What Makes a School Building Truly Successful?

Have you noticed how modern school buildings differ significantly from one another in their external appearance? In the video above, you can see schools from various parts of the world, including Finland. There is diversity here too, though perhaps less pronounced, as all our schools (fortunately) are still publicly funded, and we don’t have so-called elite schools. Every school in Finland is designed with practicality in mind.

In Finland, creating architecturally bold school buildings is more challenging because, in my interpretation, we are so focused on practicality. Yet, experiential and inspiring schools are needed here as well. This doesn’t mean the flashy colors and grand lobbies often seen in elite schools, where students may feel like passive observers unable to concentrate. Buildings that inspire movement, learning, enthusiasm, collaboration, focus, and creativity don’t necessarily need to rely on bright colors or extravagant designs.

The impact of such spaces isn’t always visible from the outside. Instead, the influence of school buildings on learning, teaching, and the well-being of both students and teachers is a far more complex and multifaceted issue. It connects to pedagogy, spatial design, and the school’s operational culture.

Researching the functionality of school buildings is especially challenging because learning and well-being are complex phenomena influenced by countless factors beyond just the physical environment. Individual student backgrounds, teaching methods, curricula, and school leadership practices all intertwine with the effects of the physical spaces. It is difficult to isolate the specific impact of improved acoustics or increased natural light on learning outcomes when so many other variables are at play.

In the study to be published on January 27th, we have developed unique, new methods that open fresh perspectives for assessing learning, well-being, and operational culture.

We understand that evaluating the effects of school buildings requires long-term studies. Changes in buildings or the construction of new schools may only reflect in learning outcomes and well-being years later, once teachers have learned to use the spaces in pedagogically meaningful and impactful ways. Longitudinal studies are now essential to ensure that we are building school environments that safeguard the future of children and young people.

We invite you to join us online for a discussion on January 27th or at Finlandia Hall on January 30th to listen and exchange ideas.