The importance of a well-built learning environment

3rd April 2019

Construction Director Tony Smith discusses the great impact learning environments have on the staff and students who use them.

When it comes to education and improving learning conditions there are many factors to focus on, and sometimes we forget the impact environment has on education and training. Our environments impact the way we feel and with staff and students often spending the majority of their day in education spaces, it’s crucial that they’re supported by the right atmosphere and facilities. Providing the right tools for students to learn isn’t just about the textbooks or employing the right staff, although these are of course important – it’s also about creating spaces where they can study and concentrate and then relax and recharge. As the technology at our disposal and our expectations increase, education providers have a great responsibility to create environments which bring the best out of their students and employees.

It’s fantastic that we’re now recognising the value of well-built education environments and the influence they have on an individual’s studies. Creating the right space involves providing more than just the basic requirements to learn and incorporating the latest technology empowers students to fully engage with teaching. Innovative practice extends beyond what’s taught in a classroom, however, as use of the latest design and communication technologies are crucial throughout the planning and construction process. Education environments can often be particularly sensitive, with tight restrictions on construction hours, location of works close to lecture theatres and key student hubs, and health and safety concerns of working on a live site. The last thing a client wants is to disrupt current education when new education spaces for the future! As such, it’s vital to have an experienced, adaptable team who are used to working with strict deadlines and requirements so that the whole process is smooth and hassle-free.

At ITC we appreciate the role we play empowering students through the education projects we work on, from high schools and colleges through to universities and language centres. Each year in construction we are delighted to see establishments focus on and cater to the needs of their current and future students and consider how they might develop their existing facilities to continue their mission delivering the highest level of education. And at ITC we’re proud of the key part we can play in this process.