Design impacts how students learn. As educational architects, it is our responsibility to create future-ready learning environments. Those which feature agile, learner-centered spaces for project-based interaction, personalized learning and the ubiquitous integration of technology. Whether it be transforming an existing classroom or creating new spaces, Studio W Architects’ next generation educational environments are state-of-the-art, student-focused and support the pedagogical goals of the school.
We partner with our school district and higher education clients to assist in defining their vision and generating a comprehensive, long-range master plan to guide their decision-making well into the future. Beyond the realities of limited budgets, tight timelines and scarce resources, we focus on designing schools and colleges to enhance learning for today’s students and tomorrow’s learners.
Great school design is a tool within the learning environments. At the educator’s level, there are no longer discussions about paradigm shifts, the shift has happened and we, as architects, must respond with planning solutions that prepare students to enter today’s global economy. Students are “change-makers” of the future and our physical spaces should complement their vision and provide them with tools that allow them to thrive. We see this take shape in concepts such as STEM education, maker’s labs and career technical education (CTE) centers. For example, a culinary program should not only have a kitchen, but also a garden and a cafe so students can grow, cook and serve their peers. Students can then visualize their future culinary careers. The solution is holistic, it has real-world application and it doesn’t stop within the four walls of a traditional classroom setting.
We are designing schools and colleges today to ultimately accommodate changes that are not yet known. As such, we encourage our clients to “dream big” about the future and create spaces for tomorrow’s unknown. Every component of the physical environments we create, and every aspect of our process, revolves around a singular purpose – to enhance learning. We are architects, facilities planners and educators. We are 21st Century learning thought leaders, visionaries and researchers, and we look forward to “dreaming big” with you.