DLA Architects Ltd Blog

Learning Environments for Tomorrow (LEFT) Design team 2012 (image courtesy Esther Carvalho)

The workshop Learning Environments for Tomorrow (LEFT) was a great immersion into the minds of educational professionals and designers all across the world. Together, educators and designers collaborated, debated and even delved into the design of future learning environments. Given what we know about the future with regards to technology, digital textbooks, virtual classrooms, new learning styles like project based learning projects, wikis and so on, the question on everyones’ mind was… How does the architecture accommodate or even inspire the pedagogical styles of the future?

This question has been at the forefront of our minds here at DLA and one of the debates our design group got into at our stay in Cambridge, was, in the future, will there still be schools? If not, why are we designing new ones today? Should we be creating buildings that will last 50 – 100 years from now? Will there be a need for a “classroom”? As you can imagine, this was an interesting debate and one that a school architect might be concerned with. The discussions with educators, administrators, psychologists, project managers and designers revealed that school buildings are currently and will be of vital importance in the future.

While the buildings might change to reflect different pedagogies and social needs, these buildings will still remain a community hub, perhaps more tomorrow than even today. Schools will provide the foundation for children to interact, solve problems together and work with a knowledge facilitator (or teacher as us older folks might say). But at this “school building” students no longer go to classrooms, they work in learning environments that are edgeless. Learning continues way beyond the walls of the school building through mentoring programs, group research and global cultural interaction. Teachers no longer lecture; they coach. Students no longer learn in a vacuum; they solve the problems of the world as a group – and it is a far better process that prepares children to be lifelong learners and active citizens in a global economy.

Thanks to wonderful people facilitating, participating and challenging us all in the LEFT immersion. I know we all walked away with a lot to think about and to implement.

To build or renovate a school in the 21st century is no easy feat. When you consider that many schools were built 40-plus years ago, educators and architects are often challenged with how to design spaces where learning is flexible and meets the needs of today’s and tomorrow’s digital children.

The 84 educators and architects who turned out for last week’s Programs in Professional Education institute, Learning Environments for Tomorrow: Next Practices for Educators and Architects (LEFT), are a testament to the challenges faced by those reenvisioning and rebuilding our schools.

via Learning Environments for Tomorrow | Harvard Graduate School of Education.

DLA Architects was proud to join the Visitation family as they celebrated the Groundbreaking for their new Addition.

The bids are in and the planning is over – we are on budget and moving ahead.

Visitation Church is planning a ground breaking ceremony for Palm Sunday, March 28. Details are forthcoming. 

All are welcome.

If you’d like to support the Capital Campaign for Visitation, please visit their e-giving page.

When you’re working on a project, what is your favorite part of the process?

Conceptual/Schematic Design. I really enjoy getting to know each Project from the Client’s perspective. The translation of their objectives to a built form takes time and patience. In the end, it is quite a gratifying experience knowing that you were able to contribute to the collaborative process of turning their dreams into an architectural reality that will hopefully inspire others for years to come…

Are you inspired by the work of another architect or artist? If so, who?

Yes – Minimalist Architects such as Tadao Ando. I am intrigued by the role that light plays in the dynamics of Architecture. Composition is everything. I enjoy architecture that effectively interweaves materiality, texture, form, and light.

Why did you choose a career in architecture?

I chose a career in Architecture because I wanted to be in a profession where creativity was at the center. As a musician, I see many parallels between Architecture and Music. Interestingly, it was the band Pink Floyd that inspired me to pursue Architecture as a career path. Read the rest of this entry »

On July 15th, DLA Architect’s Hinsdale office hosted a behind the scene’s look at the life of an architect for the firm’s 2009 scholarship recipients. The soon-to-be college freshmen were offered advice on how to pursue their career, along with the good, the bad and the ugly of what they had in store. Read the rest of this entry »

Image provided by CarbonNYC

Eleven more DLA Architects, Ltd. (DLA) employees have been designated Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design Accredited Professional (LEED-AP) by the United States Green Building Council (USGBC). They now join a growing number of DLA architects and employees who have already earned the LEED-AP designation. Of the DLA staff of 38, 22 employees now hold this important designation, a much higher percentage than the industry standard. Read the rest of this entry »