Learning Places Scotland Conference | Exhibition | Awards’ Post

Our Policy Lead, Stephen Caulfield, was in Glasgow yesterday for #LearningPlacesScotland 2024. This conference and exhibition brings together learners, educators, designers, consultants, and manufacturers for discussion and collaboration on how we deliver high-quality learning spaces for all.   Though there is much work still to be done, we are encouraged by the growing recognition of the role that school and college estate design has on the experiences of people with Additional Support Needs (ASN) - and how trends towards expansive, open-plan (and noisy) spaces is negatively impacting the experiences of people with differences in sensory profile and social communication.

Our Transforming Homes consortium gathered at the University of Exeter to share progress of our #GreenTransitionEcosystem project. It has now been one year since we launched our ambitious research focussing on the transformation of 1920s-1940s council-built housing in the UK to meet the needs of present and future generations. The two-day event featured a variety of engaging activities, including: 🔹 A presentation from Abigail Fisher, Investment Manager for the Design, Commercialisation and Innovation team at Arts and Humanities Research Council (AHRC), who shared valuable perspectives on AHRC's initiatives aimed at advancing high-quality research in the Arts and Humanities and how these efforts relate to our #GTE initiative. 🔹 Updates from our #interdisciplinary consortium, showcasing progress on various fronts. This included #designresearch cataloguing innovative solutions for interwar houses, updates on our demonstration homes in Bristol and Swansea, and strategies for stakeholder #engagement that integrate diverse expertise into #inclusive and feasible long-term solutions. 🔹 Workshops aimed at identifying potential outputs and target audiences, with feedback from industry partners Alliance for Sustainable Building Products, Mikhail Riches, WeCanMake, and Knowle West Media Centre. This sparked fruitful discussions on the project's unique aspects and the potential to transfer solutions derived from our research. As we enter the second year of this dynamic project, we look forward to continuing our #research and #codesigning innovative #housing solutions to transform the UK’s existing building stock. UK Research and Innovation Arts and Humanities Research Council (AHRC) the Design Museum GW4 Alliance #AHRC #FutureObservatory #GTE #UKHousing #ResearchandInnovation #codesign Pete Walker Michael Lewis Andy Shea Emma Taylor Christina Demski Louise King Jo Patterson Veronica Albarran Carrillo Catherine Butler Gabriella Giannachi Eleni Toumpanaki Dominika Malkowska Melissa Mean Richard Broad Gary Newman Richard Hawkins Sanjukta Jitendhar

Ascending to new heights. We are thrilled to announce that ARC Oxford has secured planning permission for Ascent, a new state-of-the-art facility designed for the science, technology, and innovation sector. This development will replace seven existing buildings and is expected to create approximately 500 jobs and contribute £38 million GVA to the economy annually. The 105,000 sq. ft lab-ready development will feature a rooftop lounge, wellness spaces, a gym, and end-of-trip facilities. Ascent will host leading science and technology companies addressing global challenges, positioning it at the heart of Oxford’s innovation cluster, alongside 30 pioneering organisations. Designed by Spratley & Partners with a focus on sustainability and wellbeing, Ascent will achieve a BREEAM Excellent rating, a 40% reduction in operational carbon emissions, and Fitwel certification. Read the full story here: https://lnkd.in/e9Y6w7Em #development #innovationhub #planning #sustainabledevelopment #oxford #labspace #scienceandtechnology #researchanddevelopment

💡Who? What? When? Why? How?💡 The Learning Environments Australasia Design (LEAD) Awards is an annual awards program that recognises excellence in the design of educational environments across Australia, New Zealand and Asia. ⚡️Entering the LEAD Awards program allows you to reap the benefits of a rare and robust awards process, one that is different to any other awards’ program in the world. We look at not just the design quality of your educational spaces, but how you got there – the unique collaboration, planning, research, design processes and narratives that underpin our most innovative learning spaces. Consider entering your new or renovated learning spaces, innovative programs or outdoor learning environments. 📅 Entry into the 2025 LEAD Awards will commence on Monday 1 November 2024. For more information: 🔗https://lnkd.in/gc7KPyfM #LEAAwards2025 #LearningEnvironmentsAustralasia #EducationInnovation #LEA #LearningSpaces #LearningEnvironments #SchoolDesign #SchoolArchitecture #AustralianArchitecture #NewZealandArchitecture #Education #outdoorlearningenvironments #Innovation #Masterplanning #A4LE

