Learning Spaces by Henning Larsen Architects

Interviews about and case studies of

learning environments of tomorrow

Learning Spaces

Learning Spaces 5

Architecture in Motion 15

50 Years' Experience 19

Community Across 29

Sustainability in Educational Buildings 41

Playing with Light 49

The History of Educational Buildings 61

Learning Spaces in the Making 64

About Us and Contact 74

Contents

An introduction to the historical and architectural development of

the educational institutions of Denmark.

Director and Partner Louis Becker gives an overview of the company's

approach to educational buildings in the past, present and future.

Henning Larsen Architects' Sustainability Department is part of

every project ensuring healthy, sustainable and low-energy-use

educational buildings.

Anne Iversen, Ph.D., explains the importance and value of working

with daylight. Anne is Henning Larsen Architects' in-house expert

on natural and artificial light.

Rector of University College Sjlland, Ulla W. Koch, talks about

how the new buildings enhance the study environment.

When creating buildings, we focus on the interaction between people. To shape spaces that support and give inspiration to

the teaching strategies is our main goal. - Louis Becker, Director and Partner, Henning Larsen Architects

Learning Spaces

Learning Spaces

The design and development of educational institutions has been a

defining focus in the history of Henning Larsen Architects; founder Henning

Larsen as well as anumber of his earliest employees were also engaged in

teaching positions at the Royal Academy. The company won its first design

competition in 1960. It was a proposal for a modern elementary school in

Roskilde, Denmark. The assignment that followed became the first life

nerve of the firm.

Henning Larsen Architects has more than 50 years of experience in designing and

detailing different types of educational buildings and learning environments.

Our projects vary in scale and function; from daycare centers, primary and

secondary schools and high schools, to universities and research institutes.

From its founding, the firm's relation to the educational world has closely

tied us to the development of the profession and to new thoughts and

impulses that contribute to the constant evolution of architecture.

Among Henning Larsen Architects' recent Danish projects, three of the

most significant are: the University of Southern Denmarks new campus

in Kolding; a campus in Roskilde which consolidates University College

Sjlland's professional Bachelors programs; and, Moesgaard Museum,

a new museum and research facility for archaeology and ethnography at

Aarhus University.

Henning Larsen Architects' vast, international experience allows our projects

to evolve from an atmosphere of cross-cultural inspiration. Currently, the

company is detailing buildings in more than 20 countries. Among these are

the Frankfurt School of Finance and Management in Germany; Campus Aas

a large university and research facility in Norway; and, the state-of-the-

art Institute of Diplomatic Studies in Saudi Arabia.

Well-functioning spaces for learning support and inspire today's pre-eminent

teaching strategies. Students, teachers and researchers should feel uplifted by

their physical surroundings. A successful educational building enriches its users,

fosters affiliation and improves the daily function of students and teachers.

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Moesgaard Museum at Aarhus

University

Location: Aarhus, Denmark

Year of construction: 2010 - 2013

Gross floor area: 16,000 m2

The new facilities at Moesgaard accommodate archaeological and ethnogra-

phic exhibitions, special and student exhibitions, an auditorium, conference

rooms, a public caf, and a gift shop. Outside, the grass-covered roof func-

tions as a park, where visitors can enjoy the view of the forest, the ocean,

and the beautiful landscape surrounding Moesgaard Manor the historic

former home of Moesgaard Museum. The building is home to researchers

and administrative personnel of the University of Aarhus' Department of

Culture and Society, the Anthropology and Archaeology departments.

Moesgaard Museum at Aarhus University

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Ume School of Architecture

Location: Ume, Sweden

Year of construction: 2007-2010


As a growth centre for the architecture of the future, Ume School of Ar-

chitecture provides the framework for inspiration and innovation. From the

outside, the building has a cubic expression with square windows placed in

a vibrant, rhythmic sequence on all sides of its larch facades. The interior

space of the building is designed as a dynamic sequence of stairs and split,

open-floor levels where classrooms are designed as abstract, white boxes

that hang freely from the ceiling, filtering the light coming in through the

high skylights. The design supports the opportunity for mutual inspiration

and facilitates the exchange of knowledge and ideas between the students.

