overlaps and cross influences between purposes; for example, between socialisation and learning. In addition, in many Western countries, there is an emphasis on the holistic development of students; that is, their intellectual, psychological, social, emotional, spiritual, ethical, moral and the physical development. Socialization

Schools designed to promote socialisation would address the concept of the community within the school as well as the relationship of the school to the external community. Specific design features would include:
y y y y y

Schools which are not isolated but are geographically connected to the hubs of community. Schools based on the house model and/or the studio model of learning. Schools which provide traditional or caf type dining precincts. Schools which provide for boarding or motel type accommodation. Schools which provide amenable places for informal gathering and learning.

There is considerable importance attached to the socialisation purpose of schooling. Students learning to inter-act with each other in a controlled environment is the is main reason advanced against home-schooling. However, some would debate this. Vocation Secondary schools no longer provide vocational accreditation. Societal and employment changes have had the dual effects of eliminating some avenues of employment at the same time as increasing the technical requirements of others. Credentials inflation has increased the entry requirements into many fields of employment. Generally, the majority of students proceed to further tertiary qualifications before entering the workforce. These may be in Universities or technical colleges. Nevertheless, there is a growing provision of applied learning in secondary schools to cater for students who are not suited to traditional academic learning. Rather then have these students drop out of school all together, it is considered preferable to have them stay in formal education for as long as possible. Moreover, given the difficulty in obtaining University places and the concern about declining trade skills within society, there is a return to applied learning in secondary schools with alternative pathways leading to the completion of year 12. For example, course are offered in areas such as hospitality, graphics, technology as alternatives to the traditional academic subjects. Clearly, specialised facilities are required for these subjects and not all schools are able to provide for them. Networks of schools and technical colleges have been formed to share this learning. Self-Fulfilment Whilst self-fulfilment takes place through formal learning activities and socialisation at school, it is also facilitated by such activities as sport and performing arts. These extra-curricula subjects are offered in the interests of providing students with a more rounded general education, rather than necessarily conceiving of them as career alternatives, although for some, they will be. Sport, in its various forms requires specialist facilities as does music and drama. Often such facilities are also available for community use.

Designs for this purpose would create spaces which encouraged individual learning, reflection and researching; scenario spaces for discussion and team work along with libraries which were conducive to private and group work. Self-fulfilment is also an outcome of informal learning which occurs between students. Academic and non-academic activities would include:
y y y y y y

Sport Performing Arts Individual Learning and Researching Scenario Constructions Discussion and Debate on Values and Beliefs. Transformative

Schools as places of transformation must focus on student development. This should happen through the formal and informal learning processes. However, if secondary schools are to be successful in the Knowledge Age, then students need to leave such places having developed a desire to continue the process and engage in life-long learning. How often does this happen? We still have many students leaving secondary schools with negative experiences that almost ensure that they will never return to places of learning. Various factors can, of course, contribute to this, and the physical environment is one of them. Many of our schools are not spiritually or educationally uplifting places to be. They may keep out the elements and be functional to an extent but they fail to produce that aspect of delight, such as the feeling of being in a cosy English pub just good places to be ! Schools are also conceived as places of social levelling, but this tends to emphasise the lowest common denominator rather than to raise expectations, opportunities and potentialities. Theoretically, government schools are intended to be places of equality of opportunity both educationally and in the provision of facilities. In practice this tends not to happen. To achieve equality with the provision of facilities, governments tend to produce standard space schedules based on enrolment numbers. Although not impossible to overcome, this requirement creates a tension with architectural innovation. As places of transformation, schools are increasingly required to adopt the provision of additional social services for students, their families and the wider local community. Health practitioners of various guises and other social and psychological consultants and/or business activities are mooted as some of the partners to schools. The incorporation of these additional activities is designed to break-down the notion of the isolationist school and assist students to enter into society. At the same time, schools become more efficient and effective. Transforming schools into education centres which are accessible for greater periods of time during all phases of the week is a vehicle to enable this. Other Considerations

Most schools are designed with a combination of the purposes of socialisation, vocation, liberal pursuit and transformation. However, there are other sub-purposes or considerations which influence school designs to various degrees. Some of these conflict with the main purposes described above. These can be summarized as: Discipline and Supervision Schools are understood to be places of discipline. In the broader sense this is the shaping of the student in a controlled and positive environment. Discipline can also mean punishment for wrong-doing or breaking the rules. Schools serve social engineering purposes as well. In a recent Australian Government Survey of parents and community members attitudes to schooling, discipline rated as the most important social factor for parents of children at government schools. By contrast, in non-government schools, values were regarded as the most important social factor (Government, 2003). But there are other factors operating here. Supervision is an integral part of discipline. Physical supervision is mostly achieved by visual oversight or, more recently, electronic surveillance. Traditionally sight lines were important and had the unfortunate consequence of reinforcing the long and straight corridors of so many government schools. The Duty of Care for students to the end of secondary schooling is an aspect of supervision. Parents expect their children to be safe in schools and are very ready to take legal action if they are not. Hence, schools must be safe places. this involves the identification of all staff and visitors who enter the school grounds. This creates a tension with the projection of the school as an open and friendly community facility. This provision also has ramifications for the risk of taking students off site for learning in the real world. What do these factors mean when considering more relevant learning experiences for students ? To what extent do these factors impinge on school design ? Organisational Efficiency Economies of Scale - Size School design has always been subject to organisational efficiency and economies of scale. In the post-war period when large numbers of students had to be accommodated in schools, standard designs utilizing lower quality and low- priced materials prevailed. Currently, design and building efficiency is maintained by standard space-schedules, which tend to emphasise minimum rather than optimum spaces, and lower end construction budgets. Economies-of-scale are also achieved by increasing the size of schools. Whilst this has an economic impact, there are also arguments for the benefit of larger course choices due to size. Opposite points of view maintain that there is a loss of community as the size of the school increases. Some of this may be overcome by the introduction of sub-schools or house groupings.

