The Union Internationale des Architects (UIA) was the first global network of architects, founded in Lausanne, Switzerland in 1948. Three years later, the Commission des Constructions Scolaires (CSC) was constituted within the framework of the UIA (Lorbek, 2022). The Swiss architect Alfred Roth chaired the working group and under him it was dedicated to establishing transnational knowledge exchange on design and technical solutions in school construction. The CSC (School Construction Commission), which was modelled on the working methods of the International Bureau of Education, focused on universal standards and typification, but with due regard for the different financial and material resources in developing and industrialised countries (Lorbek, 2022). However, the interest in developing universal standards for school construction on a transnational level was lost at the beginning of the 21st century.
In the 21st century, there is a spatially consequential change in forms of teaching in mainstream schools concerning individualisation and differentiation. The spatial structures of a corridor school diverge with the needs of the teachers and the extended time spent at the school. One consequence of the developments of the 21st century in the German-speaking world is that the necessity of dialogue between planners and schools is increasingly being formulated as a condition for success in school construction (Berdelmann et al., 2016). Making the school fit for school construction as a stakeholder capable of having a say and participating is becoming a concern that is not yet well established in architectural chambers or associations such as the sia, but is increasingly regarded as important by the building owners - the municipalities and cities. Cross-institutional associations, alliances or even the dedication of the activities of foundations are emerging to address this issue: For example, the first further training courses for school building consultants (Montag Stiftungen) or learning space developers - the internationally working PULS-Verbund (Weyland & Watschinger, 2017) are being organised so that school participation processes can be organised and supported in school building.
All welcome- this seminar is free to attend but registration is required.