6.1 Introduction
More and more schools and colleges are focusing on the immense benefits offered by open plan teaching. The promise of a flexible learning environment, with all the stimulation and innovation possible in a less codified design arrangement is very attractive to both teachers and students alike. Shared teaching resources and flexible breakout spaces for students are seen as the ideal in modern educational facilities. However, open plan design has often failed to fulfil the promise of an exciting and efficient learning environment. For open plan arrangements to work effectively, the specific educational needs and the day to day operation of the space must be considered. Future needs must also be factored into design goals. Finally, architecture, services, acoustics and design must be integrated to meet the design goals. By working and liaising with teachers, it is clear that this type of teaching environment can work very well providing the specific educational requirements are fully understood and the correct design goals are set.
In MACH Acoustics’ experience, effective education environments need a diverse range of learning zones:
designated teaching areas, group tables for supervised and unsupervised studies, individual learning spaces, creative spaces, media zones and so on. All of these zones must be sympathetically integrated into one space for open plan teaching to fulfil its exciting potential.
Acoustic Design
One of the main criticisms levelled at open plan educational environments centres on poor acoustics. However, there are some key tools and design techniques which can be used to enhance the acoustic performance of these spaces, and avoid potential problems. These tools are introduced below and then
covered in more depth throughout this chapter.
Distance - Sound levels reduce over distance and this has two
consequences which have to be considered when designing
open plan spaces.
Firstly, a teacher’s voice will decay over distance. As such it is vital that when addressing pupils, the distance between teacher and pupils is kept at a minimum. The second beneficial consequence is that a degree of separation can be achieved between two spaces by increasing the distance between the teaching zones. When designing open plan spaces it is therefore vital to look at the effects of sound decay over distance.
Layouts – The layout of the space dictates the distance over which communication takes place and hence noise levels within the learning zone. Teachers addressing pupils over long distances are required to raise their voices to be heard at the back, which often results in raised voices and therefore noise transfer between learning areas. Clustering group tables promote random, unnecessary communication from one table to another, which is not only disruptive to the educational process but significantly increases noise levels. Table layout must therefore be carefully considered.
Soft Treatments – Soft treatments provide a marked reduction in occupancy noise levels as a result of the sound being absorbed by panels on walls and ceilings or even soft furnishings. This is of great benefit to an open plan design, providing a quieter, more flexible space. A reverberation time of 0.4 seconds is one of MACH Acoustics’ design goals and therefore substantial amounts of soft treatments are required to
meet this design target.
Screens – Breaking the line of sight between learning zones is often an effective way of providing acoustic separation between two spaces. It is important to recognise that screens do not have to be standard, uninspiring, felt covered wooden boards between desks. They can take many forms; seating, glazed elements,
recessed spaces, corners, shelving, movable panels, projector screens etc. Innovative use of screening can enhance the design quality as well as the acoustic efficiency of an open plan
space.
Partitions – Where an open plan area is being used to provide a full array of educational facilities, a degree of enclosed, cellular space will be required. Partitioned areas will be required when playing DVDs, to accommodate multimedia equipment, for drama activities, dance, undertaking noisy play and so on. Cellular spaces may also be needed for quiet teaching. It is therefore advised that all large open plan spaces include at least one or two cellular spaces.
Benefits of Open Plan
One of the main benefits of open plan teaching is improved levels of communication, both auditory and visual. An open plan arrangement makes it easier for teachers to employ innovative teaching styles and to observe the techniques of other teachers. Improvements in the assessment of student performance, levels of support and student behaviour is also possible since each student’s activity is either visible to all teachers or can easily be communicated as the student moves from one learning zone to another. Open plan arrangements reduce student segregation, with less able students occupying the same space as higher performing students, thereby promoting cross learning. Open plan spaces offer great potential for pooling resources. Equipment and learning support staff can be allocated more efficiently, in a larger and more organic space. A broader range
of teaching zones and educational facilities/activities can be offered in a more dynamic and colourful design space, enhancing student enthusiasm and their respect for learning. With such obvious benefits, it’s clear that open plan design can provide an excellent learning environment. However, it is fundamental that design ideas compliment the educational requirements and provide improved communication and enhanced diversity.