Efficiency and effectiveness are often opposite qualities. Schools can be very efficient but very ineffective; likewise, they can also be effective but inefficient. Striking the balance is the art of good education, just as it is of good architecture. Streaming, Filtration and Care-taking Some view the purpose of secondary schools as being a filter for students progressing to further education or employment. In a positive sense, it would be hoped that the inherent intelligences, talents and aptitudes of students would be identified and channelled in suitable directions. It would not be desirable if this resulted in type-casting students as academic or not. Students who are disaffected by this sorting process want to leave school despite being required to stay until they reach the end of compulsory schooling. Schools then take on the role of caretakers. From all perspectives, this is an unsatisfactory outcome, and flies in the face of arguments for access and equity. Equality and Equity Equality of opportunity and equality of provision means giving every student the same learning environment. Providing a level playing field is an important element of schooling as a transformative purpose. Because of the interplay of various elements, this is rarely achieved in practice. Equity is a different concept. It means giving each student what is necessary to extend them to their full potential. Therefore, some may have additional tuition to bring them to the standard of the others in the group others may have additional tuition to take them beyond the group because they are capable of further development and learning. Considerations of equality and equity have significant implications for the provision of school design. But if we acknowledge that all students are different and all approach learning in different ways, what are the implications of this for providing equality-of-opportunity and equality-of-provision? How should or do these concepts influence school design? Australian Scenarios The purposes and sub-purposes of schooling are being re-examined in a world which is experiencing great societal, economic and educational change. This has led some to look to the future by creating scenarios of what may be. Six scenarios have been constructed by the OECD in the: What Schools for the Future? (OECD, 2001) Riel Miller has also considered some future directions with his paper: Where schools might fit in a future learning society (Miller, 2003)? Two Australians have also recently contributed to this endeavour. Looking to the future of schooling in society, Suter poses three scenarios. The first is business as usual, where schools operate basically as they do at present. This is premised on the fact that

people do not like change, that most of the teachers who will be around in ten years time are in the service now, and that since the infrastructure is already in place, the conservative forces will act to preserve the status quo. This is not an attractive scenario and is not sustainable. The second scenario is that students would be educated at home via cyber schooling. This would free up a lot of real estate and promote individually tailored learning but where is the socialisation? The third scenario is represented by the community learning centre. Keep the school facilities but expand and change their role. Add additional forms of learning for all ages, food at all times and additional community services such as health and sport. Would this then be the glue to hold the community together (Suter, 2001)? Caldwell also offers three scenarios for future schooling. His first is that the divide between Government and Private schools would increase and that Government schools would only act as safety net schools in the public domain. Government would support the private school networks. The second scenario is that there would be a greater commitment to the public good. This would be evidenced by the government vacating the ownership and delivery of education but would be actively supporting all schools with increased revenue. Community support would be high. Curriculum and learning technologies would be varied and state-of-the-art. The third scenario is that schools would decline as institutions and their place would be taken by community learning centres and home based learning (Caldwell, 2000). One of the relevant issues raised by Caldwell is Tofflers contribution to the understanding of the impact of societal transformation. Second wave people (those moulded in the industrial era) would defend school systems of that time. Third wave people would be looking ahead to new ways of operating. Thus, second wave people would oppose efforts to de-massify the schools while the forces of the third wave call for a crack-up of the giant bureaucracies and fight for less standardisation, more individualisation in the schools Toffler, as cited in (Caldwell, 2000). We are virtually led by Suter to adopt his third scenario as the most acceptable. One can imagine further consolidation of the real estate of schools along with extensive upgrades to the remaining stock. Caldwell bundles this option in with the growth of home based learning and the description he gives it does not sound as appealing as that given by Suter. With an eye to the adherence of core values, Caldwell constructs a matrix for the three scenarios based on Liberty, Equality, Fraternity, Efficiency, and Economic Growth. On this basis his second scenario is the preferred option. Suters scenarios are clearly linked to the building fabric of schools whereas Caldwells are not. But we can imagine that if all schools are in the private domain and they have strong community support, they would have freedom to design and create their own physical environments within the funding available to suit their purposes and be integrated with their communities. If we synthesise these two scenarios, we come up with a community learning centre which is operational all hours, accessible to all people, privately operated but government resourced, and is well equipped with state-of-the-art facilities and learning materials appropriate to the specialisations on offer. Starting Anew

