The Tony Little Centre for Innovation and Research in Learning
A dedicated space to develop Eton’s expertise in teaching and learning. Ultimately, the space needed to push the boundaries of education and help discover more how young people learn, understand and communicate.
"For this cutting-edge facility we wanted furniture that was exciting, yet also practical and flexible. Spaceoasis embraced the project from the start, listened to our requirements and had an excellent understanding of what we were setting out to achieve. They worked with us to match the furniture to the spaces perfectly and took remarkable care over every detail. The team here has found it a pleasure to work with Spaceoasis. The result is a centre in which every aspect of the furniture is exactly right for how we use it, and a major reason why the overall effect is so stunning."
Design Features
1) Observation Classroom
With a one-way mirror along the length of one wall, the Observation Classroom provides an opportunity for teachers to experiment with new ways of teaching and learning and to watch others doing the same. Lessons can be filmed to enable critique and the sharing of new ideas. The furniture in the Observation Classroom is deliberately simple, yet agile. 21 Spaceoasis smile tables, which are mobile and can be configured in a variety of ways, and a teacher’s lectern provide a highly flexible space that can be arranged to accommodate any lesson style. Those comfortable with experimental layouts could organise the tables in clusters, waves or a semi-circle, while those more used to a didactic face-the-front set-up can start with rows of desks and gradually move towards a more innovative approach. The mobile teacher’s lectern also encourages masters to move away from the ‘comfort zone’ of their desk. The chairs allow the user to tip the chair forward slightly, allowing movement, which improves posture and blood flow, which in turn improves concentration.
2) Creative ICT Suite
The Creative ICT Suite comprises three spaces: a master’s office, a teaching space and a seminar room. New technology is ushering in completely new ways of learning and this space is designed to allow the flexible and collaborative use of ICT.
The desk in the master’s office faces the wall, so when a student comes in the master has to turn 180°, offering the student their undivided attention. Similarly, this arrangement affords the master a quiet place to work when not engaged with a student.
In the corner of the master’s office is Eton Meadows, a whimsical space with an astroturf floor, Baa stools (which look like life-size sheep) and red upholstered seats that look like toadstools. This playful space is deliberately informal; it’s somewhere that requires nothing of the students and is a place they can come when they simply need space to think.
The main teaching and learning space consists of three zones, all with agile furniture and writable surfaces to encourage creative thinking and collaboration.
2a) the first zone, seven agile Petal tables with LearningSurface dry-wipe, writable surfaces can be clustered together for collaboration or hived off individually for independent work. A writable wall and height-adjustable circular LearningSurface table enclosed by three Agile screens, creates a more intensive thinking and brainstorming space. Upholstered seating around the outside of the screens provides another choice of places to sit.
2c) The third area in the Creative ICT Suite is the seminar room, which includes a bespoke-designed oval table. Elliptical in shape and seating up to 16, this table enables groups to come together in a non-hierarchical setting where students can interact tutorial-style, much as they would at university or in the workplace. Each seat at the table has its own pull-out writing shelf concealed beneath the table’s top enabling students to turn through 90° to work independently.
3) Video Conferencing Room
The Result
TTS Learning Spaces is proud to be working with SpaceOasis to create innovative and exciting learning environments for international schools. A special thank you to the team for supplying this case study.
