the design of educational spaces

It seems to be common sense, yet the idea that the design of the places in which we learn will influence our learning seems to get short shrift. I have been reflecting on this after reading about the work of kurani. In particular the need to transform aging buildings and non dedicated spaces into effective adult learning environments is huge. Physical design decisions are often left to those with no knowledge of the educational process. Designs of classrooms and other workspaces often defaults to one of a few standard set ups without considering other possibilities. It is time that we took the design of physical learning spaces more seriously.