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In the future, the borders of educational buildings will blur. Learning facilities will be a more integrated part of the surrounding society.

- Louis Becker, Director and Partner, Henning Larsen Architects

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Architecture in MotionWhether you are building for kindergarten kids or hydrogen researchers,

educational buildings are all about creating a space which invites

absorption and focus, cooperation, and dialogue and which also

provides areas for both the group and the individual.

Architects ideas about spaces that promote learning and sense of

community have taken many forms over the years. The first educational

campuses consisted of a number of individual buildings with connecting

passages between them. Especially in Scandinavia, the character of this

typology was radically implemented as a glass-covered town with streets

and squares.

Henning Larsens University in Trondheim from 1978 is one of the earliest

examples of this. The main street, which connects the whole university,

becomes an active zone with spaces for both the collective and the

individual. From that main street, life runs to the rest of the building

complex. The university is designed from a modern perspective, and many

of the principles it implements are still used in our current educational

projects.

"People are in focus in Trondheim University. The covered town offers

the opportunity to gather outside lectures in a comfortable climate that

extends the otherwise brief Norwegian summer. The town plan promotes

random encounters between people and across disciplines, which gives a

feeling of being together in a diverse university environment that beats

with common pulse," explains Louis Becker, Director and Partner at

Henning Larsen Architects. He continues:

"The central theme in our building isand has always beento encourage

encounters between people and to create a space that inspires and starts a

dialogue between pedagogical strategies. In many of our current buildings,

the spatial experience is of a town within a town, where the walking lines

are broken to create a more varied urban spatiality."

Louis Becker is Director and Partner

at Henning Larsen Architects.

15 | Learning Spaces

"Learning environments must include areas for absorption and zones

for communication. The architecture should consider both students' and

teachers' needs to alternate between different forms of learning and

working. Many of our buildings are based in a clear organization that

stages the schools' many contact points and the interaction between the

various user groups and across departments, faculties and disciplines,"

explains Becker.

An example of this is the new Campus Kolding at the University of

Southern Denmark. The classrooms and offices are located along the

facades on the upper floors and connected by a large atrium, where the

movement to and from the educational spaces is the central focus. The

staircase and large landings create places for informal meetings between

students and teachers.

Henning Larsen Architects' most important tool and resource in the

creation of learning spaces is daylight. Light is one of the most vital

factors for learning. Daylight creates a sense of well-being and enjoyment

of life, but it also helps to improve our focus and performance.

"Depending on the context, we work with daylight in many different ways.

In primary schools or creative institutions we use the changing nature of

daylight to stimulate creativity and playful learning. At universities and

institutes of higher education, we ensure a more even distribution of light

that is pulled far into classrooms, providing ideal conditions for reading

and studying," says Louis Becker.

In recent years, there has been a tendency in the construction of educational

buildings towards a more commercial look. Today it is very common that

Trondheim University dates back

to 1978, but its design vision of a

covered city is still well-functioning

and inspiring today.

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adults seek further professional training, and educational institutions are

therefore designed to also accommodate conferences, entertainment

events and other activities from the business sector. Furthermore, when

companies build new offices, they seek to create spaces that accommodate

learning, creativity and knowledge sharing.

"In the future we will see educational buildings with blurred boundaries

boundaries between home study and teaching, between work and

education, between formal and informal learning, etc. will be minimised

in favor of a total learning environment. Educational buildings will

furthermore become an integrated part of the surrounding community,"

predicts Louis Becker.

An example of this dissolution of boundaries is the Frankfurt School of

Finance & Management, which is currently under construction. Two rows

of high building volumes create an elongated, public space between them.

The new facility will be the school's natural gathering point, and will

provide a framework for an open and inviting learning environment.

From the central core, there is a view to the central business district

of Frankfurt. This connection helps to strengthen the link between

the academic and business environments and helps the students'

understanding of challenges and opportunities in the business sector.

"I believe that learning is something that greatly develops in interaction

with others. So even if the trend is in the direction of increasing digitization

and long-distance education, I am convinced that physical learning spaces

that create interactions between people are always needed," says Louis

Becker.

