Community Schools: Designing for Sustainability, Wellbeing and Inclusion

Schools have the potential to empower communities by connecting people better with the places they live. But how can these benefits be baked into a design brief? As complex institutions, schools not only provide education and pastoral care for children and young people, as they grow and develop, but also act as workplaces for staff and civic assets or hubs for the wider community. Yet they’re not often perceived to be critical infrastructure. Community Schools reconsiders what is required from physical school environments, building on the learning gathered from the sector over the past two decades. To meet the new social, environmental and economic challenges it advocates designing differently, both in terms of the form that buildings and their external settings take and the evaluation of their impact and performance. By calling for a reframing of the way that schools are regarded as community-wide amenities, this book explores the potential for architects, clients and project teams to deliver design in a manner that supports healthy lifestyles and promotes wellbeing. Through encouraging social connections, new possibilities open up for educational facilities to become welcoming and inclusive. Featuring: