Learning Resources

Abstract: As we recognize the importance of informal learning spaces, there are still unanswered questions. How should informal learning spaces impact students? How can we understand the potential of informal spaces? How can design optimize this potential? This session will bring insights from multi-year multidisciplinary research in a large university system regarding planning and designing informal learning spaces on multiple college campuses. Come learn how to apply research methods to enhance understanding and support of design goals on your campus.

Abstract: After participating in this session, you will be able to identify and distinguish formal from informal learning spaces, recognize active learning behaviors and describe elements of space and design that enable such behaviors, and identify and choose appropriate assessment methods to generate evidence of specific informal environments for self-directed active learning.

Abstract: Originally intended in the late 19th century as a suburban campus for New York University, the Bronx Community College of The City University of New York campus is unique in that it has had three libraries designed and built in the 19th, 20th, and the 21st centuries by leading architects: Gould Memorial Library, a neo-classical gem designed by Stanford White; Meister Hall, a mid-century modern library designed by Marcel Breuer; and North Hall, a thoroughly 21st century library designed by Robert A. M. Stern Architects.

Libraries as repositories of knowledge have evolved over the centuries. Bronx Community College represents a case study of how libraries can (or cannot) adapt to changing times, needs, and function. Join us as we discuss the merits of each library and how their design exemplifies their evolving mission of making information more accessible over time.

Abstract: As institutions build out their campuses and land becomes limited, they must find creative and economical ways to expand. Johns Hopkins University (JHU) leased a high-rise building in downtown Baltimore as an alternative campus environment to develop its new Carey Business School, a strategic move JHU made to connect to business leaders, faculty, and potential students. The business school has taken on more space as it has grown, which required the school to plan through the lens of short-term and medium-term timeframes in a high-rise environment. This session will delve into the opportunities and challenges involved with locating a professional school in a leased, downtown, high-rise building mixing students with other occupants of the building.

Abstract: Through cross-disciplinary collaboration, Pennovation Works at the University of Pennsylvania has become a successful place for entrepreneurship in the 21st century. The Philadelphia campus unites research and private venture in a central innovation incubator and generates a diverse community, new economy, and enhanced visibility for its institution. We will reveal our methodology for how institutions can generate new economies, define an innovation campus identity, and utilize brownfields. Come learn how integrated design of collaborative space can inform a non-traditional innovation campus.