Creative learning spaces: a user perspective analysis about the impact of design studio spaces on creativity

Abstract

The learning process and learning environments have an unbreakable, embodied relationship. In almost all instances, learning environments has a negative or positive influence on the learning process of students. In other words, it creates an undeniable psychological impact which may have the capability of changing the entire life of the students in the future. Though the learning environment is a governing factor of the learning process, designers usually do not pay much attention to that particular fact. Thus, the traditional classroom typology has been repeatedly and unscientifically used all throughout history. In this research paper, the concept of creativity has been defined using a variety of theories and interpretations and a comprehensive framework for assessing creativity has been established. Also the paper analyses literature on creative learning spaces and develops a theory to be used as a guideline in evaluating the quality of such spaces. A detailed description of the methodology in which the research is carried out and how the two frameworks derived in the previous chapters connects to it is illustrated by the third chapter. The study concludes with a user perspective analysis where the perception of the students on studio spaces is used to investigate the relationship between spatial characteristics of space types in studios and intrinsic characteristics of creativity. The results indicate that there is a clear relationship between studio spaces and the creativity of students and that the spatial characteristics of studio spaces has a direct impact on the intrinsic characteristics of creativity. Thus, it is recommended that architectural design studios should be specifically designed with careful consideration of prioritized spatial characteristics relating to each space type. This will in turn aid in fostering the creative potentials of the minds of architecture students.