"The physical learning environment can be something better than the

experience of e-learning. Physical learning spaces can support what goes

on between the lines and between people. Educational buildings should

help to stimulate this inter-personal and interdisciplinary space, now and

in the future."

The Frankfurt School of Finance

& Management is an example of a

building connecting with the city.

Find more about the case in the

catalogue.


20041965 1982

1978 1999 2007

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Frederiksberg Upper Secondary SchoolFrederiksberg, Denmark

Freie Universitt BerlinBerlin, Germany

Copenhagen Business SchoolFrederiksberg, Denmark

Primary SchoolRoskilde, Denmark

Hje-Taastrup High SchoolHje-Taastrup, Denmark

Trondheim University Trondheim, Norway

Roskilde University CenterRoskilde, Denmark

IT UniversityCopenhagen, Denmark

University of PlymouthPlymouth, United Kingdom

Jtt Vocational SchoolStavanger, Norway


2010

2012

2014

Reykjavk UniversityReykjavk, Iceland

Campus RoskildeRoskilde, Denmark

Daycare Center - SaxtorphsvejValby, Denmark

Ume School of ArchitectureUme, Sweden

City Campus AalborgAalborg, Denmark

SDU Campus KoldingKolding, Denmark

Daycare Center - Bernts HaveHolbk, Denmark

Get an overview of future projects on p. 68

Ringsted High SchoolRingsted, Denmark

50 Years' ExperienceHenning Larsen Architects has designed educational facilities since the

foundation of the company in 1959. Though decades have passed since the

opening of the first Henning Larsen-designed university, putting people

first has been a unifying principle in all of the firm's subsequent educatio-

nal buildings. Daylight and community-creating spaces continue to be key

components in our designs.

Below is a visual overview of some of the educational institutions Henning

Larsen Architects has designed over the past 50 years.

FrankfurtSchool of Finance

& Management

Location: Frankfurt, Germany



The Frankfurt School of Finance & Management is a private business

school based in one of Europes leading financial centers. The architecture

of the building encourages students to interact with the surrounding city;

lecture rooms and conference facilities are situated adjacent to the library,

canteen and shops functions within the campus buildings which are

open to the public. The link between the new school and Frankfurts cen-

tral business district will strengthen the connection between the academic

and commercial environments and improve students understanding of

the challenges and opportunities in business.

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IT University

Location: Copenhagen, Denmark



IT University is arranged around a large central atrium. In a dynamic com-

position, a number of meeting rooms, designed as corbelled boxes like

extracted drawers of various sizes push into the space of the atrium

from every level. The ground floor holds all the common facilities including

lecture halls, student caf, canteen and library. All research and teaching

areas are located on the upper floors. There are teaching facilities in open

study areas surrounding the atrium and research departments in the less

active zones at both ends of the building.

IT University

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Ulla Koch was appointed rector

at University College Sjlland in

2007. She has been part of the

entire process of erecting the new

campus.

Community Across Campus Roskilde, located a stones throw from Roskilde University,

houses bachelor programs ranging from Education and Social Work

to Nursing and Pedagogy. The vision of the project has been to offer

the students the feeling of being a part of a unified and multi-faceted

university environment.

How does Campus Roskilde differ from other buildings built with the same

purpose?

What is special about this building is the great flexibility achieved although

we have so few square meters compared to other buildings, as well as the

number of students we have. There are over 3,000 students at Campus

Roskilde but even though the total area is small, it does not feel as if there

is less space. There are neither permanent workplaces for the employees

nor permanent classrooms for the students. Only a few classrooms are

specifically designed for one course, leaving the others flexible so that all

six departments can use virtually any classroom.

Did you as a rector have a lot of influence on how the building was designed?

I believe that it is important for students to feel that they are a part of

a community both physically and psychologically. That is why it was

important for me to have a building where students could work across

subjects and see each other. In order to provide a high degree of flexibility,

it was important for me to create a lot of different workplaces for both

students and employees, which could also provide a sense of community.

And every time I step into the building I see this dream coming true

everyone is seated just the way I had imagined.