In MACH Acoustics’ experience, effective education environments need a diverse range of learning zones:
designated teaching areas, group tables for supervised and unsupervised studies, individual learning spaces, creative spaces, media zones and so on. All of these zones must be sympathetically integrated into one space for open plan teaching to fulfil its exciting potential.
Acoustic Design
One of the main criticisms levelled at open plan educational environments centres on poor acoustics. However, there are some key tools and design techniques which can be used to enhance the acoustic performance of these spaces, and avoid potential problems. These tools are introduced below and then
covered in more depth throughout this chapter.
Distance - Sound levels reduce over distance and this has two
consequences which have to be considered when designing
open plan spaces.
Firstly, a teacher’s voice will decay over distance. As such it is vital that when addressing pupils, the distance between teacher and pupils is kept at a minimum. The second beneficial consequence is that a degree of separation can be achieved between two spaces by increasing the distance between the teaching zones. When designing open plan spaces it is therefore vital to look at the effects of sound decay over distance.
Layouts – The layout of the space dictates the distance over which communication takes place and hence noise levels within the learning zone. Teachers addressing pupils over long distances are required to raise their voices to be heard at the back, which often results in raised voices and therefore noise transfer between learning areas. Clustering group tables promote random, unnecessary communication from one table to another, which is not only disruptive to the educational process but significantly increases noise levels. Table layout must therefore be carefully considered.
Soft Treatments – Soft treatments provide a marked reduction in occupancy noise levels as a result of the sound being absorbed by panels on walls and ceilings or even soft furnishings. This is of great benefit to an open plan design, providing a quieter, more flexible space. A reverberation time of 0.4 seconds is one of MACH Acoustics’ design goals and therefore substantial amounts of soft treatments are required to
meet this design target.
Screens – Breaking the line of sight between learning zones is often an effective way of providing acoustic separation between two spaces. It is important to recognise that screens do not have to be standard, uninspiring, felt covered wooden boards between desks. They can take many forms; seating, glazed elements,
recessed spaces, corners, shelving, movable panels, projector screens etc. Innovative use of screening can enhance the design quality as well as the acoustic efficiency of an open plan
space.
Partitions – Where an open plan area is being used to provide a full array of educational facilities, a degree of enclosed, cellular space will be required. Partitioned areas will be required when playing DVDs, to accommodate multimedia equipment, for drama activities, dance, undertaking noisy play and so on. Cellular spaces may also be needed for quiet teaching. It is therefore advised that all large open plan spaces include at least one or two cellular spaces.
Benefits of Open Plan
One of the main benefits of open plan teaching is improved levels of communication, both auditory and visual. An open plan arrangement makes it easier for teachers to employ innovative teaching styles and to observe the techniques of other teachers. Improvements in the assessment of student performance, levels of support and student behaviour is also possible since each student’s activity is either visible to all teachers or can easily be communicated as the student moves from one learning zone to another. Open plan arrangements reduce student segregation, with less able students occupying the same space as higher performing students, thereby promoting cross learning. Open plan spaces offer great potential for pooling resources. Equipment and learning support staff can be allocated more efficiently, in a larger and more organic space. A broader range
of teaching zones and educational facilities/activities can be offered in a more dynamic and colourful design space, enhancing student enthusiasm and their respect for learning. With such obvious benefits, it’s clear that open plan design can provide an excellent learning environment. However, it is fundamental that design ideas compliment the educational requirements and provide improved communication and enhanced diversity.
