1) ‘Sample room’ A specialist classroom supporting pattern cutting, sewing machines and the use of presses. This room should be designed to accommodate up to 25 students.
- Metaphor = Allotment
- Productive, practical, beautiful, hard work, community, shared, storage of tools
- Room needs = pattern cutting, drawing, presses, tables, special machines, demonstrations, computers, mirrors, resources, recordings
- Tables with drawers underneath for storage, pull-out drawers for learning resources
- Circular room for demonstrations with access outside for open access, machines, storage lockers
- Curved white wall for projections and writing
2 ‘Teaching room’ This is a non-specific general purpose teaching room. It should accommodate (for the purpose of this exercise) up to 30 students. This is the kind of space where seminars, presentations and group-based activity would occur.
- Metaphor = garden
- Aim = presentations, seminars, group based learning
- Break up right angles, like you would in a garden, with paths leading to different areas
- Write on the floor, a pond shaped area
- Butterfly wings – unfurled to form table top space
- Tiered levels of surfaces with curved shapes
- Cameras to enlarge student’s work
- Wireless, touch-screen on each table
- CAD facility nearby
- Plasma screens mounted on walls outside of the curved screens like the petals of a flower
3) `Informal learning lounge’ This is intended as an informal learning area (non-classroom space) providing students with a mix of IT access and use, as well as a range of seating and furniture types to accommodate a variety of activity.
- Metaphor = Cocktail bar
- Bar staff = technical learning support staff
- Relaxed, social
- The idea that refreshments served are actually resources for learning
- Pod areas for group learning activities
- Horseshoe shaped tables
- Circular area with a bar for drinks, accessories where staff hand out loan items, no cash
- Curved glass screens in the corners of the room for presentations
