Knowledge growth
Schools and colleges are very specialorganisations so we always beginprojects for them by getting to know their culture and various stakeholding groups. That helps us to understand the particular relationships that drive priorities, ambitions and opportunities.
We also seek to understand the wider context which defines how our clients fund and procure their buildings because that also sets possibilities. Having worked withschools for all ages, colleges, universities and large-scale employers who want vocational training facilities, we know how diverse their needs can be. The dynamic between staff, students and the local community can take manyforms, but it is always a prime factor in the design.
Other stakeholders have important roles too. Links tothe local community can be important for all types ofinstitutions, but these links need to be developed in the most appropriate way. Engaging parents in the work of a primary school is very different to encouraging neighboursto make occasional visits to special events, but both help to embed the idea of learning within the community.
Links to employers in the neighbourhood can also bebeneficial. They can help young people make the transition from learning to working, or give focus to courses in further educational institutions. Occasionally large-scale employers might need their own training facilities, bringing learning and working very close together.
Universities can position themselves within their local context, but might additionally seek to become members of worldwide communities. A high standardof accommodation can play a part in attracting studentsand staff and consequent benefits for funding. It can alsocreate an image for the institution and so assist marketing.
Getting to know the particular ambitions and opportunities that drive the character of the institution is vital to understanding and exploiting what intelligent architecture can do for it.