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At the same time it was important both for me and the management that

this building works optimally both in terms of aesthetics and function.

To create a comfortable study environment Henning Larsen Architects

was asked to design the interior solutions. They have created a unique

environment with unique solutions such as the black cubes which the

students use for group work and I use for meetings. The cubes are enclosed

so you feel a bit shielded from the outside, but still feel like a part of life

in the building.

How do architecture, education, and context come together in Campus

Roskilde?

It was a conscious decision from our part to place Campus Roskilde

near Roskilde University - RUC. Our own building is intended as a stage

for sharing knowledge across disciplines, and we also like that kind of

knowledge sharing across institutions. It can be both professionally and

socially, where our students take a course over the RUC or vice versa. At

the same time, we have, as management, a very good cooperation with

RUC and it is supported by the context.

What reactions have you gotten to the new environment from the students

and teachers?

To create a building without permanent workplaces for employees or

permanent classrooms for students is the basis for the flexibility and

the knowledge sharing we find essential in educational buildings. But it

is also change of culture for teachers and students who otherwise are

accustomed to fixed workstations and meeting rooms. The students,

who are entering a completely new context, have been more open to new

transparency of building, and with time, I also believe that employees

will see the profitable aspects. Already now our users are proud to be

representatives of the new building.

In this short video interview, Rec-

tor Ulla Koch shows us around at

Campus Roskilde. Click the image

to watch.

Campus Roskilde

Location: Roskilde, Denmark



Campus Roskilde consists of four square buildings slightly rotated to-

wards each other to screen the area from the adjacent motorway and crea-

te a more intimate, varied space around the campus square. The new cam-

pus will facilitate dialogue and informal meetings and provide students

with a feeling of being part of a cohesive but multi-disciplinary university

environment. Under the overhang of the main building, a roofed square

will open up to the rest of the campus area and create life and a sense of

community among the students.

Campus Roskilde

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SDUCampus Kolding

Location: Kolding, Denmark



With its triangular shape, Campus Kolding at the University of Southern

Denmark creates a significant new landmark in Kolding. As the new lear-

ning center of excellence, Campus Kolding houses courses in communica-

tions, design, culture and languages. Inside in the five-floor-high atrium,

the displaced position of the staircases and balconies creates a special dy-

namic, the triangular shape repeating, and continually shifing its position

up through the different floors.

SDU Campus Kolding

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Partner and Architect, Signe

Kongebro, is Head of Henning

Larsen Architects' Sustainability

Department.

Sustainability in Educational BuildingsSustainability is more than CO

2 calculations and roof-mounted solar

panels. Partner and Architect Signe Kongebro explains Henning Larsen

Architects approach to the sustainable design of educational buildings,

in which social sustainability plays a large part.

Our educational institutions frame the personal development and education

of our children and young people. They frame learning environments that

stimulate the pupils' curiosity and eagerness to learn. This is where the

foundation stones of our common, sustainable future are laid. Thus,

the educational buildings we create must exemplify robust, sustainable

solutions that meet future needs both socially, environmentally and

economically. A building should operate with low energy consumption and

offer a healthy, bright and inspiring indoor climate.

One of the key elements in achieving a good indoor climate is daylight.

When utilized wisely, daylight can improve students' wellbeing and indoor

experience as well as reduce the building's level of energy consumption.

Research proves that the right amount of daylight helps students to learn

faster and achieve better results (World Green Building Council, 2013). The

correct use of daylight supports our children's intellectual development.

Furthermore, daylight is a rich resource when it comes to designing a

dynamic learning environment with great variation in intensity of light,

color rendering, orientation and movement of light through the space. This

dynamic influences our experience of space, time and colors as well as our

motivation and ability to learn and be creative.

In Ume School of Architecture daylight has been utilized to create a

dynamic and creative learning environment. The design of the faade

allows for the daylight to enter the building through windows of various

sizes, thus creating an ever-changing inflow of daylight. At the University

of Southern Denmark's Campus Kolding, we worked with dynamic solar

shading mounted to the faade. The automatic shading system adjusts

according to the exterior daylight conditions and creates a comfortable

indoor environment all day and all year round. The skylight above the large

atrium brings daylight into the core of the building. These institutions are

both examples of what is possible when daylight is considered in the very

first phases of the design process.