What if we were creating a universal education system now as we proceed from the Information society to the Knowledge society instead of when it actually happened during the move from an agricultural to the industrial society? What sort of schooling system would it be, and what physical facilities would be required, and where? Lets assume, for the purpose of this exercise, that there has been some private education for the elite in country boarding schools, there has been considerable home schooling provided by one or more parents or grandparents, that there have been children in the workforce working in offices, factories and mundane service industries. What systems could we build or devise? Phoebe Palmieri considered the increasing flexibility of a number of educational components. Peter Drucker talked of innovative organisations being able to abandon yesterday. If we did not do this already, would we, knowing what we now know, go into it? (Drucker ,1999) Conclusion The purposes and sub-purposes of schooling are many and have changed over the years since mass schooling was introduced. There is a strong link between the purposes of schooling and school designs. As we continue our early journey through the 21st century, it is crucial to redefine the purpose of our secondary schools. Not only is this important to ensure that our physical facilities are not hindering the learning process we desire, but it is also essential to be assured that the enormous investment we have in our school facilities is giving us a sound return. Only when the purposes of secondary education have been re-defined can we pay attention to the suitability of our existing school facilities. Changing the system is hard. It has been tried before and failed. However, in like conferences and research all over the world, educators and architects are saying that we can do better with the design and provision of our educational buildings. I believe this energy to keep trying is driven by the belief that developments in information and communication technology have changed the rules of architecture our concepts of place, space, and time. I also believe that we understand considerably more about the process of effective learning and the importance of the environment to this. And finally, I believe we are energised to seek more meaningful community because the importance of some of our old social geographies has faded. Somehow we think schools should be a part of this.
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Architectus Injects Creativity in Pharmaceutical Building Portable Classrooms Will the form ever follow the function?

The Permancy of School Facilities

In Victoria we have examples of school buildings constructed over a period in excess of 100 years. These buildings tell a story of attitudes to education at the time they were designed. What is that story and where might that story be leading? Solid Brick and Permanent In the late 1800s and during the first half of the 1900s, schools in Victoria were purpose built and constructed of solid brick. These schools were built to last. There was no flexibility in their design and the learning environment was teacher centred. These schools were regarded as permanent built symbols of the community along with banks, churches, railway stations, hospitals, post offices, hotels, police stations and law courts. As such they were particularly important in country towns. Such construction of school buildings reflected the Governments proud promotion of the infant public education system. But where are all these built symbols of the community now? Many of them have been closed, demolished or recycled for alternative uses. Those remaining are often struggling to operate as originally intended. Their malaise has been brought about by a combination of structural economic change, the impact of technology and changes in patterns of living and community. This has had a dramatic impact in country areas. Some of the schools of this period have disappeared, but many live on and are in current use. Light Construction and Temporary In more recent times, to accommodate the post-war baby boom and the fact that many students were staying on at school for longer periods, the Victorian Government could not afford the time or cost of continuing with solid brick school construction. This problem was so acute and overwhelming that temporary portable buildings had to be imported from England whilst a home based solution was devised. The answer was the LTC or light timber construction model. The then Public Works Office designed the standard from which many schools were subsequently built across the State from the 1950s to the 1970s. What did these buildings say? Once again these schools were of uniform design but their rapid construction indicated that the Government was catering for mass education of the student population. There was no community consultation relating to school design. The architecture was industrial and catered for a centralised and standardised education system. These buildings did not exude permanency or community. Innovation and Economy During the last ten years or so the Victorian Government has encouraged creative architectural design for schools. Initially through the Public Works Office and latterly through the appointment of private architectural practices, This programme has delivered innovation to the design of schools whilst adhering to economic construction and pre-determined space schedules.

An important feature is that many school designs are now unique. The process also allows for the involvement of the school community in design and once again, and to this extent, schools are seen to be community facilities embodying the local culture. This sense of the school as a community facility is heightened where there is an adoption of life long learning within the community which makes use of the school facilities. Flexibility and Adaptability essential for the variety of current learning methodologies - are concepts widely adopted in current designs. Buildings for the Future There are currently major changes at hand which will effect the future design of schools However it will take some time for these to be extensively reflected in the built environment. Technology is the most obvious change. We are currently in the eye of the storm of the information revolution and this is effecting our lives in incredible ways. Changes in education are evident. The use of computers in schools - the use of computers at home. The links between the two and the links world-wide are causing basic questions to be asked such as where does learning happen? Does it all have to happen at school and if not, what is the purpose of school? What is learning? Redefining community is another change. There is much anguish at the breakdown of many existing community structures and the seeming void of replacement models. In many sprawling Australian suburbs there is no community focus. Many of the icon buildings spoken of earlier have gone or are not constructed in the newer areas and, if there is a heart, it is more often a retail heart. In a planning sense the siting of schools does not always take into account the concepts of community focus or heart. Often schools are located away from other community facilities and separated by fences. In the redefining of new community, where will new school (or learning centre) be located and what will it be designed to do? How will it integrate with the rest of the community facilities? The recognition of alternative means of learning has an impact on learning spaces. No longer is learning teacher focussed but rather incorporates the offerings of interactive electronic technology and team and project based activities. In addition, more and more learning is outside of school rather than confined to the four walls of the classroom. Indeed, some would say that more learning takes place in the community than in the school! The possibilities within the curriculum have increased and it is now recognised that more and more choice is required to construct a learning programme. Consequently, the changing learning approaches, changing pedagogy and changing curriculum have all had an influence on the learning spaces. In addition to the above trends, there is a growing appreciation that the physical environment has an impact upon the students and teachers attitudes to the place called school. So, the buildings as well as being spatially functional must be inspirational. They must uplift and they must give the students an appreciation of the beauty of design. Quite simply, school should be a stimulating place to be. The environment should communicate to the school population that the community cares and wants to give them the best environment for their stage of progress. The Importance of Buildings

It is evident that there is a changing emphasis on the importance of the design of buildings in community. It is not just schools that are effected by this trend - but all institutional buildings. Some would argue that it is preferable to spend resources on computer technology rather than on buildings. Others would say that buildings such as schools are no longer relevant! But the question which always returns is the one which relates to the socialisation of humankind. We are not designed to operate alone - even as cy-bodies although some do it this way. For most of us, a fulfilling existence is predicated upon our interaction with other human beings. Although much of this may come naturally, we still have to learn lessons to perfect our relationships and in the formative years this is done at home, in the community and in schools. To this extent, school buildings are still relevant. The fact that our school buildings may not be constructed to last as long as their forebears is perhaps not as important.

