Faculty of Learning and Educational Sciences, Thammasat University / Arsomslip Community and Environmental Architects Ltd.
Description provided by the project team. Architecture as a Manifesto for Education in the 21st Century – Thammasat University is an academic institution that has contributed to the reform of Thailand’s social, economic and political system throughout its eighty-year history. The university agreed to establish the College of Education and Learning Sciences to support the reform of the Thai education system. The college aims to support and educate teachers who will be leaders and agents of change in academia. In addition to educational reform, the aim is to create a community for social development, research and innovation for long-term sustainable development. Therefore, the building should meet the requirements of the curriculum and become a space to clarify, support and improve the teaching and learning methodology, advancing the educational reform of the university and society.
The 4-storey building is located close to the university’s main teaching centre, so it is open to being a meeting and learning space for all university students. The open design allows the building to be accessed from all sides, with covered walkways connecting the axes. With the aim of supporting and promoting a new generation of teachers and academics who believe in social development and lifelong learning, the overall design of the project creates a learning community.
The educational space promotes 21st century learning by creating educational interactions and exchanges in diverse methods, encouraging a sense of community. With open design comes openness to learning, which is open to all students and open to opportunities. The college acts as a trusted home for Thammasat students, integrating relationships between students, teachers, visitors and their environment.
The interior spaces aim to facilitate interaction between people and stimulate learning opportunities through simple ways such as meet and greets. Therefore, every area in the building is suitable for seating; The main wooden staircase (“Learning Steps”) of the oval-shaped plaza is designed with proportions that allow for informal seating under compact trees. The materials used are simple; Structural materials are made of concrete, but any surface that allows human contact is made of wood to emphasize the human healing effects. From the wooden stairs to all the handrails.
The ground floor (traditionally called “Tai Tun”) of the building is a large open space that allows complete ventilation through the oval-shaped plaza. The multi-purpose room used for seminars and the co-working cafeteria are located on the first floor. The second and third floors are conference rooms, and the staff room and dean’s office are located on the top floor. The building also provides different learning environments, ranging from private spaces for reflection, self-study or small groups (“cave spaces”) to social spaces for learning through interaction (“brews”) and shared spaces where learning occurs through discussion and conversation (“campfire”). ). The overall space is flexible enough to accommodate different types of learning activities. The prayer room is emphasized as an example of critical learning within the organization (“deep learning”), which can be flexibly modified to host different activities, from formal tables for seminars to seating on cushions on the floor for group activities.
To encourage students and teachers to become developers with a strong awareness of developing a learning process that is not isolated from society, the design also takes into account environmental quality, energy conservation and unity with the master plan in terms of land use, space, transportation and adequate public services. This building can be a good model for developing the learning community as well as connecting the beautiful environment and atmosphere of the campus.
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