The digital school

The school as a place to be

How room design in schools improves learning and life.

Digitalisation, the legal entitlement to all-day schooling, inclusion and many other new developments need space in schools – both figuratively and literally, because contemporary teaching and pedagogy require rethought school spaces. In this blog post, you can read about the options schools have for room design, what promotes learning and well-being and what is more of a hindrance:

1. How have the requirements for room design in schools changed?

Educational research shows that learning takes place co-constructively, in dialogue between the students themselves and the teacher. This is why most teachers no longer teach in a purely frontal manner, but instead engage in dialogue with their students. They teach skills that are important for the 21st century, such as flexibility, problem-solving and critical thinking, and are faced with the challenges of inclusion and digitalisation. This new way of teaching also requires new spatial concepts.

The development towards all-day schools is also fundamentally changing the requirements for childcare and school premises. Starting in 2026, German schools will have a legal entitlement to all-day care, meaning that schools will increasingly become the centre of children’s lives. The design and multifunctional use of school rooms is therefore of particular importance.

2. How have the school concepts and thus the room design changed?

Many older school buildings are so-called corridor schools from the era of frontal teaching, with classrooms lined up along a corridor.

From the 1970s onwards, it was recognised that frontal teaching was not sufficient for learning. This gave rise to open-plan schools with different learning environments. This allowed children to spread out freely and spend time in the canteen, library or teachers’ rooms.

At the beginning of the 2000s, the learning centre principle was developed. In cluster schools, rooms are grouped in a circle around a common centre like an atrium. This enables more interaction and flexibility, both for pupils as well as for teachers and educators, who now work together in multi-professional teams.

3. What should be considered in the room design of a modern school?

In order to realise living and learning in the all-day school that is common today, learning spaces that can be used variably are required. Spaces are needed for social interaction in which pupils can fulfil their exercise and leisure needs, as well as quiet zones that offer opportunities for retreat. A balanced and rhythmic school day should include phases of tension and learning as well as phases of relaxation. Equally important is the possibility of a fresh and communal lunch and a good technical infrastructure for independent digital learning.

This differentiation can also be made possible on a small scale in existing classrooms, e.g. with the churer model. Here, the classroom is rearranged so that the blackboard is no longer the central point of learning. Instead, there is input in a circle and pupils can choose their own workstation.

Raumgestaltung Alemannenschule Wutöschingen — Alemannenschule Wutöschingen

4. What should be considered for new builds and conversions?

So the first step is to think about how schools want to teach in the future, then the rooms can be considered. Involving experts and all school stakeholders on an equal footing is particularly important in a new build or remodelling project. In addition to the teachers, the children and their parents should also be allowed to share their ideas and wishes and be continuously involved in the process of remodelling or new construction. When remodelling existing school premises, it is advisable to first take stock of the existing rooms and their use so that the school can then be adapted to today’s needs.

5. How schools design flexible learning spaces

The primary school on Süsteresch in Lower Saxony has transformed an old 1970s building into a modern all-day school. Among other things, the inner courtyard was transformed into a light-flooded atrium with a stage, the old boys’ toilet into a research laboratory and unused corridors into a library. The old corridor school now has a wide range of flexible uses. The Alemannenschule Wutöschingen has also made some changes: for example, there are hardly any ‘normal’ classrooms here – instead there are input rooms for subject-specific input, the marketplace with learning islands for cooperative learning and learning studios with their own workstations for concentrated independent work. This creates space for flexibility and movement.

The Dichterviertel primary school in Mülheim an der Ruhr even believes that not every child needs a table and chair.

Raumgestaltung lernatelier arbeitsplaetze Alemannensschule — Learnatelier Alemannenschule Wutöschingen

6. Which room design elements are important for well-being?

Studies show that nature and spaces in which natural materials are used contribute to increased well-being, better health and greater social cohesion in groups. It is therefore recommended to use wood and other natural materials in the room design of schools. In addition, natural colours are better than bright colours, which lead to tired eyes more quickly. Equally important are good acoustics and noise reduction, moderate temperatures and pleasant lighting to create a good learning environment. Caves, niches or intermediate levels used by groups of different sizes can create opportunities for pupils to retreat. In general, curved contours are particularly suitable for the design. There should also be access from as many indoor spaces as possible to the outside with as many plants as possible.

7. Keep an overview with the Room and Resource planner

Whether old or new school room design or something in between, one challenge remains: Keeping track of rooms and materials – especially with flexibly utilised rooms or multiple uses: Digital solutions such as the Sdui Group’s room and resource planner can help not only with newer school room concepts but also in everyday school life. This allows rooms to be booked in advance or spontaneously, and when reserving the tablet case, each teacher can immediately see how many devices are available and whether a charging cable is missing. In the same way, the research laboratory, the stage in the assembly hall or the sports hall can easily be reserved for a specific day or for an entire school year. This saves time and nerves for everyone. Further information can be found here.