Co-creating knowledge about learning environments by linking research in education science and architecture to school practices

Both educational science and architecture have a long tradition of studying educational spaces in schools. Indeed, space is viewed as a true "third educator", a principle which all teaching and educational communities, as well as policymakers, must take on board. In recent decades, researchers have striven to engage with the complexity of the school as a composite domain where multiple actors are in constant interaction. The relationships between different groups and individuals (those who 'inhabit' a school, school leaders and management, local communities) are complex, as are the relationships between these groups/individuals and the system of physical and spatial elements that constitute the architecture of a school. Thus, the link between the architectural features of a school and the attainment of educational goals is a key focus for educational and architectural research. Innovation has been the leitmotif of recent investment programs, competitive funding schemes, and building/renovation work in schools, given that architectural design is expected to act as a lever for change. Considering this ongoing, multidimensional transition, it is crucial to evaluate the outcomes of architectural interventions as soon as a new school becomes operational. To enhance the effectiveness of investment in educational infrastructure, the Council of the European Development Bank (CEB) developed a 'Constructing Education Framework' in 2021. This strategic framework is designed to prompt school communities to attend to new spaces and their future uses and to link architectural and educational intervention – across a four-stage process – during the creation of new schools. Experimentation has been launched in selected European cities, including Milan, with a view to raising awareness of the Framework, fostering its adoption across different country settings, and encouraging the exchange of experiences at the international level. Against this backdrop, the authors of this paper were invited by the CEB to lead – in collaboration with the Italian National Institute of Documentation, Innovation and Educational Research (INDIRE) and Milan City Council – a Post-Occupancy Evaluation in a recently opened primary school. The specific aims of this process were: to develop and test an evaluation methodology consistent with the objectives of the Framework, with a view to informing its future implementation at the national scale; to evaluate the outcomes of the new school building, in terms of its effectiveness – with respect to the project goals and the broader expectations surrounding innovation in schools – and to discuss them with the school community and representatives of the City Council, thereby enhancing these actors’ levels of awareness surrounding educational spaces, as well as their capacity to monitor outcomes and identify solutions. This paper critically illustrates the methodological principles required to evaluate school infrastructure, following guidelines promoted by various international bodies. In presenting our experimental application of this method, we show its potential to enhance knowledge and competence surrounding the needs and expectations of the users of school buildings, as well as the outcomes that certain design solutions can have as a function of how they are used and managed. Such knowledge transcends technical regulations and design guidelines and can play a decisive role in ensuring the success of architectural interventions.