Unique Circular Garden Rooms, modular school buildings and lodges - Handcrafted in the UK
We’ve recently been engaging with several schools and nurseries about the astonishing benefits of changing the shape of classroom environments to enhance engagement with pupils and further improve school facilities. As a small and passionate team of eco-builders, we are absolutely convinced that there is no better shape to nurture, inspire, engage and support our youngsters than the round.
Of course, it goes without saying that there is nothing more organic and natural than a group of people settling down together in a circle. As hardened “Roundhouse Enthusiasts” we are always on the lookout for scientific research papers which validate our claims that the round is the most natural form of space for human emotional and physical wellbeing. It all starts in our mothers womb!
We have now discovered that some psychologists agree with us; and that a circular seating arrangement may encourage a greater sense of belonging within a group and improve the rates of interaction between people.
Where better to foster these principles than in the classroom?
Of course, the Roundhouse is the most ancient form of architecture known to man… and that blows our mind!
So, our research tells us that the effects on classroom seating arrangements can affect the question-asking behaviour of children. Judging by the dates and origins of these studies, this is clearly an international debate which has been a consideration for psychologists for several decades.
A German study carried out by the Department of Psychology Institute of Housing Research at Otto-von-GuerickeUniversity in 1998 (Marx, Furher and Hartig) stated that:
“Although educational systems are now under intense scrutiny, educators and educational critics tend to ignore two facts. First, classrooms are physical entities as well as organisational units. Second, the physical characteristics of a classroom setting can influence the behaviour of its users.
Awareness of these facts is needed, as efforts to create high quality educational experiences for our children must include consideration of the physical milieu.”
In summary, the study revealed a positive effect of a semicircle seating arrangement on children’s question-asking, and demonstrated an action-zone effect on question asking in the traditional row-and column arrangement. Seating in other than the row-and-column arrangement deserves further consideration as a means to promote children’s question-asking in primary schools.”
According to “Desk Arrangement Effects on Pupil Classroom Behaviour – Peter Rosenfield (Department of Education University of California, Berkeley 1985):
Desks arranged in circles during classroom discussion can facilitate interaction as well as control for off-task behavior of pupils. The results suggest that desk arrangement influences participation, thinking, and appropriate comments, which in turn can have a positive effect on learning.
Teachers who wish to facilitate pupil interaction during discussion sessions would be wise to consider arranging desks in circles. In this study, circles facilitated on-task response as well as on-task out-of-order comment, suggesting that more active participation of students for developmental learning is affected positively by circles rather than row seating.
And one of the most interesting was a Japanese study, Circular seating arrangements: Approaching the social crux in language classrooms (Joseph Falout Nihon University, Japan) claimed that “Abstract Circular seating arrangements can help instil a sense of belonging within classroom communities with overall positive effects on learning, emotions, and well-being.”
Joseph Falout states within his report “I began to understand how circular seating in any classroom context might not only be relevant for learning but crucial for well-being.”
“The circle itself has become a worldwide symbol of unity and strength and simply sitting in a circle promotes the same effect” (Pease & Pease, 2006, p. 339). Social interaction is encouraged by sociopetal spaces, such as a small circle of chairs around a coffee table. Sociopetal spaces can bring people together, excite their senses, endear each one to the others, create an atmosphere of mutual care, and stimulate the entire circle into a social action zone.”
………………………….Well, that’s enough evidence for us!
We’re thrilled and delighted to be building classrooms and modular buildings for UK schools and nurseries.
To be working with cutting edge building techniques on gorgeous buildings whilst actively improving the learning experience for children (and teachers!) around the country is a wonderful feeling; so we will be updating you with the feedback from our unique and uplifting learning environments as the positive feedback continues to roll in from our happy clients!
Until then, happy “Back to School” everyone – and enjoy the Autumn!
From all of us at Rotunda x
Circle of Learning? Modular Eco-Classrooms for the Future
Eco-Classrooms – Circle of learning is more than a figure of speech
- learning : noun 1.the acquisition of knowledge or skills through study, experience, or being taught.
- teacher : noun plural noun: teachers
- 1.a person who teaches, especially in a school.
It’s no secret that the built environment is continuously shaping your thoughts, your mood, your productivity and your health. God only knows what it’s doing on a metaphysical level! Environmental Psychologists and Interior Designers certainly share the same passion; the impact of spaces which nurture and support their human inhabitants. I believe the two professions are more similar than most people would care to recognise.
So let me ask you this; which of the numerous built environments that we utilise on a regular basis could possibly be more important than those which support our children whilst they learn?
There have been countless studies of optimum office environments and eco-buildings for productivity but surely the humble classroom has to be one of primary importance, let there be no debate about this where we’re concerned! We firmly believe that a round eco-classroom offers a perfect environment for learning!