Trends in School Design

Since the advent of mass education (around the time of the Industrial Revolution), student learning in primary and secondary schools has been based on the model of teacher instruction. Students were thought to learn by absorbing what the teacher said and then reading about it in prescribed text books. School design facilitated this by creating corridors and boxes. Each of the boxes (classrooms) had rows of desks for the students and a desk at the front for the teacher. Visual supervision around the school was also important. Student numbers in classes were often 40 to 50 students, if not more. Over the years the number of students in classrooms has decreased due to the recognition that the educational quality is diminished when teachers do not have sufficient time to spend with individual students during their time in class. The teacher unions have also had a strong role here. Hence we often hear Governments boasting of falling student numbers in classrooms indeed now to the low 20s. But other developments have been taking place as well. Information and communication technology has had a profound impact on student learning. All schools would now support many computers most of which are in learning spaces where the students spend much time. These computers which take up space and generate heat require additional space considerations. All this equipment is usually networked with specialist staff looking after the infrastructure. There has also been much development in the understanding of how students learn. The chalk and talk approach of previous years has now been modified to the extent that students now enter a variety of places and spaces to understand the issues they have at hand. This may involve them spending periods out of the school environment indeed learning in real life situations. A great deal of learning is also done via projects and in student teams and often cross disciplinary (eg; science, maths, English). This activity requires more flexible spaces. All of the above developments have implications for school design.

Learning spaces of various configurations have taken over from the standard classrooms. There are large spaces for group assemblies, smaller intimate spaces for informal learning and conversation, greater consideration for spaces which are attractive instead of institutional and greater attention to the work places for teachers. Attention has also focused on the external environment. It is no longer thought that wall to wall asphalt or grass is appropriate. The external environment can provide rich learning opportunities particularly about the environment and nature. And here too we can design spaces to be attractive and welcoming. In general, our schools now are less crowded than in previous times. Whilst adequate space is important for recreation and learning, the design of that space is also paramount.

Vandalism in Schools

The wilful damage to our schools costs the State and school communities millions of dollars each year. It is estimated that in Queensland this figure represents about $2.5 million per year. (Courier Mail 28/11/05). Multiply this amount for all the States and it is a significant sum. Schools are a sitting target for breaking and entering, theft and arson. Of all our public buildings, schools are closed for the most number of hours and usually are unattended during that time. The long holidays, and particularly the Christmas break is a busy time for the wrongdoers. And, of course, there are a greater number of schools in our community than other public buildings therefore the incidence of damage to schools is disproportionate to the damage of those other buildings. But why do people damage schools and who are they likely to be? It would be interesting to ascertain from the Courts or Police records the reasons that culprits give for perpetrating such damage. In the absence of this information, we can only speculate. Theft, perhaps, is the most understandable. All schools have computers and other expensive technical equipment. These are attractive to remove as high value, readily transportable and easily convertible into cash. The motivation for this action is possibly no more than the offenders need for quick money. Of more concern are those who wilfully damage school property by graffiti, internal damage and arson. Who are they and what is their motivation? Assuming that most of these people have passed through schools as students at some stage, is it possible that they are inflicting retribution for past experiences? Unfortunately, not all students leave our schools with happy memories of their educational experience. Schools are seen as suitable targets to express anger, disappointment and frustration. But is there a broader, cultural issue here in that our communities do not place enough value on our schools and school buildings? Our schools are significant and very visible public assets. Many of them give a negative image of the value that the community places on education and as

places of learning. If our school buildings were of a higher standard and more carefully designed, and if our schools were more integrated with community life, could we assume that vandalism to the buildings would be less? Increasing security (more lighting, more deterrent/warning signs and more fencing) is one way to approach the problem but it does not address the underlying cause. A longer-term change of community attitudes to our schools is necessary. Is it time to re-think the concept of our isolated, institutional schools in an effort to improve their status and respect in the community. Dr Andrew Bunting andrew.bunting@architectus.com.au

ICT and the Re-engineering of Learning: Implications for the Physical Environment

In the times of Aristotle and Plato learning was woven into the life of the community. Students (males!) were orally instructed by the sages - in buildings, cloisters and even under the shade of trees. There was no separation of learning from life. The ICT of the Day Gradually, the Church took on this role of extending oral instruction and learning was associated with monasteries and privilege. History and truths were passed down from one generation of holy people to the next, with the material being only handwritten manuscripts. This was the ICT of the day! To this extent, learning was divorced from the community, although those who were educated comprised a small minority of the population. Mass education came with the Industrial Revolution. The growing cities required a workforce that was disciplined and compliant. This was the charter for the early schools. The schools were uninviting institutions, where mass teaching was teacher-centred with the mode of communication being the blackboard and rote learning. Students sat in rows of fixed desks in rooms lining long corridors. This was the significant beginning of the separation of learning from home and community. Architecture and Learning Buildings have been around in various shapes and forms since the days of the nomads and their tents. Why do we need them? We need them as a form of shelter and because they bring together the three concepts of time, place and space. When you go to the movies in the shopping mall, you meet at a certain time. The shopping mall is the place where you meet and the theatre is the space youll be in for the show. The main game is the film but the building is the envelope where

it happens. Buildings have performed this role for all sorts of human functions and activities. In the context of this discussion, it is interesting to consider all those public buildings of former times and how they have adapted or been superseded:
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banks; court houses; churches; railway stations; post offices; town halls; and, schools.