6.2 Poorly Laid Out Teaching Plaza
The arrangement illustrated above is essentially four standard classrooms with the walls removed. This layout falls short in providing either the beneficial diversity of open plan teaching, or many of the educational benefits of open plan learning. This layout also has many acoustic limitations, as detailed below.
1 – Part of the corridor wall has been removed so students in the open plan space may be disturbed by movement in the corridor. Removing the corridor wall has no educational or design benefit and is therefore not recommended. A full height glazed partition would provide a visual connectivity, whilst providing adequate acoustic separation.
2 –The matrix of desks encourages non educational, disruptive communication to take place between tables, see section 6.6 for further details. With this table layout, teachers will need to project their voices to be heard by students at the back of the learning zone. Both of these factors will noticeably increase noise levels in this space, which will limit the performance, flexibility and overall user satisfaction of the space.
3 – Placing two dictatorial teaching spaces adjacent to each over will result in considerable levels of cross talk between teaching zones. Pupils will tend to be distracted by adjacent teaching activities. It is not recommended that dictatorial teaching spaces be placed adjacent to each other.
4 – The above plaza does not contain screens of any form, which results in an acoustically open space. Bookshelves, glazed screens, room corners and other elements could have been used to provide acoustic breaks. Failing to add screens will result in the propagation of the spoken voice and excessive noise spill from one zone to another. Both of these factors result in acoustic problems.
5 - The above space does not contain cellular areas for specifically noisy or quiet activities. This limits the potential educational diversity of this plaza. Open plan spaces are not normally suitable for either exclusively quiet learning or noisy activities, such as drama and multi media. It is therefore advised that a degree of cellular spaces are provided. The above plaza does not take specific measures to accommodate the acoustics of open plan teaching; hence the acoustic performance of this space is likely to be problematic. This conventional layout seems to be driven by the ease of converting back to an old, uninspiring four classroom layout. In summary, it is felt that a more inspiring functional space could be provided.
1 – Part of the corridor wall has been removed so students in the open plan space may be disturbed by movement in the corridor. Removing the corridor wall has no educational or design benefit and is therefore not recommended. A full height glazed partition would provide a visual connectivity, whilst providing adequate acoustic separation.
2 –The matrix of desks encourages non educational, disruptive communication to take place between tables, see section 6.6 for further details. With this table layout, teachers will need to project their voices to be heard by students at the back of the learning zone. Both of these factors will noticeably increase noise levels in this space, which will limit the performance, flexibility and overall user satisfaction of the space.
3 – Placing two dictatorial teaching spaces adjacent to each over will result in considerable levels of cross talk between teaching zones. Pupils will tend to be distracted by adjacent teaching activities. It is not recommended that dictatorial teaching spaces be placed adjacent to each other.
4 – The above plaza does not contain screens of any form, which results in an acoustically open space. Bookshelves, glazed screens, room corners and other elements could have been used to provide acoustic breaks. Failing to add screens will result in the propagation of the spoken voice and excessive noise spill from one zone to another. Both of these factors result in acoustic problems.
5 - The above space does not contain cellular areas for specifically noisy or quiet activities. This limits the potential educational diversity of this plaza. Open plan spaces are not normally suitable for either exclusively quiet learning or noisy activities, such as drama and multi media. It is therefore advised that a degree of cellular spaces are provided. The above plaza does not take specific measures to accommodate the acoustics of open plan teaching; hence the acoustic performance of this space is likely to be problematic. This conventional layout seems to be driven by the ease of converting back to an old, uninspiring four classroom layout. In summary, it is felt that a more inspiring functional space could be provided.
6.3 Well Laid Out Teaching Plaza
The teaching plaza illustrated above moves away from the conventional Victorian classroom layout. The result is a colourful, personal space, providing a wide range of education zones and resources for teachers and pupils. This space has many advantages over a standard classroom, resulting in an improved educational experience.
The design goal for this plaza was to accommodate 60-90 pupils, providing all aspects of teaching, focussing on both individual and group learning. The completed plaza provides a wide range of teaching spaces.
