Since 2019, One Workplace has been awarding firms its ONEder Grant to empower architects and designers to conduct research that better understands how design influences the human experience and reshapes work environments.
Design professionals are frequently told that school buildings do not support current learner-centric education models, particularly at the middle school level. As lifelong learners who want to explore this issue further, Claudia Saunders and Stacey Crumbaker were selected by One Workplace’s ONEder Grant program to “explore how evolving design research influences the human experience and reshapes workplace environments.”
What sets this research apart is its groundedness in real-world design experience and its collaborative methodology. The study calls for a shift from abstraction to action.
Ultimately, the research urges a renewed focus on the spatial dimensions of learning to better design schools that meet the evolving needs of today’s learners and the possibilities of tomorrow. Keep reading for a summary of their key discoveries and insights.
Dive into the full report here:
Unlocking Space Potential: Aligning the Power of People, Practice, and Place in Middle School Learning Settings
THE CHALLENGE WE’RE FACING
As designers of schools, we believe that when designers, educators, and learners come together, it’s usually with a common goal: to create a school that best serves its users. Yet, design professionals are frequently told that school buildings do not support current learner-centric education models, especially at the “middle school” level.
While our understanding of adolescent development and learning science has evolved dramatically, middle school building design has remained largely unchanged since the early 20th century “factory model.” This creates a fundamental misalignment between:
- People: Students, educators, administrators, and designers who use and create these spaces
- Practice: Modern learner-centric pedagogical approaches that emphasize engagement, agency, and meaningful experiences
- Place: Physical learning environments that still reflect outdated, teacher-centric models
The research reveals a critical “experience and language gap”—designers and educators often use the same words but mean different things, leading to spaces that don’t fully support contemporary learning approaches.
A NEW FRAMEWORK FOR UNDERSTANDING MIDDLE SCHOOL SPACES
The project’s key innovation is a practical spatial framework built on affordance theory—the idea that spaces actively communicate possibilities for how they can be used. The framework consists of three main components:
Spatial Roles
- Educator Spatial Competency: Ability to understand and adapt learning settings to optimize outcomes
- Learner Spatial Agency: Capacity to navigate and adapt spaces to support individual learning needs
- Designer Spatial Alignment: Skill in creating settings that align with educational practices and community goals
Setting Toolbox
A common vocabulary of 29 spatial tools divided into:
- 14 Qualities: Sensory attributes like acoustics, lighting, boundary, and modifiability
- 15 Objects: Tangible elements like furniture, displays, storage, and technology
Research Questionnaire
A tool to understand how different roles perceive “space signals”—the messages communicated through design choices.
LOOKING AHEAD
This first phase established the theoretical foundation and developed initial tools. Phase two will test the framework through workshops with learners and educators, refining the approach through co-design processes. The ultimate goal is creating practical tools that empower school communities to design and use spaces that truly support 21st-century learning.
The research addresses a critical need in education: helping physical environments catch up with our evolving understanding of how young people learn best. As we face an uncertain future requiring new skills and approaches, ensuring our learning spaces support rather than hinder educational innovation becomes increasingly vital.
DISCOVER MORE
- Download the full report: Unlocking Space Potential: Aligning the Power of People, Practice, and Place in Middle School Learning Settings
- Listen to the ONEder podcast episode: Building Innovation & Belonging: ReDesigning the Learning Experience
- Learn more about the One Workplace and the ONEder Grant program