The roles and functions of most of the above buildings have changed. Rationalisation and economies of scale account for some of this trend but the impact of ICT has also been significant. Changed banking operations are a good example of this. Schools Slower to Evolve Schools, as public buildings, have been slower to adapt to these changes for reasons including educational conservatism, bureaucratic systemic constraints and the provision of equality of opportunity and economic stringency. The planning of school layouts, as distinct from the fabric of the buildings, has changed little over the last 100 years. The open-planned innovation of the 1970s was one exception, although this did not lead to a long-term change of direction. The Influence of ICT on Time Schools provide an environment for teaching, as distinct from learning. This is not to say that learning does not happen in schools it does but it is not only confined to schools, as with teaching. Schools, as traditionally established, are based around the concept of teaching taking place in small blocks of time and with one teacher in contact with 25 to 30 students. The operational times of schools are set to cover the teaching day and the timetable is usually based on a weekly cycle. ICT has the potential to free up this framework. To date, computers in schools have largely been confined to computer laboratories and some schools have also wired each classroom for two or three computer outlets. Other schools have adopted a laptop programme and many students have access to computer technology at home. All of these developments mean that the imposition of time for learning is fading. Learning can, and does, happen outside of school. Hopefully, thankfully, it always has! However, ICT has accelerated this potential to free up time. A number of schools have taken advantage of this to shift the responsibility for learning more towards the students. They are then able to control when they undertake components of their learning, along with the where and the how. With greater connectivity to teachers (facilitators), other students and wider information, students are able to structure their time of learning to suit themselves to a greater degree than they were able to previously. This, of course, applies to a larger extent as the students become older. This is a variation on the theme of correspondence distance education. But it is richer, because the student benefiting from ICT can tap into many more educational sites and databases of knowledge.

The Influence of ICT on Place Schools as isolated institutions of teaching and learning are being re-thought. Learning can take place anywhere, as well as in school. For reasons not to do with the introduction of ICT, some schools have taken students off-campus and into alternative environments to experience nature, the country and to interact with other students and staff in the outdoor environment. A wider appreciation of the environment, experiential learning and relationship building have all been a part of this shift away from traditional school for segments of the school year. This trend has been enhanced by the introduction of ICT. Now, students and staff are able to access their school, their family, friends, and indeed, all their other contacts from wherever they are. The world information system follows them wherever they wish to go. Satellite communication systems ensure this. So the logical extension of this is the concept of students joining an educational ship in Melbourne, Australia, and taking a year to cruise the world, stopping off numerous times and in various ports and countries, without any interruption to their educational programme - whatever that may be. The Influence of ICT on Space Can we say therefore that the traditional classroom spaces and layouts are still appropriate? In the secondary school situation, it is necessary to distinguish the learning by doing rooms from the learning by listening and writing rooms. The former rooms cater for subjects, which include science, technology, hospitality, music, drama and physical education. Much of the learning that happens in these spaces is constructivist. The latter rooms cater for the traditional instructivist teaching of subjects, which include maths, English, history, geography, business studies and languages. Aside from the oral transfer of knowledge by the teacher, the print medium has been the main form of communication for the students in these general-purpose classrooms. It is more difficult to see that the spaces, which require special equipment, will significantly change in layout than it is to see the possibilities of change for the general-purpose classrooms. With the decline in emphasis on teacher-centred environments and the greater emphasis on studentcentred learning, the spaces where this occurs should be geared for student comfort and student amenity. Given that ICT will shift the balance of learning in this direction, learning spaces will need to change. In addition to ICT, but again facilitated by it, there is the introduction of new curriculum models and new pedagogies. Team-based teaching and learning, interdisciplinary curricula and thematic learning are all concepts being practiced in various schools at present. These impact on the design of learning spaces. The Potential of Virtual Reality But perhaps the most significant impact of ICT yet to be implemented in any meaningful way outside of laboratories is virtual reality. This technology allows students to learn by entering unreal environments to experience whatever is being studied. This technology has been around for a while and used widely for pilot instruction in flight simulators. We all benefit and appreciate that! It will soon extend into general education though; and when it does, it will have an impact on the learning by doing rooms. Will it be necessary to diminish the forests by cutting up wood for materials technology when it could all be learnt and experienced in a virtual sense? The applications are many and the impact on facilities significant. At the edge,

