Learning Environments

Designing pedagogical spaces

“We do not learn for school but for life”, said the philosopher Seneca  as far back as the days of the Roman Empire. School evokes emotions and is highly debated – rightfully so, as it is one of the places that shapes us as individuals and creates the prerequisites for life and society. At the same time, we educate students for a future about which we know very little.

What students encounter when they arrive at their school building sends a strong message. It can take on a thousand different forms, but a well-organised, aesthetically pleasing, well-maintained school building speaks of care, expectation, as well as an investment in the future. A seemingly forgotten, worn-out, and dilapidated school building says something else. We know what a well-functioning and cosy school means and have the expertise, together with our clients, to create fantastic modern learning environments, whether it involves completely new construction or existing buildings. Sweco participates in school development and research, and networks internally and externally to stay up to date. We follow up on our projects, both on our own and through researchers, and gladly share our experiences.

Building schools with students’ needs at the centre

Beginning with the needs of the students, we design spaces that support the pedagogical context and provide the best possible study environment. In our work, we combine cutting-edge knowledge in lighting, acoustics, interior design, and digital development, which allows us to create the best possible school environment together, based on the unique prerequisites of each project.

Environments for learning is a broad field that encompasses everything from preschool water play activities to university lecture halls, where society has the opportunity to effectively address major democratic issues such as inclusion, integration, and gender equality.

Sustainable and cost-effective architecture for schools 

Our projects can involve renovating and updating school environments to meet current needs, something we gladly do through reuse of materials and creative sustainable solutions. Many classrooms are worn out and need to be adapted to modern pedagogy. Within often tight budget constraints, we transport existing school environments into the future, in close collaboration with the institutions. Sometimes offices, industrial premises, or other types of buildings need to be adapted for teaching – exciting forms of reuse where we benefit greatly from Sweco’s broad expertise.

Today, there is a drastic digital transformation taking place, and schools have taken big steps in a short time in terms of digitising education and developing new teaching methods. This, in turn, places new demands on the environments. Buildings are also being digitised from a management perspective. We take on the challenge of designing learning environments that provide the next generation with the best possible prerequisites both in school and in life.”