1 - Small group work tables have been dotted throughout the plaza. The carefully considered distance between desks helps reduce disruptive, unnecessary communication between group tables, resulting in reduced noise levels within this space.
2 – More private, cluster spaces have been added by stepping out the facade. These spaces are acoustically and visually screened from the main teaching area, thereby creating a more private learning area.
3 - One of these spaces contains a glass screen to further increase privacy, making it ideal for one-on-one work or nosier group activities.
4 - Desks have been placed adjacent to the facade. The desks provide individual learning stations with the benefit of restricted visibility to the remainder of the plaza. Students using these desks should enjoy improved concentration due to a reduced amount of distraction.
5 - A divider/screen added along the length of these tables helps to further reduce noise levels, by restricting the line of sight along the length of the work stations.
6 - A large central group table has been added with students all facing inwards. This minimises shouting and improves visual communication between students.
7 - To enhance speech intelligibility for dictatorial teaching, banana-like tiered seating has been used. Here, students and teacher sit extremely close to each other, improving speech intelligibility and reducing the need for the teacher to raise his/her voice. Three dictatorial spaces have been provided, one at each end of the plaza and one in the corner behind an acoustically screened space. These spaces have the advantage of being somewhat acoustically separated due to their location.
8 - Acoustic screens have been added in many inventive forms to these spaces such as the banana seating itself, glazed screens, bookshelves and other arrangements.
9 - Enclosed spaces have been provided for activities involving higher noise levels.
10 - The increased wall space created by the stepping out the facade, acoustic screens and other factors all assist in optimising the acoustic treatments to this space.
The design goal for this plaza was to accommodate 60-90 pupils, providing all aspects of teaching, focussing on both individual and group learning. The completed plaza provides a wide range of teaching spaces.
1 - Small group work tables have been dotted throughout the plaza. The carefully considered distance between desks helps reduce disruptive, unnecessary communication between group tables, resulting in reduced noise levels within this space.
2 – More private, cluster spaces have been added by stepping out the facade. These spaces are acoustically and visually screened from the main teaching area, thereby creating a more private learning area.
3 - One of these spaces contains a glass screen to further increase privacy, making it ideal for one-on-one work or nosier group activities.
4 - Desks have been placed adjacent to the facade. The desks provide individual learning stations with the benefit of restricted visibility to the remainder of the plaza. Students using these desks should enjoy improved concentration due to a reduced amount of distraction.
5 - A divider/screen added along the length of these tables helps to further reduce noise levels, by restricting the line of sight along the length of the work stations.
6 - A large central group table has been added with students all facing inwards. This minimises shouting and improves visual communication between students.
7 - To enhance speech intelligibility for dictatorial teaching, banana-like tiered seating has been used. Here, students and teacher sit extremely close to each other, improving speech intelligibility and reducing the need for the teacher to raise his/her voice. Three dictatorial spaces have been provided, one at each end of the plaza and one in the corner behind an acoustically screened space. These spaces have the advantage of being somewhat acoustically separated due to their location.
8 - Acoustic screens have been added in many inventive forms to these spaces such as the banana seating itself, glazed screens, bookshelves and other arrangements.
9 - Enclosed spaces have been provided for activities involving higher noise levels.
10 - The increased wall space created by the stepping out the facade, acoustic screens and other factors all assist in optimising the acoustic treatments to this space.
6.4 Distance - Dictatorial Teaching
Speech intelligibility and a good visual connection are essential requirements for dictatorial teaching. Most learning environments will require a space where instruction and information can be transmitted to a large number of students at one time. It is therefore essential to have at least one or two areas dedicated to this type of teaching.
In order to maximise speech intelligibility during this type of teaching, the distance over which the spoken voice is required to travel should be minimised. Based upon acoustic on-site tests, it is advised that the distance between the teacher and pupils be kept less than 4.5m; however this distance does depend on background noise levels and other acoustic effects within the open plan environment.
