Physical Space


We start from our own intuition and experiences that the physical environment can have a profound effect on how we feel and on our capacity for learning. In our experience this applies equally to environments supposedly designed for more formal learning – schools, colleges etc – and to other places and spaces where less formal learning occurs – places where we live, work and play.

As learners and as facilitators of learning we have experienced successful spaces and places, spaces that feed the imagination, that energise individuals and groups, or that simply ‘work’ appropriately and effectively to create an environment for learning. We have equally experienced spaces and places that can crush, stifle or otherwise limit our learning potential.

While we often intuitively know whether a space feels right or wrong, it is much harder to make sense of why this should be, or to know what to do to improve a poor environment.

In the last ten years or so there has been an increase in research into the effects of the physical environment on performance and learning, both in schools and in the workplace. Most of this research has focussed on separate aspects of the environment – electric lighting, daylight, acoustics, colour etc – in isolation from other aspects. It has also focussed primarily on measurable outcomes – SAT scores, exam results, student behaviour, workplace productivity etc.

A summary of some of this research can be found in the CABE report – The Value of Good Design and on the website of the CEFPI

While this research has provided some practical information to inform the design of schools and other learning environments, it does not help us towards a holistic understanding of learning and the physical environment.

Our interest is in exploring our whole physiological, emotional and psychological response to physical space, and understanding the interrelationships between this and the creation of appropriate environments for learning.

  • How do different spaces make us feel ?
  • What emotions do they trigger, and do these emotions help or hinder our learning ?
  • Does the space encourage a rich multi-sensory response, and is this appropriate to the learning situation ?
  • How does the space affect us physiologically—and do our physiological responses aid or hinder learning ?
  • What environments are appropriate for different stages in the learning cycle — experience, reflection, generalising, testing.
  • What environments are appropriate to different learning styles—does a kinaesthetic learner have different needs to an aural or visual learner for example ?
  • What impact does our understanding of multiple intelligences have on design and use of the physical environment ?
  • How do we learn through interaction with our environment, and can we design in a way that influences this learning ?
  • Does the space and how it is used encourage social interaction and learning ?

We are working towards answers to these questions. Some are suggested through existing research, some we have discovered through our own research and experience, some we feel we know intuitively, and some we can only answer collaboratively with building users through consultation, experiment and reflection.

Our aim is to help you to understand why and how the physical environment is so important to learning, and to use this in the design, adaptation and use of learning spaces.