1st Edition

Community Schools Designing for sustainability, wellbeing and inclusion

By Helen Taylor Copyright 2023
    176 Pages
    by RIBA Publishing

    Schools have the potential to empower communities by connecting people better with the places they live. But how can these benefits be baked into a design brief? As complex institutions, schools not only provide education and pastoral care for children, as they grow and develop, but also act as workplaces for staff and civic assets or hubs for the wider community. Yet they're not often perceived to be critical infrastructure. Community Schools reconsiders what is required from physical school environments, building on the learning gathered from the sector over the past two decades. To meet the new social, environmental and economic challenges it advocates designing differently, both in terms of the form that buildings take and the evaluation of their impact and performance. By calling for a reframing of the way that schools are regarded as community-wide amenities, this book explores the potential for architects to deliver design in a manner that supports healthy lifestyles and promotes wellbeing. Through encouraging social connections, new possibilities open up for educational facilities to become open, welcoming and inclusive. Featuring:

    • Over 12 international case studies from practices including: Architype, Argyll + Bute, Bogle Architects, DRMM, Revaerk, Scott Brownrigg and XDGA
    • Key themes of wellbeing, connectivity, inclusion, indicators and evaluation
    • Practical guidance and learning points throughout
    • A new design brief for community schools

    Acknowledgements

    Introduction

    1. A Different Approach to School Design

    2. Community Schools

    3. Wellbeing

    4. Connectivity & Inclusion

    5. Indicators & Evaluation

    6. A New Brief for Community Schools

    Endnotes

    Image Credits

    Biography

    Helen Taylor is an architect and Director of Practice at Scott Brownrigg, with more than 20 years’ experience in education design from Nursery to Further Education. Dr Sharon Wright is a Senior Associate with the-learning-crowd and has been supporting education capital projects for 20 years.