View/Open - BORA - Universitetet i Bergen

Summary in English
School architecture
– The connection between the architectural form and the pedagogic function in the
school buildings exterior and interior.
The question this project raise is: what role plays pedagogic learning theory when forming the
architectural school building? And how can this architectural language meet the pedagogic
content that take place inside the school?
To answer this I have used five different school buildings located in Bergen and Stavanger. A
description and analysis of the schools shows the huge variation that immerges within this
kind of buildings during the 20 th century. One explanation to this is that the school buildings
show different references to the architectural history and context. My analysis shows a
historical majestic appearance, the simple rules of functionalism, references to an organic
natural movement, an anthroposophist school and the modern version that represent diversity.
The variation can also be explained by the development and influence of different pedagogic
theory that took place in the 20 th century in Norway. Early in the century one can find a link
between the historical building and a learning theory whit emphasize on discipline and a
teacher that takes control of the learning process. The functionalistic building shows similarity
to the same learning theory. Students are gathered inside square boxes so the teacher can fill
them up whit knowledge, not unlike a factory. In the seventies a lot of school buildings
changed due to a new theory that emphasize children’s nature and students activity in the
learning process. A more open interior and references to the natural landscape are some of the
changes that where made to include new teaching methods. The anthroposophist school shows
connection between Rudolf Steiner’s saying about pedagogic practice and the architectural
language in this school building. When it comes to the modern school at lot of impulses and a
long historical background can explain the diversity in both architecture and pedagogic
practice. Learning activity today include different methods as traditional classroom work,
group projects and other learning strategies. Variation in pedagogic practice, request a flexible
environment that reflex the content of the school. The modern school building shows through
exterior and interior how this type of activity can take place here. This answers the question
that pedagogic learning theory plays a major role when forming a school, and the changes that
emerges shows that new type of school are needed to meet new development in the pedagogic
area.
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