Space/Study/System – Matild Magoss, Maja Zombor
Student Research Societies 2021 – 1st prize and Sustainability Special Award

Our project called Space / Study / System is about rethinking the spaces of education for the needs of the 21st century. In the dissertation we talk about the conventional spaces and spatial organization of former schools, and then we make a proposal to rethink the outdated spaces following a strict system of rules. To present the current situation and future opportunities, we take our former high school, Illyés Gyula High School in Budaörs, as a continuous example. The school was built in the late eighties and has a typical barrack like layout.

The research part of the study rests on two main pillars. On one hand, we conducted a comprehensive theoretical study on the topic of educational spaces, where we looked mainly at the obsolete and modern school spaces and the contradictions between them, primarily from an environmental psychological point of view. On the other hand, we used two different community planning methods to find out how the students and teachers of the high school feel about the different types of spaces they spend their days in (smaller and bigger community spaces, different classroms, cafeteria, foyers, etc.) We examined their needs and preferences by focusing on their habits, emotions, personality, goals and especially their sense of emotional security.

Based on the theoretical background and the experiences of the students, we have created an image of an ideal school that can provide a solid base to begin the actual planning process of a future spatial transformation. We also aim to make these aspects transferable to other school communities in the future. The study does not primarily seek to overwrite or „modernize” the exterior of an existing school but rather suggests functional innovation built on basic psychological needs and the importance of a network of closed spaces (e.g. library), gathering places, transitional spaces or quiet corners that provide the sense of security.

The entire research can be viewed here.

Consultants: György Alföldi DLA, Olívia Kurucz, Judit Dobosné Gerzsenyi