Spaceoasis has announced the launch of Learniture®, a new furniture brand that aims to make next-generation learning furniture accessible to all. Developed in association with heppell.net, Learniture® comprises a capsule collection of ergonomic pieces designed for agility, to enable teachers to create defined zones within their learning spaces. These defined zones enable a broader range of learning styles including, for example, collaboration, exploration and reflection.
Developed over two years, the Learniture® collection draws on ground-breaking projects delivered by Spaceoasis® for organisations including Eton, Berlin Metropolitan School and the GB Olympic Hockey team. All of these organisations were looking to evolve their teaching and learning away from ‘chalk and talk’ to a more inclusive, collaborative and dynamic approach. Learniture® aims to enable any school to take similar steps towards enriching their learning environments.
The Learniture® collection comprises:
Heppell Bench:
with LearningSurface writable surface which can be used as tiered seating, benching or as standing / sitting height worksurface.
Smile table:
an agile table with LearningSurface writable surface.
Acclivity:
a posturally correct student chair.
Turn & Learn:
ergonomic, height-adjustable stool.
Retreat:
a sofa / pod space for quiet reflection.
Dash:
a console designed to be an alternative to the teachers’ desk.
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The Learniture Team
Spaceoasis has appointed designer, James Clarke, who has a wealth of experience in furniture and learning space design, as Director of Learniture®. James is joined by Learniture® co-founder Juliette Heppell, drawing on her extensive experience as a classroom teacher and Professor Stephen Heppell, who is an advisor bringing valuable, innovative insight from his long career in education.
Director, James Clarke, explains why the brand is being launched. “Teaching and learning is changing, embracing a broader range of learning scenarios. Direct instruction is losing its dominance and learning is being enriched with collaborative and peer-to-peer learning, independent and self-directed exploration. Learning environments need to respond to that change and we want to make next-generation learning spaces accessible to all. With Learniture you can dip a toe in and start to evolve your teaching and learning practices gradually. You could start with one room or a corner of a room, kit out a disused space and try a more agile, responsive approach.”
Learniture® co-founder Juliette Heppell, comments, “As a hard working (normal!) classroom teacher, I knew what I wanted in classroom furniture and I got fed up with looking but not finding it. So, like all good teachers, I thought I’d better get on and help make it happen. As it turns out, I’m really rather proud of the things we’ve done so far.”
Professor Stephen Heppell said, “There’s an awful lot of science in making furniture that lets learners be the best they can possibly be. There’s also a lot of common sense and practical experience. We’ve stirred all this into the pot and we’re pretty pleased with the recipe that’s emerging.”