classrooms could be akin to learning laboratories - heavily equipped with technology for simulation and virtual reality. One Scenario A well-quoted architectural convention is that Form follows Function. In this context, if the function of education delivery changes and the importance of time, place and space are diminished, then the form of the buildings which house whatever emerges should change. Is there still a case that necessitates a structure to bring together the concepts of time, place and space? Many educationalists would argue that there will always be the need for the passionate teacher the one who can enthuse their charges to explore their subject. (Better than a thousand days of diligent study is one day with a great teacher: Japanese proverb) There is no argument with this and the appropriate spaces should be provided for this to occur. The point is that this type of one-to-many contact will not take place for as much time as it does at present. It may develop into more of a lecture, a tutorial and self- study environment, as it presently the case at university level. A Reshaped Environment Teachers, tutors, facilitators - whatever they are called - will also be housed in more appropriate less cramped environments than they at present and they will have improved access at their desks (or workstations) for continuous electronic connectivity. Many schools have given their teachers laptop computers to encourage this level of communication. The environment for students will improve. At present, the only personalised space for students is their locker space and this is often cramped in a congested corridor. Student homerooms, where students will have their own workstation and computer facilities, will evolve. These spaces will be allocated to the students for a whole year and so there will be ownership of them and care of them. Teachers/facilitators will come to the students for instruction where necessary for those subjects, which do not require the provision of special equipment. Lockers will disappear. E-learning will increase in importance, as will interactive multimedia learning tools. Some of this will be for entire learning content - others will be for top-up or extension purposes. New Concept of a School More learning will be undertaken outside of the school and there will be more community use of the school. This will lead to a deinstitutionalisation of the school. This could even lead to learning being a seamless activity within the community once again. The concept of school could disappear. Learning centres could evolve and be indistinguishable from shopping malls which, in many instances, are the new hearts of communities. The convergence of time, place and space, in the form of a building for learning, will change but not disappear. Learning is more than the academic absorption and understanding of knowledge. It is also the process of maturing and socialisation of human kind. The pro-social aspects of growing up, and becoming a well-adjusted adult, is as important as academic achievement. That is why education should not take place entirely as a cyborg at home, without external physical contact with others, unless there are extenuating circumstances. In any case, subjects like sport and drama are especially difficult to 'do' on your own!

Andrew Bunting, Director, Architectus Melbourne

School Building Decay

In a critical article entitled The State of Decay, (Melbourne Age 10/10/05), education journalists, Caroline Milburn and Shane Green, wrote of the declining standard of Victorias Government school facilities. Drawing on interviews with Professor Brian Caldwell [immediate past Dean of the Faculty of Education at The University of Melbourne], Andrew Blair [President of the Victorian Secondary Schools Principals Association], Brian Henderson [Victorian Branch Secretary of the Education Union] and myself [Victorian President of The Council for Education Facilities Planning International], the article condemned the generally poor standard of Victorian Government school facilities. Professor Caldwell drew on his international travels to comment, I cannot name a developed country where the overall condition of school buildings is as bad as it is in Victoria. The reasons for this state of decay are well known. Firstly, schools account for the highest percentage of public building stock. Simply, there are a lot of schools to maintain. Secondly, construction quality fell during the 1950s to 1970s due to the requirement for a greater quantity of schools to house the post-war baby generation. Thirdly, successive governments have failed to allocated sufficient resources for school building maintenance and replacement. The consequence is that the problems persist and only escalate. And how much of a crisis is this? It is true that the influence of the physical environment is one of the important ingredients of a successful school experience. But how important? Responding to Dr. Kevin Donnellys book, Why our Schools are Failing, Ian Keese wrote recently that there was no crisis in education. (Professional Educator, Oct. 2005). Teachers were well trained, Australias achievement with educational outcomes was well above the OECD average, the increase in private school enrolments was a drift and not an exodus, and our government schools teach a cross-section of values held in our society. Keese made no mention of the failing standard of the physical facilities in government schools. In contrast to the proceeding thoughts, Caroline Milburn (Melbourne Age, 31/10/05), reported on a survey commissioned by the Australian Council of State School Organisations. In her article, Networking Lures Parents, she quoted the author of the survey, Dr. Richard Denniss, as saying that, Parents send children to private schools to ensure their offspring are exposed to better social and job networks. Academic standards and facilities were the second and third most commonly mentioned reasons why parents chose the private option. Interestingly, parents whose children remained at government schools also, cited reasons similar to those mentioned by the private school parents, although they nominated academic standards and the provision of facilities as the most important factors. So, does the deteriorating standard of our government school buildings represent a crisis? Insofar as poor facilities negatively impact on students and teachers attitude to school and the

process of learning, the answer must be, yes. Obviously parents are cognisant of this. The conventional wisdom still remains that private schools are better than public schools. Increasingly, parents in Victoria are enrolling their students in private schools where the standard of facilities is often much higher than that provided in government schools. One consequence of this is that, the local school is breaking down as the glue that binds local communities. The notion of a school being central to the fabric of a community often no longer exists. Whilst government schools remain as separate institutions, the only remedy for this situation is a significant capital injection by the government and/or utilizing private financing initiatives, as has been done in the UK. Interestingly, unions now see this as a viable way forward in preventing the increasing decay of these institutions. Dr. Andrew Bunting Director, Architectus Melbourne

Architectus Injects Creativity in Pharmaceutical Building

Architectus has designed a $17.5 million multi-use, purpose built facility for Contract Pharmaceutical Services Australia Pty Ltd at Eden Park, North Ryde. The facility comprises 2,800 square metres of production space, 600 square metres of office space and car parking accommodation for 270 cars over two basement levels. The facility also has a further 4,800 square metres of additional space for another tenant. Mr Ray Brown, Architectus director and lead project designer said the development posed three major architectural challenges: an extremely tight deadline of three weeks for initial concept through to development application; the need to provide both industrial and commercial space within the one facility; and, the need to create an aesthetic treatment for a specified seven metre high, windowless wall at the front entrance of the building. We had to put together the program concept in just three weeks. The design had to capture the aesthetic vision of the client as well as logistically cater for the buildings users no small feat in such a constrained timeframe. Mr Brown said. Essentially, we were creating a building which is an industrial facility with a commercial office on top. The challenge came in designing a building that could accommodate the separate uses without compromising the commercial aesthetics of the project. We achieved this by providing two distinctly different entrances to cater for the differing security needs of the tenants and by giving prominence to the commercial component over the industrial

Metal walls, roof sheeting, pre-cast concrete panels with various textures give the buildings exterior a modern yet functional aesthetic and sun shading have also been used to give depth to the faade. The building required a seven metre high exterior wall with no windows so we used textured treatments to add dimension and interest, Mr Brown said. The building was completed in December 2004 and is fully leased with the Department of Employment and Workplace Relations taking the remaining 50 percent of office space. This month, the building won the 2005 Professional Excellence Award for Ecologically sustainable construction in the $10 million to $50 million category by the Australian Institute of Building and it has been awarded 4 stars under the Australian Building Greenhouse Rating system.

