Architect Danish Kurani has developed a prototype for “connected” ClassDesigned to enable specialist teachers to deliver lessons remotely to students in rural communities.
Qurani In partnership with the nonprofit, completed the first iteration of the Connected Classroom at Robert C. Hatch High School in the rural Black Belt region of Alabama. ad form And the state of Alabama.
Kurani said, “As the United States grapples with rebuilding a more equitable and flexible educational system, glaring inequities in rural school infrastructure and access to qualified teachers have come into sharp focus.”
Their solution involves bringing expert teachers into a specially designed classroom using the latest digital technology and providing students with the tools to use it in this reimagined environment.
Kurani said, “For decades, American classrooms, especially in rural areas, have been stuck in an industrial age blueprint: rows of desks in rows, walls cluttered with overwhelming visuals, and harsh fluorescent lighting that impairs students’ attention spans.”
“This traditional model, demanding compliance and personalized instruction, seems mismatched with today’s needs.”
The new classroom has abandoned these in favor of simple interior design, intended to foster focus and creativity and quietly inspire students.
A cool palette of green and blue decorates the space and its furniture, and the walls are lined with sound-absorbing fabric made from 100 percent recycled polyester.
Dual-tone carpet tiles made from recycled plastic bottles are laid out to guide users around the space.
At the front of the classroom is a large wall-mounted screen with dark borders, which is used for video conference presentations and discussions with the remote teacher.
The room is equipped with multiple cameras so that even remote teachers can feel as if they are in the room with the students, while a local teacher is present in person during the lesson to provide support.
“This arrangement allows local staff to gain new skills and experience in advanced content areas, so the benefits accrue to them as well as the students,” Kurani said.
A bank of headphones and tablets are stored within a wood-paneled storage unit, which was created from a fallen ash tree, for students to use and return as needed.
Traditional desks face the windows, while rocking chairs, beanbags, bleachers, and booth seating provide alternative spaces for students to use laptops and tablets.
Modular center tables are provided for group work, but these can be moved before presentations or activities that require additional space.
Overhead lighting mimics natural sunlight to keep students alert throughout the day, and can be adjusted for focused work and dimmed for presentations.
As part of this project, Kurani gathered data from 22 students from local schools as well as 10 rural schools and obtained insights from teachers, community leaders and technology experts.
“This was not just a classroom designed for a community – it was built with it in mind,” the architect said.
The Connected Classroom is intended to be expanded and implemented across the country, particularly in under-resourced rural areas, including Alabama’s Black Belt.
The COVID-19 pandemic forced millions of students online, and prompted a wave of rethinking about education and how to use digital resources to improve learning.
At that time, a White paper by interior design firm Roar Evaluated several key issues that will be presented to students and teachers upon returning to classrooms, and declared that “the education space will never be the same again”.
Other recent innovations for the education sector include Classroom furniture designed for Gen Z learning by Pearson Lloyd and SOM’s airy, high-ceilinged, modular orbit For schools that require temporary accommodation.
photography is by Erin Little,