Beautiful London skyline this morning (even with the scaffolding around Adelaide House). Really looking forward to meeting up with some very interesting people at the Bisnow Student Accommodation Summit later today and catching up with friends at Lavanda and others. Should be a great discussion on how we continue to meet and exceed the needs of students, asset managers and developers in the PBSA market in the UK and wider afield. I was reflecting on the interesting post I read yesterday from Hannah Chappatte at Hybr on the challenge of pulling together data from across aligned sectors such as BTR to give a richer picture of student expectations and reality in the UK today. Just like the skyline of London, I see the data picture as inevitably mixed with some really beautiful examples (and also some less delightful examples): >> the Walkie Talkie - an analogy for modern and well constructed data (could that be Lavanda?) >> Adelaide House - an analogy for some older, once imperious PMS systems that we could mention, where data is inaccessible and mysterious! >> those 1970 concrete office blocks - a super analogy for PMS and associated systems that really just need replacing by something more sustainable and well constructed. Whatever the current picture looks like, and it is undoubtedly mixed, as planners and architects of the future I think we all know what we would like the data skyline of the future to look like. And I’m guessing it’s doesn’t involve slabs of cheap concrete! Have a great Wednesday everyone. And if you are at the Summit later, please say hi. Mark

The Call for Presentations for the annual gathering for the education sector in Wales are now OPEN! Education Buildings Wales is the only event of its kind dedicated to educational buildings in Wales. The conference programme will focus on key themes such as: ✏️Sustainability ✏️Achieving Net Zero ✏️Additional Learning Needs (ALN) Provision ✏️Health & Wellbeing ✏️Designing Inspiring Learning Spaces And more... Submissions are invited to align with these themes and should incorporate theoretical insights, best practice case studies, and inspirational, thought-provoking analysis from leading experts in the field. The deadline for submission is Friday 28 February 2025 Submit your Presentation: https://lnkd.in/etyRkGXn Find out more: https://lnkd.in/eAaX8bgz #education #welshgovernment #register #speakers #conference #awards #educationbuildings #educationbuildingswales #wales #architect #contractor #ebw #learningspaces #educationprojects #education #construction #conference #sponsorship #networking

Conundrums and Contraries #RLB attended #igppEEC - The National Estates in Education Conference 2024 Takeaways… 1)     Awash with rainwater: UCL's Blanche Cameron is exploring innovative solutions. I am off to build a sandpit! 2)     Conversely Telex Water said we don’t have enough (of the right) water and our future supplies are in threat. Poor water company infrastructure leads to loss, and people / processes are using too much water. 3)     Trend towards open campuses but yet we have security issues and a need to lockdown (Martyn’s Law coming into fruition). Security was a big topic and we heard from Oliver Curran BSc (Hons) at UCL about the many issues on campuses; some prevalent through society. 4)     Current budgets won’t meet the inflationary demands of the future; we must invest in the right ideas… investment is the right way to go, to make tangible savings for the future on estates, and the world. Poignant points on Scope 3 emissions, energy usage and investment / funding availability from Mark Whittaker CIWFM at Institute of Workplace and Facilities Management. 5)     We are all focused on the costs to get to Net Zero Carbon, but how do we get better at calculating the long term savings when the measures are implemented? Professor Judith Petts from University of Plymouth was keen for us to explore longer term solutions, not cheaper ones (e.g. not replacing gas with gas). 6)     We heard from Olga Turner Baker MRICS WELL AP at Ekkist on human health & wellbeing: the need for outdoor space (views, green), biophilic design can slow the heart rate and avoid over-stimulation, as can natural materials. Timber dulls noise. Plants actually make an environment’s rating score improve! Air quality, damp and mould (think asthma and later problems in life due to lung issues), materials with volatile organic compounds (VOCs are toxins that impair health and cognitive function), architecture can prevent bullying and prevent loneliness… some great solutions and practical guides were shared. 7)    Amazing to hear from Professor Nalin Thakkar at The University of Manchester on their impressive commitment to sustainability across a humungous campus. We heard from Iain Garfield from Newcastle University and saw some of their impressive retrofit projects; they reminded me of several of my retrofit projects over the years. Lastly we heard from Andy Levy about their Estates Division at University of Cambridge and the reshaping of their Estate; Andy shared some of their challenges (some that we are facing now across most sectors post-Covid: e.g. occupancy), and the opportunities that perhaps lie within… and some very smart deep retrofit and sustainable project shares too. Cracking day: so much more to explore and share with the team. Off to scatter information in relevant directions! Photo: my #CircularEconomy at home. Elliot Hockley Rider Levett Bucknall #universitiy #universities #education #sustainability #security #FM #netzero #retrofit #estates