Having a dialogue with the students about sustainable topics is another

important element to our approach. This was the focal point when

designing a new campus for Lillebaelt Academy in Odense. In this building,

the students will be introduced to innovative installations, constructions,

and materials, and work with them on an everyday basis. The different

solutions are integrated all over the building in ways that make it easy

to access and study them from different perspectives. Furthermore the

students will be involved in the sustainable operation of the school and

adjacent outdoor areas. This of course is for the sake of the environment,

but it is also for the sake of the students; they will get an understanding

of the importance of sustainable solutions from very early on in their

studies. The expectation is that this will equip them to come up with

smart solutions in their future work lives.

Up until now, the team behind the project has been working on several

solutions and options for integrated teaching initiatives. One of them

is called Inspect the solar panels. It is a project that offers students

access to the building's solar installations. Another solution experiments

with phytoremediation plants ability to clean polluted soil. This project

enables the students to harvest and analyze the amount of toxic content

in the plant residues and closely follow the process of cleaning a former

industrial site by using plants.

Social sustainability was also the centre of discussions when designing

Campus Roskilde. An open and transparent building, it gathers students

who were previously located at different buildings an campuses.

This facility, in many senses, set the agenda for future educational

environments especially because of its flexibility and the opportunities

for cross-disciplinary activities. Without fixed classrooms, students move

around campus according to their subjects and needs. Likewise, the Rector

doesnt have her own office; she utilizes the open work places and reserves

meeting rooms under the same conditions as the students. The open plan

solution gathers all students in the large atrium and supports the feeling

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of community and equal status while ensuring an efficient use of square

meters.

The economic and environmental aspects of sustainable educational

building are also evident in the energy consumption of the building. If

sustainable solutions are part of the design process from the very early

stages, enormous savings can be gained from the energy consumption

level. Campus Kolding is Denmarks first university building that meets

the demands of the 2015 national building regulations. It has an energy

consumption of only 38 kWh/m2/year. This is due to smart use of

geometry, orientation, daylight and materials.

The geometry and indoor organization of the building ensure the floor area

to be optimally utilized. Our calculations of the total energy consumption

level of the building together with changes in the indoor climate at

different places around the building have guided us in the design stages.

Furthermore the building has been part of a three-year-long development

project, testing the thermal properties of concrete. In every floor, the

concrete is exposed allowing it to accumulate heat and cold. The concrete

slabs help adjust the temperature by collecting and releasing heat according

to the present indoor temperature. This means that the necessity for

mechanical cooling and heating is decreased.

Sustainability has many ramifications. In today's complex landscape, we

believe that the most important thing to keep in mind is creating synergy

between the quantitative and qualitative components of building design.

The energy-saving indoor climate should go hand-in-hand with good

learning environments. By utilizing existing resources more efficiently,

this is actually possible. Smart use of daylight, for instance, has a direct

impact on the actual sensed indoor climate, energy consumption, and the

wellbeing of students and teachers and their impression of the spaces.


Art Museum at Ume University

Location: Ume, Sweden



The Art Museum, Bildmuseet, at Ume University is situated at the new

Arts Campus by Henning Larsen Architects along the Ume River. The con-

solidation of artistic institutes and exhibition facilities is based on a close

collaboration between various companies with a view to allow art, design

and architecture to benefit from one another. The tower comprises three

exhibition halls placed upon each other - with inserted floor plans featuring

the auditorium, childrens workshops and administration.

Ume Art Museum

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Anne Iversen holds an M.Sc. and

Ph.D. in Civil Engineering and

specializes in energy-efficient

building with emphasis on daylight

performance. She is engaged

with Henning Larsen Architects'

Sustainability Department.

Playing with LightLight is one of the most important factors in the learning process. Just

as the new Danish school reform invites playful methods of learning,

buildings for schoolchildren should also incorporate light to stimulate

creativity

This is the message in an article written for the magazine LYS ("LIGHT")

by Anne Iversen and Jakob Strmann-Andersen, both of Henning Larsen

Architects' Sustainability Department.

