[INTERIOR DESIGN RESEARCH]

[BY: CHRISTIAN MERRIAM]

[CLASSROOM RESEARCH]

  • CLASSROOMS NOW OF DAYS ARE CHANGING FROM THE TYPICAL SMALL ROOM WITH ROWS OF CHAIRS TO MORE OPEN ROOMS WITH A VARIETY OF SPACES AND SEATING.
  • THIS WEBSITE HAS A LIST OF TEACHER TESTIMONIALS ABOUT HOW WELL THESE TYPES OF CLASSROOMS WORK WITH THEIR STUDENTS. EDUTOPIA.ORG
  • LARGER OPEN CLASSROOMS ARE THE POPULAR THING AND ARE TURNING OUT TO BE BETTER FOR STUDENT LEARNING AND DEVELOPMENT.
    • SOME SCHOOLS HAVE MULTI-USE ROOMS WHERE MULTIPLE CLASSROOMS USE THE ROOM. THEY CHECK IT OUT LIKE OFFICES CHECK OUT CONFERENCE ROOMS AND ARE OPEN FOR ANY CLASS TO USE.
    • THERE ARE ALSO SOME ROOMS THAT HAVE MULTIPLE CLASSES IN ONE ROOM. THE ROOM HAS MANY DIFFERENT AREAS IN IT AND SO THE CLASSES TAKE TURN USING THE DIFFERENT AREAS THROUGHOUT THE DAY TO TEACH DIFFERENT THINGS. SOME EXAMPLES OF THE DIFFERENT AREAS ARE:
      • A MATH AREA
      • A MUSIC SPACE
      • A AREA FOR ENGLISH/READING
      • A SPACE FOR HISTORY
      • A SPACE FOR SCIENCE, ECT.
  • MODERN CLASSROOMS HAVE AND USE FLEXIBLE SPACES FOR THEIR STUDENTS. THESE SPACES CAN INCLUDE:
      • PRIVATE WORK AREAS FOR STUDENTS WHO WANT TO WORK ALONE ON SOMETHING OR WHO WANT TO FOCUS ON WHAT THEY ARE DOING.
      • OPEN COLLABORATIVE SPACES FOR GROUP PROJECTS OR JUST FOR SEATING AREAS.
      • A SPACE WITH NO SEATING, AN OPEN AREA FOR SITTING, LAYING, OR WHATEVER THE STUDENTS OR TEACHER WANT TO USE THE SPACE FOR.
      • SPACES OR A SPACE THAT IS OPEN FOR ANY USE. A SPECIFIC FLEXIBLE SPACE THAT CAN BE ANYTHING. SPACE THAT CAN BE SEATING ONE DAY AND CAN BE CHANGED TO BE SOMETHING ELSE THE NEXT.
  • THERE SHOULD ALSO BE MANY DIFFERENT FORMS OF SEATING FOR THE STUDENTS. NOW OF DAYS OFFICES ARE DESIGNED WITH VARYING SEATING FOR THEIR WORKERS SO THEY CAN WORK WHERE IS MOST COMFORTABLE FOR THEM. THIS SHOULD ALSO BE THE SAME IN CLASSROOMS. DIFFERENT PEOPLE LEARN IN DIFFERENT WAYS. SOME SEATING OPTIONS ARE:
      • LOUNGE SEATING
      • SOME STANDING
      • STRAIGHT BACK CHAIRS
      • HIGH TOP STOOLS
      • SITTING ON THE FLOOR
      • LAYING DOWN
      • ACTIVE SEATING (SEATING THAT MOVES OR IS UNSTABLE AND REQUIRES MOVEMENT TO STAY STABLE)
  • THE DIFFERENT TYPES OF SEATING SHOULD BE DISPERSED THROUGHOUT THE CLASSROOM AND STUDENTS SHOULD BE ABLE TO USE WHICH EVER KIND THEY WANT.
  • CLASSES AND SCHOOLS ARE INTEGRATING TECHNOLOGY NOW MORE THAN EVER. TEACHERS ARE USING TABLETS INSTEAD OF COMPUTERS AND STUDENTS ARE USING TABLETS IN CLASS AS WELL TO DO CLASS WORK AND PROJECTS.
  • AS THE STUDENTS MOVE FROM YEAR TO YEAR THE TECH THEY USE AND INTERACT WITH BECOMES MORE AND MORE ADVANCED AND THEY USE MORE OF IT MORE OFTEN.

[PRODUCT / TECH INFO]

  • ESTIMOTE IS A COMPANY THAT MAKES SENSORS FOR SENSING PEOPLE, TECH,AND ITEMS WITHIN A SPACE. THERE ARE DIFFERENT TYPES AND SIZES FOR DIFFERENT USES.
  • THE OODLE STOOL BY: SMITH SYSTEM, IS A STOOL THAT HAS A ROUND BOTTOM AND CAN GROW BY ADDING LAYERS TO GET THE HEIGHT YOU WANT. IT IS PERFECT FOR STUDENTS OF ANY AGE.
  • ANOTHER HEIGHT CHANGING STOOL WITH A ROUND BOTTOM IS THE TILT STOOL BY: HAWORTH. IT IS NOT AS CUSTOMISABLE AS THE OODLE STOOL BUT IT HAS A MUCH CLEANER LOOK.
  • OTHER HAWORHTH PRODUCTS THAT WOULD BE A GOOD USE IN AN OPEN CLASSROOM SPACE IS THEIR OPENEST LINE. THE CHICK POUF IS GREAT FOR STUDENT SEATING EITHER WITH OR WITHOUT IT'S BACK.
  • TURNSTONE IS A PRODUCT LINE OF STEELCASE AND IS THEIR COLLABORATIVE SPACE FURNITURE LINE. THE CAMPFIRE LINE WOULD BE BEST FOR CLASSROOMS AND STUDENT CENTERS. IT IS MOSTLY LOUNGE FURNITURE. WHILE THEIR BIVI LINE IS MORE LIKE CLASSROOM/OFFICE FURNITURE.
  • PARAGON IS ANOTHER FURNITURE MANUFACTURE THAT MAKES PRODUCTS FOR THE MODERN DAY CLASSROOM. STUFF FOR COLAB. SPACES AND PRIVATE STUDY SPACES.

[PHOTOGRAPHY OF INNOCADEMY CLASSROOMS]

  • INNOCADEMY IS A SCHOOL IN ZEELAND, MI.
  • THE SCHOOL IS AN EXAMPLE OF AN OPEN FLEXIBLE SPACE CLASSROOM.

Right Click on the image to view full size in a new tab.

[HELPFUL ARTICLES]

INTERIOR DESIGN

  • Which designers and manufacturers are working on space design for emotional well being, tribal culture and collaboration.
  • STEELCASE Verb Active Media Table and Active Learning Environments along with Steelcase for Education information.
  • See if anyone is working on emotional interior design
  • Ilse Crawford : Featured on Netflix series about designers called "Abstract". Creates spaces that engage the senses and promote well being. http://www.studioilse.com/

PROXIMITY

  • Think about what can be learned from location data that can be time-stamped. Things like proximity between people places and things, cross referenced with emotional data could provide powerful information for teachers.
  • BEACONS
    • Beacons are small, rock-like shaped, wireless sensors. They can be attached to any location or object, while broadcasting low-energy Bluetooth to your smart phone. Your smart phone is prompted with a message or alert, using micro-locaton and contextual awareness.
    • Issues: Accuracy, if we do one signal from 10 feet away and another from 2 feet. Also if there are too many beacons in too small of a space, they will interfere with each other.
    • http://estimote.com
    • https://estimote.com/products