Does design play a role in encouraging wider engagement and better attainment at university?
We explored this and more in our latest Canteen Conversation
Over the past decade representation in universities has remained static and, despite the population bulge currently working its way through secondary schools and into universities, this trend is set to continue.
But representation is not static throughout university life. According to the Social Market Foundation, drop out rates for black students are 1.5 times higher than for their white or Asian peers. And then there is the staggering 13 per cent attainment gap between white students and minority groups across the entire student population recorded by the Office for Students.
Some universities attract a broad student demographic, while others don’t. It might be down to local demographics, location, or choice of subjects on offer, but could it also have something to do with their respective buildings and spaces?
We recently gathered together educators, designers, inclusivity experts, and academics to share our latest research exploring the effect that buildings’ aesthetics, function and spatial comfort have on the student experience, and to enlist their support with the next steps in effecting change.
Buildings’ aesthetics speak to all students
The research highlighted a preference among students from all backgrounds for period-style university buildings. Most participants aspired to attend these ‘prestigious’ institutions, but sadly some doubted their chances of acceptance.
Neil Pinder, Head of Architecture at Graveney School in south London related to the feelings of being an outsider when he was at art school: “I was the only black guy in my class. You feel like an impostor in the room, like you don’t belong. And school doesn’t actually give you the language that you need to cope.
“Buildings represent power and it’s the power of the establishment and it’s the power of the embedded systems of control that you subconsciously feel.”
"I think medieval and Victorian architecture represent very old institutions. I don’t think I would feel welcomed there, but at the same time, I have got this feeling that this is something I need to aspire to."
Pupil, Central Foundation Boys’ School
Campuses must offer a mix of spaces for everyone to feel they belong
According to our research, students that are usually in a majority at university highly value social spaces like cafes and gyms, while others value teaching spaces more. And informal spaces are more important for minority students and first-generation undergraduates that may struggle to make friends and connections.
Emma Greenland, from Anderson Acoustics drew attention to the role that acoustic plays in the enjoyment of spaces, due to the aural diversity of today’s students and their range of listening needs:
“Social spaces are usually cited as being the most challenging and noise usually tops the list of complaints. But it is possible to create a variety of acoustic spaces so that students always have a choice and feel that they belong.”
Informal spaces foster community, connection and engagement
The research confirmed that informal spaces are important for the social life of students and for developing their sense of belonging. It is here where students make new connections more easily, regardless of their backgrounds. Informal spaces also play an important role in creating an inclusive campus as they provide unprogrammed, flexible spaces where students can study and socialise without having to pay.
Manijeh Verghese, CEO of Open City drew parallels with the way the city is used as the classroom for the organisation’s education programmes.” If we treated the spaces of learning more like how we design cities, and think about ways in which we can adapt them for us to feel comfortable and to create new and exciting learning environments, that would be an amazing accomplishment.”
Quality of space is most important to minority groups
When we explored what encouraged students to use informal spaces, answers varied among groups. The quality of the space was more important to students in minority groups, while convenience was the most important factor for white students.
The four year old London Interdisciplinary School is a new type of university which offers a much broader range of subjects than is common in most universities. It attracts a more diverse set of students, many of whom have been adversely affected by the mainstream education system.
The first cohort of students at LIS actually designed the campus. The university stretches across two buildings, a Georgian terrace and a mission hall explains LIS professor Lara Kinnear: “We’ve interconnected two building styles… tried to unpick a building, remake it and reconnect it to support this new education model.
“As architects, we have a really important job to try and connect to the citizen to enable our education and our understanding to be offered to the table.. and for us collectively to try and change spaces. I’m really glad that students were part of that process at LIS.”
Minority groups are disproportionately affected by poorly defined open plan spaces
While open plan informal spaces are successful, they have to address complex and diverse needs according to the research. Groups typically in the majority at university, those identifying as white and those with a university-educated parent, have a greater preference for open plan spaces and busier, more active areas. They are also more comfortable in spaces that are ‘exposing’ and encourage social interaction.
"If there are too many people around or if I feel like I stick out too much, then there is always a tiny part of my brain that focuses on that instead of what I need to be doing, which is studying."
First year student, University College London
While design alone cannot eradicate educational inequality, we believe we can use it as a catalyst for change, providing students with spaces that improve their engagement and foster a sense of belonging to their university community.