The Danish public school reform sets the scene for playful learning, in

which teaching no longer takes the shape of one-way communication

from teachers to pupils, but rather encourages varied and diverse learning

methods in reading corners, on the playground and across different

subjects. This requires that the design and construction of educational

facilities move in new directions.

A school or a classroom should not shut out expressions from the outside

world. Rather, it should be a place where inspiration and diversity is

cultivated, says Anne Iversen, Ph.D. and Civil Engineer.

Children should be offered the opportunity to sit on the windowsill and

enjoy a book in the sun. At the same time, it should also be possible to find

a quiet corner, in which it is possible to draw back a little from both light

and outside activities, she elaborates.

In connection with the design for the Frederiksbjerg School, which is

currently under construction in Aarhus, emphasis has been on daylight

as a dynamic light source, constantly shifting in intensity and direction.

Specifically, gradation of window sizes has been incorporated in the design

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of the faade windows are bigger in the middle, smaller on top and

smallest at street-level.

The larger middle windows provide a panoramic view of the outside life:

the schools green courtyard on one side, and the urban space on the

other. The top windows ensure an even light that is drawn far into the

building, while the smaller windows below create window nooks in which

the children can read and play. Similar faades have been implemented in

the design of the daycare facilities at Drivhuset in Coepnhagen and the

Ume School of Architecture, both schools highly valued by their users.

According to Jakob Strmann-Andersen, Ph.D. and Lead Engineer with

Henning Larsen Architects, it is possible to create faades that allow for

evenly-distributed, high levels of daylight to enter the building. However,

it is not only the amount of light that is important.

Educational facilities with such traditional faades indicate a lack of

understanding of how the dynamics of light also influence how children

experience colors, space and time, as well as their desire and ability to

actively engage in learning, he says, adding:

Just as the reform of the Danish school system sets the scene for diversity

in learning methods, the construction of educational facilities should also

emphasize diversity in, for instance, light intensity, colour reproduction

and the variation of daylight throughout the day.

The new daycare center "Drivhuset"

in Copenhagen is designed to en-

courage play and learning through

various types of spatial and day-

light experiences.

City Campus Aalborg

Location: Aalborg, Denmark



The new City Campus Aalborg is the result of Aalborg Municipalitys signi-

ficant investments in education. The building is organized around an open

central atrium and a large, south-facing outdoor courtyard, which is con-

nected to the interior environment with several large windows, creating

cohesion between the internal and external activities of the square. The

building accommodates 900 students, permanent staff and researchers in

the creative areas of study.

City Campus Aalborg

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Reykjavk University

Location: Reykjavk, Iceland



Reykjavk University consolidates the formerly disparate university func-

tions at one campus in the southern part of the city. The project realizes

the idea of the university as a city, allowing the individual departments

to be organized as independent quarters around a uniting, inner hub. The

hub provides access to all the university departments while housing the

common university facilities such as caf, restaurants, art gallery, gym,

bookshop, nursery, library, etc. Thus, a lively urban scene is created in the

building a vibrant centre that generates life and radiates its energy to the

surrounding streets.

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The Danish Model

1937

2014

1814

1990

The Folkeskole was founded in 1814, and, at

that time, all children were given the right to

seven years of education.Desk teaching was the

only teaching form. In the city, new schools were

built; in the countryside schools were fitted into

the teacher's home.

Throughout the '80s and '90s, computers

and creative subjects were integrated into the curriculum. Project work

became a common teach-ing form and enabled the

pupils to study all over the school, which soon took

shape of a city within the city with open areas for

unplanned meetings and group work.

Changes to the Education Act in 1937 resulted in the construction of many large 'central schools.' They were located to support equal opportuni-ties for children living in cities and in the coun-tryside. The new schools focused on the practical application of theory, thus dedicated subject rooms were highly prioritized.

In the beginning of the 21st century, a number of comprehensive changes to the Education Act have already been implement-ed. Teaching forms are influenced by technology, and school architecture has taken on a much more flexible character as children should now be in school for at least 30 hours a week.