Portable Classrooms

The recent State Government budget has allocated funding to many schools for the construction of permanent facilities. The news has been received by these schools with a combination of relief and joy. Typical of this reaction is that of the principal of Rochester Secondary College who said that he was over the moon, absolutely over the moon. He went on to say , You cant imagine what this is going to mean to the school. [Shepparton News, 7/5/2003]

Much of this exuberation is related to the fact that these schools will be able to rid themselves of many, if not all, of their portable buildings. The strength of emotion when schools farewell their portable buildings is strong. There are good reasons for this.

Portables are rarely regarded as part of the school. They are accepted as necessary to cope with medium term numbers in excess of the core enrolment or as temporary emergency measures but not as a significant long term component of the school infrastructure. Due to funding limitations, portables often stay around longer than intended and wear out their welcome.

The best of these facilities are functional the worst, are not. They usually keep out the weather, they provide space which may or may not be adequate, but that is as far as they go. They are not designed to exude an atmosphere of, this is a good place to be.

It is tempting for schools not to allocate time and resources to care for portable buildings. However, they should be maintained to a minimum standard for Occupation, Health and Safety reasons. In the State system, funding for this is allocated from PRIMS.

Nevertheless, it is clearly noticeable when a school enhances these buildings by creating (for example) useable spaces between them maybe courtyards with shade cloth and surrounding them with appropriate landscaping.

In many schools the siting of these facilities is a compromise. One of the main considerations for their location is the necessary access for trucking and/or craning them in and out. This can mean the loss of valuable recreation spaces and portable prominence whereby their visibility detracts from the main structure.

School masterplans should take account of the siting of semi-permanent portable buildings so that they are located in the most desirable place with due thought to the relationship they have with the external environment. State schools should be aware that there is a triennial programme for masterplan/full planning/ and construction. It is important for schools to lock themselves into this programme, even though sometimes it is the squeaky wheel which gets the oil.

Mr. Andrew Bunting Director Architectus

andrew.bunting@architectus.com.au

Will the form ever follow the function?

Form follows Function is a well known architectural maxim espoused by Louis Sullivan in 1896. In fulfillment of this, hotels are designed to function as places for drinking and accommodation, churches as places of worship, hospitals as places of healing and schools as places of learning. What Sullivan went on to say (which is rarely mentioned) was, where the function does not change neither should the form. By implication, therefore, it is safe to say that where the function does change, then so should the form.

The problem with most buildings is that they are long term assets. We build them to last, generally for 40 or 50 and more years. For previous periods in history this was not so much of an issue, but in the current age when change is all around us and the rate of change is increasing, the function within buildings is moving but the form is not. This brings us to the dilemma of Winston Churchill who, in 1924, (complaining about the Houses of Parliament in London) said we first design our buildings and in time then they design us. This is the concept of form determining function.

With our schools, the reality is that most of them have been on the ground for a number of years and were designed along industrial process lines to suit the didactic paradigm of education at the time. A number of these schools were built of light weight materials and constructed in great quantity to cater for the baby boomer years of the Post Second World War period. Many of these schools will last a lot longer than the present some for the next 20 to 30 years.

However, education has changed at least educational leaders tell us this at conferences. The general reality, though, may be somewhat different. Across the system, change may not be as radical and dynamic as conference presenters would have us believe. Nevertheless, there are pockets of innovation happening in individual schools which give cause for hope.

There are reasons for slow rates of change in education. Firstly, teachers are generally considered to be a conservative group of professionals. Some of them have never been out of the classroom and so dont know how to operate any differently than the way they were first taught and the way they were taught to teach. Secondly, systemic change is hard. It is difficult to scale up good ideas to operate throughout the entire system. Thirdly, the curriculum, mandated assessments and school accountabilities act as dampeners for change, particularly in the senior years of Secondary School where enter scores for tertiary institutions are all important. And then, there is the impact of existing buildings which dont support the new pedagogies.

But if we could redesign our schools to be places which support the new ways of learning in the knowledge age perhaps taking on board some of the ideas from existing innovative institutions, what sort of things would we consider ?

In Primary Schools, for the most part, students dont move from one room to another during the day. Generally, their room is their place and space for the entire year and this is often evident by the way they personalize their space with colour and various adornment. At their levels within the primary sector, it is considered important to have this form of security. Furthermore, the curriculum does not prescribe that the primary learning content is broken into distinct subject specialties as it is later on. Primary schools are excellent places for interdisciplinary learning perhaps using teams of students for projects and teams of teachers to assist. If learning spaces are based on year levels (and they dont have to be recall the one roomed school house for all grades), then adjacent break out nooks and generous resource areas are important to support this more independent and team based approach.

Learning spaces dont have to be enclosed as are traditional classrooms. There may be some definition of space but three sides may be sufficient with the fourth side being open to a common resource area. This area may include the library together with supporting information and communication technology and media facilities. And it all needs to be at the appropriate scale for the junior students.

