In university life, a campus is a self-contained atmosphere containing
fields, buildings, stadia, paved surfaces, dormitories, and classrooms.
In keeping with architectural theory, there are criteria that can be set
forth to study the classroom as a pedagogical tool.
A "Sense of Place"
Students upon entering a classroom should feel that the university
thinks that it is important for them to learn in this classroom. In short,
the classroom should look appealing to the student and inviting to the
teacher.
Lighting
There should be an adequate and separate light source for boards. There
also should be enough natural light in the room to provide a release value
for both teacher and student.
Scale
Each member should be given his own personal space or made to feel
like he has enough even when that is not the case. This entails high ceilings
to create this sense of space or spaced out desks and chairs for students.
Acoustic
A lecture hall should amplify the speaker at the front of the room
and damped the voices of the audience. A discussion classroom should provide
for multiple voices to be participating.
The criteria set forth are basic principles of original classroom design
and are difficult, if not impossible, to rectify inside an existing classroom
without inordinate expense. A university study completed in the last year
evaluated small technological and interior lighting problems: lit chalkboards,
computers, and the like, and assigned dollar figures to fixing those problems.
The criteria set forth in this project deal with evaluation and influence
on the new construction taking place almost continuously on the Rice Unversity
campus. For evaluation, I would propose a university survey of professors
and students to establish which classrooms work for a different type of
class and which classrooms should be avoided to use unless necessary.