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The History of Educational BuildingsThe architecture of educational institutions reflects trending thoughts

on how students are not only taught core academic subjects, but brought

up holistically to become well-rounded human beings and good citizens.

The Danish Folkeskole (municipal school) is a type of school covering

the entire period of compulsory education, from the age of six to 16,

encompassing pre-school, primary, and lower secondary education. For

more than 200 years the Folkeskole has provided compulsory, but free

education to all children. And for more than 200 years the architecture of

learning environments has developed according to prevalent didactics and

teaching principles.

In its early stages the municipal school was marked by authoritarian

teaching principles. The teacher taught from a podium in the classroom as

a symbol of his sovereignty and power. Only he decided what to be taught

and how to teach; the childrens learning was not the greatest concern at

that time. Schools were sources of infection and a great threat to the local

society due to spread of such contagious diseases as tuberculosis. It soon

became the architects responsibility to design new, healthy municipal

schools.

The first municipal schools were designed as park-like structures with

inspiration from the pavilion hospitals of the time. It was commonly

known that daylight, fresh air and cleanliness could eliminate the risk of

infection, thus these principles from hospital and sanatorium design were

implemented in the municipal schools.

These ideas found expression in the construction of the school buildings.

Corners were rounded in order for them to be easily cleaned. Chalkboards

were painted directly onto the walls, so that dust and dirt couldnt stick to

their frames and backsides. Furthermore, large windows ensured a high

level of daylight and frsh air in the building.

In the mid-1920s, a new typology emerged, superseding the previously

dominant corridor building typology. The new form centered the classrooms


around a large assembly hall, the aula. It took the modernist ideology with

its precepts of light and air as key components of healthy spaces even

further, and presented organically shaped and richly ornamented inspiring

spaces never seen before in school architecture.

In the '50s and '60s, village schools were updated and centralized, placing

them strategically between villages. The so-called central schools were

designed with particular focus on practical rooms. Now was the time

for the pupils to activate their theoretical knowledge and learn through

their own experiences. The central schools added a great deal of value

to the local community. After school hours, the buildings were utilized for

evening classes and different kinds of volunteer activities.

In 1967, corporal punishment was abolished, and the youth rebellion in

western countries fostered a culture where children should be treated

as individuals, the personal development of whom was also a concern of

the school. Children ought to be reared as democratic citizens, thus the

municipal school was democratized as well. As a result of this, school

councils and parent-led school boards were established.

Simultaneously, teaching principles shifted in focus from individual

learning methods to project- and group-related work. Heavy desks were

replaced with light, easily movable furniture, but the inflexibility of the

school buildings still couldnt accommodate the didactic shift.

Throughout the 1980s and '90s, schools developed towards more

project-oriented work and teaching forms, becoming what we know

today. Nowadays, pupils are taught to become independent, creative

entrepreneurs. They must be capable of identifying and solving a problem

and are responsible for their own learningschool architecture must

reflect that flexibility and focus.

Keywords are openness, transparency and innovation. School libraries are

no longer libraries only, but pedagogical development centers framing both

group work and individual absorption, while providing the opportunity to

search for new knowledge in print and digital media. In many ways, the

classroom has not changed, but classroom teaching is supplemented by

methods that yet again set new demands for the physical shaping and

functionality of the architecture.

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Frankfurt School of Finance & ManagementFrankfurt, Germany

Prince Naif Center for Health Science ResearchRiyadh, Saudi Arabia

Institute of Diplomatic StudiesRiyadh, Saudi Arabia

ZSW Center for Solar Energy and Hydrogen ResearchStuttgart, Germany

New School at FrederiksbjergAarhus, Denmark

Campus AasAas, Norway

ESS - European Spallation Source Lund, Sweden

New Campus:Lillebaelt AcademyOdense, Denmark

Learning Spaces in the Making Many places in the world today are experiencing a growth within the

educational sector. Henning Larsen Architects is among the leading

companies offering international learning and research facilities of high

architectural quality. Here is a look into future projects:

Campus Aas

Location: Aas, Norway



The new Campus Aas merges the Norwegian University of Life Sciences

(UMB) with the Norwegian School of Veterinary Science (NVH) and the Na-

tional Veterinary Institute of Norway (NVI). The vision for the project is to

facilitate close interaction between the various educational and research

institutions, promoting knowledge-sharing and collaboration across re-

search fields. Campus Aas is a highly complex facility, comprising BSL-2 and

BSL-3 laboratories and a veterinary hospital. In addition, the new campus

will feature state-of-the art teaching and office spaces as well as meeting

and student facilities.