Anyone who’s familiar with the works of Rudolf Steiner (an Austrian philosopher, educationalist, social reformer, and architect) would be acutely aware of his unusual architectural style (no right angles if you please, these are CREATIVE spaces!) and the legacy he left in education. His education philosophy made him a prominent figure and Waldorf Schools are still respected by many.
Such visionaries will grace our planet from time to time and upset the balance of what we ‘think we know’ and I absolutely yearn for another Steiner to really shake things up at this point in our evolutionary development. It is about time that architects and designers stand firm to their values and design exclusively around the intended use of the building, to enhance the experience of those who will be spending time in it. This is especially significant for Educational Buildings within schools, nurseries or universities.
One school actively thinking in ‘circles’ purely to enhance it’s capacity as a learning environment is showcased in a very short video clip on the BBC Learning Zone website which I’d urge any architecture fanatic to watch!
So what’s the secret to creating an inclusive, productive and enhanced eco-classroom learning environment? To me, it’s an absolute no-brainer that the design process includes figuring out what happens in the space and scouring the internet and talking to teachers and psychologists to gleam information on any research which has been carried out on the effect of learning environments and seating patterns.
Some research which has led us to believe that a circle is the ideal configuration for interaction is echoed in the report which highlights two studies which compared rows to a circular seating arrangements carried out in 2000.
In a nutshell, Marx, Furher and Hartig “investigated the relationship between seating arrangements and the question-asking patterns of ten year olds. They found that students asked their teacher significantly more questions when they were seated in a semi-circle than in rows.
As one of those who disliked school immensely, I believe that learning can not only be enhanced by the environment and teaching methods but also by promoting friendships and shared experience. Below, I have extracted part of an article which jumped out at me recently which echoes my thoughts on forging bonds and facilitating learning.
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“Teachers are using a traditional technique to help students communicate with one another as a way to build bonds that will foster learning and help them stay in school.”
“It’s story time at Amelia Earhart Continuation School, a place where high school students who have ditched class, flunked out or otherwise fallen behind in their academic credits come to catch up.
On this day, the students in Nancy Stringer’s English class sit in a circle. As they pass around a “talking piece”, they share stories of elementary and middle school. It may seem simple, but sharing stories in this way — a practice known as “council” — has made a huge difference in their lives, building strong bonds that have helped them stay in school. Cultures worldwide have long used speaking and listening circles — most notably, Native Americans. But now a modernized form, developed by the nonprofit Ojai Foundation, has spread to 12,000 students via 600 trained teachers in more than 60 schools, many of them in the Los Angeles Unified School District.
Joe Provisor, who helped launch the program in the district in 2006, said research shows that strong school relationships are critical for a student’s success. “This is bringing humanity back to the schools,” said Provisor, a teacher advisor with the district’s office of curriculum,
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For those of us who might have been bullied, excluded or misguided at school; our experience and our education may have been improved remarkably if our school had adopted an approach similar to the one used by Amelia Earheart. Perhaps if this type of inclusive and supported open-interaction were promoted at all levels of education there would be no need for a ‘continuation school’ and just think about what this might do to reflect crime rates and youth offending statistics in the UK?
With a background in Primary School Education, the team at Rotunda Living are enormously excited about the impact an Eco-Classroom Rotunda could make as a unique eco-classroom environment and we’re keen to see how the circular environment can improve the effectiveness of your school or nursery. Let’s work together to promote learning and care for our children.
We’re here when you need us!
The Psychology of Space – The Circle
The Psychology of Space – The Circle
Last Sunday a good friend of mine gave me a newspaper cutting of an article featured in the Daily Telegraph she’d seen the previous week entitled “The magic of King Arthur’s Round Table”. I read on with fascination as the narrative described why a round table is the best seating arrangement because seating people in a circle means they are less likely to be argumentative. “When people are placed in a circle they feel like they “belong”, but put them in rows and the situation is more likely to bring out individuality. University professors in Canada sat volunteers around different shaped tables and analysed their reactions to advertising. They found that those people seated in a circle or oval were more positive about adverts which conveyed groups such as family or friends.”
“The findings of this study could prove useful for designing rooms such as classrooms, waiting rooms and restaurants.”
This is a regular topic for discussion at Rotunda Living, as we are aware that a circular room brings it’s occupants together like no other indoor environment can.
Just for a little fun, I’ve included a breakdown of the “Psychological effects of Shapes” obtained from an architectural college study for those of you who might also be fascinated by the effect of form in the built environment.
Psychological Effects of Shapes
Circle
Connection, community, wholeness, endurance, movement, safety, perfection
Refers to the feminine: warmth, comfort, sensuality, and love.
Rectangle / Square
Order, logic, containment, security.
Rectangles provide a fourth point, which is mathematically the foundation for 3D objects, suggesting mass, volume, and solids.
Triangle
Energy, power, balance, law, science, religion.
Refers to the Masculine: strength, aggression, and dynamic movement.
Blogpost written by Gemma Roe.
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