Early learning philosophy supports the importance of the environment for younger students Montessori, Steiner, and Reggio Emilia being some of the theories. Included here are the issues of physical comfort, eg; temperature and light, but also of spaces that elicit curiosity and wonder. The external environment is a part of this. Whilst it is necessary to have adequate play space which may include some hard surfaces, it is undesirable to have wall to wall asphalt in any school. Much can be done with the external environment to create learning experiences. Creative gardens, water ponds, bird hives and so on all give rise to rich learning possibilities.

When students progress to the traditional Secondary School, they enter a new type of learning regime. The curriculum is divided into subject disciplines, learning time is divided into periods of 40 minutes (for the most part) and the students are faced with many teachers in lieu of the one they had in primary school. The students are constantly moving around the school from one room to another which makes for lost time and points of congestion.

In comparison to Primary Schools, many Secondary Schools are often bland and basic building types. There seems to be an assumption that the physical environment is not important to secondary school students. However, we know that this group are still impressionable and can be led to appreciate good design an attribute which will stay with them for the rest of their lives. Good design encompasses appropriate planning of the internal and external spaces as well as the external elevation or faade of the buildings. Both aspects are equally important.

Within the Secondary School learning environment, there have been many pressures for change. The first would be the recognition that students have preferred methods to learn. This has come out of the work by Howard Gardner and others on multiple intelligences. The didactic method may be appropriate for some but totally non-productive for others. The recognition of the value of constructivist learning is also taking hold.

There has also been a re-questioning of the purpose of our Secondary Schools. In general their purpose has shifted from being vocationally oriented institutions to places where the students not only learn various subject contents but also learn how to process information and create new knowledge. They learn how to learn and how to defend and demonstrate their learning with their peers. Students should leave Secondary Schools with critical minds and problem solving abilities skills which can then be applied to many and various academic disciplines and life situations.

The quantity and quality of information available to students via the computer network has grown exponentially. The skills of accessing and sifting this information as part of the learning process.

Communication technology has given students the ability to converse with anyone, anywhere in the world. It has also given students the freedom to work off campus to various levels and to take courses in the virtual sense entirely divorced from their physical school environment. The quantum of communication happenings from SMS text messages to synchronous voice and video communication has burgeoned. This has given education a new dimension. It is possible for the virtual school to replace the physical school and this has happened for a while with our Outback School of the Air. Although virtual schooling is possible it is not a first option for the main component of the educational experience. Humans need social and physical contact. In the real world, much work and leisure happens with other humans in groups and teams. The educational experience should mirror this.

Whilst the curriculum has broadened considerably in the Secondary Schools, the method of assessment has largely remained with the examination system. To a significant extent this has had a negative influence on learning innovation in the senior years of secondary schooling.

Nevertheless, pockets of innovation have occurred and much has been spoken about new ways of doing things. High on the agenda is team based learning where students learn in groups instead of individually. Added to this could be that the content studied spans various disciplines and age groups. Mix this with the resource of unlimited electronic information and the ability to meet and work in the virtual sense rather than always in the physical form and we have a new educational paradigm. This is already happening in some places The School for Environmental Studies (The Zoo School) in Minnesota being one example.

Furthermore there is a trend to have students engage in authentic or real life learning in the community rather within the confines of the school. This is particularly relevant to the more vocationally oriented courses. Partnerships with tertiary institutions and industry are of importance in this respect.

What does this all mean for the design issues for secondary schools ? Firstly, it means that the industrial design of long corridors and small classrooms should no longer be the dominant model. Students should have a home base and have their own workstation. This gives them continuity, permanency and assists them with teamwork. They may well have one or two members of staff who are group tutors and/or mentors who occupy the space with them. Such a space could look like the following diagram.

At the same time it is recognized that some movement will be required to attend specialist spaces such as music and science.

Schools should also be designed for the students instead of for the ease of the staff to supervise the students. Emphasis should be given to the creation of informal learning areas. These are places where the students can relax or work informally with each other or with teachers. A successful learning environment along these lines was designed by Architectus at Carey Baptist Grammar School in Melbourne. Here a quadrangle in the senior school was created by raising the floor or a wasted space in the school grounds to a level surface with colour, sound, heating and light. It works ideally as an informal learning place due to its centrality but particularly with the library being on one side and the cafeteria being on the other. It is popular with both staff and

students during the day and can be used by the school or external groups for dinners in the evening.

The external environment is also important. Again, spaces should be provided for informal gatherings with appropriate landscaping.

Given the trend for students to spend a greater proportion of their time working off campus either in work place settings or at home, it is considered that schools should place a greater emphasis on the collective activities for students such as sport and performing arts. It is difficult or even impossible to undertake these activities on an individual basis. Such facilities could also be available for use by community groups.

Whilst it is easier to design such facilities in a new environment, it is still possible to convert existing buildings for some of the above features. The form of our school buildings should not be allowed to frustrate the progress of the education function. Too often they do without the staff or students realizing the effect.

Predicting the future of education cannot be done with absolute certainty, however trends are evident. We dont want to build for the past, we can build for the present but we should build for the future. How is it best to do this ? Recent solutions to this include building for adaptability and flexibility. For adaptability, schools should be designed so that every five to ten years the internal fitout can be reconfigured. For flexibility, the design should allow for the configured spaces to be changed on a daily basis using, for example, operable walls and moveable furniture. All this can be done without compromising the structure of the buildings.

It is evident that educators are talking more about the effect of the built and natural environments on the learning process. Education buildings are significant community assets. They are built at a point in time with a particular capital cost. However, during their life there will be additional recurrent costs to refit them for current functions in much the same way as the Navy refits its ships for current warfare. And there the analogy ends !!!