Learning spaces and environments

Rangiora High School has a 1980s feel about it, following the refurbishment of its Rakahuri building, says principal Bruce Kearney.

Once derided as symbols of a commodified work force, cubicles are making a comeback, and workers are personalizing them and posting photos on social media.

Practically synonymous with coworking, WeWork has an uncertain future after it was forced to file for bankruptcy protection in the US. Can coworking survive without it?

University of Melbourne research finds middle years primary-school students are at risk of academic delay when learning in noisy open-plan classrooms.

No amount of evidence can bury this bad idea.

Our study, measuring heart rate, skin conductivity and emotion in controlled conditions, shows the effects of office noise are very real.

If you happen to be reading this at your desk — and you can see the eyes of the person sitting across from you — scientists say beware.

Personal space is finally back in style, but re-creating it after two decades of its destruction is hardly a straightforward task.

Even in the time of COVID-19, strong forces pull us back to the office.

Employers will have to eliminate numerous health hazards to comply with the government's COVIDsafe plan for workplaces.

The open-plan, shared office may be a thing of the past if physical distancing and stricter hygiene become the new normal.

Australians have three key reasons for wanting to get back to the workplace in a limited capacity post-coronavirus, including banter by the water cooler, a new survey has found.

If your feed makes the corporate life look stylish, it’s just another evolution in the long history of the American workplace.

Remote work is forcing companies to rethink their workplaces, after years of cramming as many employees as they could into open-plan cubicle farms.

Open-plan classrooms proliferated when “team teaching” became fashionable in the 1970s, but parents, students and teachers have long complained of noisy environments unsuitable for learning.

A think tank said the classrooms were designed to encourage more self-directed learning.

Remote work is working. So, why do we need a physical space?

For some, the office even stifles creativity. As the pandemic eases in the U.S., a few companies seek to reimagine what work might look like.

If a return to the office is on the cards, both employers and employees have a role to play in minimising the risk of COVID-19 spread.

If followed, the guidelines would transform the everyday experience of employees across the country, from executives to clerical workers.

Pandemic-proofing offices could involve short-term fixes, new working patterns and long-term design upgrades that put hygiene at the heart of workplace planning.