To meet this requirement, seating layouts and furniture should to be considered. Images 1 & 2 show two example layouts incorporating a semi-circular and rectangular seating layout. It is clear that the more effective layout is the semi circular design.
A considerable reduction in communication distance can be made by removing tables and chairs. Raked seating is also an effective method, not only reducing the distance b between the teacher and pupils, but also improving the line of sight which in turn helps with speech intelligibility. This seating layout can be achieved by raising the pupils by means of small steps, cutting steps into the ground or raising the seating in the form of a Greek amphitheatre.
In order to maximise speech intelligibility during this type of teaching, the distance over which the spoken voice is required to travel should be minimised. Based upon acoustic on-site tests, it is advised that the distance between the teacher and pupils be kept less than 4.5m; however this distance does depend on background noise levels and other acoustic effects within the open plan environment.
To meet this requirement, seating layouts and furniture should to be considered. Images 1 & 2 show two example layouts incorporating a semi-circular and rectangular seating layout. It is clear that the more effective layout is the semi circular design.
A considerable reduction in communication distance can be made by removing tables and chairs. Raked seating is also an effective method, not only reducing the distance b between the teacher and pupils, but also improving the line of sight which in turn helps with speech intelligibility. This seating layout can be achieved by raising the pupils by means of small steps, cutting steps into the ground or raising the seating in the form of a Greek amphitheatre.
6.5 The Banana
The banana seating 3 has been successfully implemented in two open plan spaces; however the design principles behind the banana have been used by teachers for many years in a wide range of locations.
One concern which has arisen with respect to the banana is student health and safety issues. The feedback we have received is that this is not an issue; however it is important to recognise that there are alternative designs, see options 4 & 5, which seem to be safer options. During the design stages of the banana, it has been found that it is important to provide pupils with sufficient leg room. The design of the second banana has deeper seating and angled backs to accommodate these requirements.
It has also been found that over time, the bananas get moved and joined together within the teaching space in order to address different sized groups. A method of interlocking the bananas and moving this seating would therefore be a useful design feature.
One concern which has arisen with respect to the banana is student health and safety issues. The feedback we have received is that this is not an issue; however it is important to recognise that there are alternative designs, see options 4 & 5, which seem to be safer options. During the design stages of the banana, it has been found that it is important to provide pupils with sufficient leg room. The design of the second banana has deeper seating and angled backs to accommodate these requirements.
It has also been found that over time, the bananas get moved and joined together within the teaching space in order to address different sized groups. A method of interlocking the bananas and moving this seating would therefore be a useful design feature.
6.6 Layout - Unsupervised Group Work
Unsupervised group work, while an important element in learning, can also be one of the greatest sources of noise within a teaching space. As a result, this activity can be significantly detrimental to the acoustic performance of open plan design. The ideal solution is to provide individual areas for groups to work together. These spaces need to be laid out to promote group learning, but also to prevent casual and non-work related communication between group tables.
One of the worst table arrangements for group work is layout 1. This layout encourages non-educational interaction between tables, which not only loses the focus of the group (from an educational
point of view) but also significantly increases noise levels, as communication tends to take place over larger distances. Placing group work tables throughout the learning space focuses groups and results in reduced noise levels 2. However, a possible drawback is that teachers are required to move around tables more and may find it difficult to focus or address a larger group. Separating group tables is demonstrably one of the most important design requirements of open plan spaces.
One of the worst table arrangements for group work is layout 1. This layout encourages non-educational interaction between tables, which not only loses the focus of the group (from an educational
point of view) but also significantly increases noise levels, as communication tends to take place over larger distances. Placing group work tables throughout the learning space focuses groups and results in reduced noise levels 2. However, a possible drawback is that teachers are required to move around tables more and may find it difficult to focus or address a larger group. Separating group tables is demonstrably one of the most important design requirements of open plan spaces.
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