22 February 2011
Capita Symonds has a
number of speakers taking part in this week’s
BSEC,the UK's leading school design
conference…
▪ Conference - Wednesday
23rd February, 15.15, ‘What is the role of design in the
‘age of austerity?’
(Susan Witterick, Capita
Symonds)
Susan Witterick: “What is the role of design
in the age of austerity? That depends on what we mean by “design”.
Is there a place for designing schools which provide good
conditions for learning – paying attention to fundamentals such as
fresh air, good lighting, and acoustics? Absolutely. But does the
school building itself need to “inspire”, or is that down to the
staff who work within it? My argument is that we should perhaps
spend less money on atria, ETFE roofing and fancy cladding, and
more on the fundamentals of what will make the school building work
as a functional and effective learning space.”
▪ Fringe - Thursday 24th
February, 14.30, ‘Making the most out of outside spaces’ (Richard
Woods, Capita Symonds)
Richard Woods: “The current debate about
standardisation of school design within the construction community
is a strong indicator as to how overlooked the concept of
understanding the school building within its context is.
Superficially standardised approaches may appear to offer good
value, but a thoughtful and imaginative approach to the design of
outdoor spaces can provide teachers and students with amazing
resources for learning, socialising, play and sports, simply and
affordably.
In this talk I will look at some of the Capita
Symonds education team’s own projects and some contemporary
exemplars from other design practices to highlight a range of clear
strategies for making outdoor spaces delightful, inclusive, playful
and supportive of enjoyable learning experiences. Playable routes,
rooftop allotments, and making ‘mud monsters’ are amongst the
imaginative ideas explored and discussed, in a wide-ranging survey
of emergent thinking in the field of school grounds design.”
Capita Symonds’ other BSEC speaker is:
▪ Conference - ‘Update on primary
schools: Rebuilding and refurbishments’, Wednesday 23rd
February, 12.00 (David Wilcock, Capita Symonds)
For further information go to
www.capitasymonds.co.uk/bsec2011