🚀 𝗢𝘃𝗲𝗿 €𝟯𝟬𝟬 𝗺𝗶𝗹𝗹𝗶𝗼𝗻 𝗶𝗻𝘃𝗲𝘀𝘁𝗲𝗱 𝘁𝗼 𝗯𝗲𝗻𝗲𝗳𝗶𝘁 𝟭𝟬,𝟬𝟬𝟬+ 𝘀𝗰𝗵𝗼𝗼𝗹𝗰𝗵𝗶𝗹𝗱𝗿𝗲𝗻: 𝗔𝘂𝗿𝗼𝗿𝗮 𝗖𝗼𝗻𝘀𝗼𝗿𝘁𝗶𝘂𝗺 𝘁𝗼 𝗯𝘂𝗶𝗹𝗱 𝟮𝟯 𝗻𝗲𝘄 𝘀𝗰𝗵𝗼𝗼𝗹𝘀 𝗶𝗻 𝗙𝗹𝗮𝗻𝗱𝗲𝗿𝘀! We’re excited to share that the Aurora Consortium—comprising investors Epicofund and Rebel, alongside contractors DEMOCO and Van Roey nv—is designing and building 23 state-of-the-art schools in Flanders. This pioneering public-private partnership will create over 126,000 square meters of modern, sustainable educational spaces across the region. The first projects have already begun in Turnhout and Ghent, with upcoming projects in Ninove, Ertvelde, Haaltert, Ronse, Mechelen, Lanaken, and more! The schools are being developed under a DBFM (Design, Build, Finance, Maintain) model, meaning the consortium will not only design and construct these facilities but also maintain them for the next 30 years. This approach allows schools to focus entirely on their core mission: providing quality education. 👉 Want to learn more? Read the full press release (in Dutch) here: https://lnkd.in/erBwaSWj At Rebel, we are proud to contribute to the much-needed modernization of educational infrastructure in Flanders with smart financing solutions! Image by: AURORA with BRUT architecture and urban design #Education #Innovation #AuroraConsortium #FutureBuilding #Flanders

'In case you missed it -' Last Thursday, hosted by SACAPSA, Moderated by myself and a fantastic team of young practitioners, we had the youth discussing tough talks on: - finances - employment - the use of AI in architecture The session had an exceptional turn out and was very fortunate to have worked with an audacious team to make the future happen. I'll be unpacking the event in the coming weeks, but here's the major gaps identified: - we need to relook at salaries urgently and provide workable solutions (our earnings are far below the national average for salaries) - we need to better equip graduates to diversify income streams and become self-reliant (a significant portion of undergrads are facing unemployment) - we need to upskill professionals and promptly adjust our architectural curriculum to critically interrogate and investigate emerging technologies (universities are reluctant to use AI or any other technologies on campus and a critical discussion with all relevant role players need to happen soon) In my view, as expressed at the end of the webinar, we need to hold each other responsible - Voluntary Associations, Practices and Practitioners. To solve these problems, we need collaboration, not competition. Tough talks by: Dieudonné Elohym Da Costa thuto vilakazi Khaylen Jacobs Kekelwa Akombelwa Jacobus Uys Ruan Erasmus Mayankh Ramasar Mikayla De Gouveia Time to take action VAs: South African Institute of building Design (SAIBD ) SAIA Architects GIfA Gauteng Institute for Architecture Cape Institute for Architecture (CIfA) South African Institute of Architectural Technologists (SAIAT) Watch the entire session below: https://lnkd.in/dFiTm-Jp ---------- Missed the event and want to know more? Drop us a mail: anarchitect.eproducts@gmail.com admin@saibd.org.za ----------

Mark your calendars!! Karen, Adam and the RAD team will be exhibiting at Education Estates 2024 on 15th & 16th October at Manchester Central. You can visit our stand (414) and hear about how we’re integrating sustainability, technology and flexible spaces to meet the needs of 21st century students. We’ll give you examples of how we’ve helped schools create learning environments that are innovative, adaptable, and built for the future. Plus, you can hear from our Managing Director, Karen Sanderson, who will be speaking at this year’s conference on the critical topic of sustainable classroom design. As schools and educational institutions face increasing pressure to meet sustainability goals, our approach puts the environment at the heart of creating inspiring, functional, and future-proof classrooms. Karen will explain why going green in classroom design doesn’t limit design, it enhances it! It improves student well-being, boosts academic performance, and reduces operational costs for schools, making it better for the earth, better for students, better for budgets…and definitely better for design. See you there!! #RAD #EducationEstates #ClassroomDesign #SustainabilityinDesign #Sustainablefurniture