Creating a Space for Creativity: The Importance of Aligning Creative Teaching, Space, and Organisation when designing innovative learning environments

Space shapes us but is also shaped by the way we interact with and act within the space. In recent years many schools are being built or rebuilt based on student-centred learning with smaller classrooms and large innovative learning environments (ILEs), expected to foster collaboration and creativity. But the relational dependence between the physical space, pedagogics and organisation is widely overlooked when designing these new learning environments as a new spatial design in itself is expected to change the way we teach and learn. Simply changing the space is not enough (Imms & Byers, 2017) and the intentions of the space can only be fully realised if the inhabitants of the schools completely understand and support the pedagogical principles informing the provision of these spaces (Burke, 2016). This is why three things should be aligned in order for an ILE to work intendedly: creative teaching (the teacher), space (the designer) and organisation (management). With my research, I would like to contribute to the understanding of the relationship between the physical learning environment and creative learning processes and the potential of the space as a tool to stimulate creativity. In my poster presentation at ‘Educational Architecture’ I will present a case study from my PhD-project where I developed a new ILE at a Danish municipal school in collaboration with the design agency Rune Fjord Studio. A starting point for the project was to examine if and how involving teachers and management in the design process would ensure the common goal: to create the best frame for creative learning. In an attempt to involve all parties in the design process, a design process model was developed and used as tool to visualise the process and essential turning points. The design process and intermediary findings from the case, including some of the obstacles encountered, as well as the intentions of the final design will be presented. Based on this, it is my thesis that in order to ensure a successful ILE the design process is to end with a delivery phase where the intentions of the space are presented and activated in collaboration with the users.