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ESS - European Spallation Source

Location: Lund, Sweden



ESS - European Spallation Source will be a research campus with a more

than 600 -meter-long proton accelerator and a 180-meter-long hall in

which the protons hit a target and send neutrons off to a number of halls

with measuring instruments. ESS will also provide a number of facilities

for researchers: general laboratories (15,000 m2), offices and a lecture hall.

At ESS, researchers will work in a setting that supports meetings across

disciplines and research fields. In the many atriums on campus, visiting

researchers will be able to meet each other informally, inspire each other,

exchange ideas and share their knowledge.

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About Us6 OFFICES

300 PEOPLE

32 NATIONALITIES

20 COUNTRIES

Director and Partner

Louis Becker

[email protected]

Tel: +45 8233 3020 / +45 2715 0220

International Business Development

Amalia Gonzales Dahl

[email protected]

Tel: +45 8231 3101 / +45 6035 2101


Credits LAYOUT AND TExT | Josefine Lykke Jensen, Morten Schjdt-Pedersen, Marie Houlberg Abildhauge Olesen,

Anna Brandt sterby, Maria Rebsdorf Rostved

TRANSLATION | Josefine Lykke Jensen, Tue Krmer Larsen

PROOF READINg | Natalie Jeffers-Hansen

PHOTOS AND ILLUSTRATIONS | Adam Mrk (front cover, p. 18, 24-27), Agnete Schlichtkrull (p. 15, 41, 49, back cover),

Arne Carlsen/Jens Frederiksen (p. 18), Bragi r Jsefsson (p. 19, 56-59), David Barbour (p. 18), Jens Frederiksen (p. 18),

Jens Lindhe (p. 18), Kontraframe (p. 18-19, 28-35, 48, 50-51, 60, 63, 74), Martin Schubert (p. 6-8, 19, 36-40, 52-55),

Nicolaj Bak Christiansen (p. 18), Peter Jarvad (p. 19), hlander (p. 16, 18), ke E:son Lindman (p. 10-13, 19, 44-47)

Other illustrations: Henning Larsen Architects

COLLABORATORS | Art Museum at Ume University; White Arkitekter, Tyrns, WSP Group, TM-Konsult Campus

Roskilde; Cowi, Thing & Wain, Enemrke og Pedersen Campus Aas; kaw Arkitekter, Link Landskap, NNE Phar-

maplan, Multiconsult, Hjellnes Consult City Campus Aalborg; A. Enggaard, Cowi ESS - European Spallation Source;

COBE, SLA, Buro Happold, NNE Pharmaplan, Transsolar, Bent Lauritzen, DTU Nutech Frankfurt School of Finance

and Management; Innius RR, Werner Sobek, Transsolar Institute of Diplomatic Studies; Buro Happold, Geoffrey

Barnett Associates New School at Frederiksbjerg; Hoffmann, GPP Architects, Mller & Grnborg, Niras Moesgaard

Museum at Aarhus University; Kristine Jensens Tegnestue, Cowi, D-K2, MT Hjgaard, Lindpro New Campus:

Lillebaelt Academy; A. Enggaard, Midtconsult, SLA Prince Naif Centre for Health Science Research; NNE Phar-

maplan, Buro Happold, Geoffrey Barnett Associates SDU Kolding Campus; Kristine Jensens Tegnestue, Orbicon Ume

School of Architecture; White Arkitekter, Rambll Sweden, TM-Konsult, LPS Konstruktrer ZSW Center for Solar

Energy and Hydrogen Research; Transsolar, Knippers Helbig og ZWP Ingenieur AG

www.henninglarsen.com

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Learning Spaces by Henning Larsen Architects