Ambreen Suleman (She/Her)
Growing up in the south side of Glasgow, there was a lack of modern spaces that support students’ studies. While some cafes and libraries can be an alternative to studying in school classrooms or bedrooms at home, none are designed specifically for studying or to support all types of students.
When designing this study space, one of my main concerns was accommodating students of different neurotypes. While the traditional classroom setting may work for neurotypical users, most are considered to be neurodivergent or prefer to study in different environments throughout the day.
The Erudition Study Space was carefully designed to accommodate a range of users that all have different preferences or needs, the design is centred around versatility and inclusivity.
Erudition Study Space-Ambreen Suleman
ERUDITION STUDY SPACE
The Erudition Study Space provides different environments and activities to support students’ studies, with a mixture of bright, dark, loud, quiet, active, individual and group study rooms. The space is designed to accommodate students who are neurodivergent and have learning differences or mobility issues. I created the furniture bespoke for users who struggle with these issues. The space also provides areas for relaxation, a place to converse with other users about mental health, and a cafe to refuel and re-energise for an optimal study session.
Each level within the space is assigned a colour scheme and a noise level, orange being quiet, yellow moderate and green loud. The colour scheme for each level aids as a reminder to the users of how loud their environment should be.
The study space is located on Victoria Road where there is a bus, bike and taxi lane, this provides a safe and quiet environment for users to be uninterrupted in their studies.
Quiet Level -1
The Quiet level is in the basement of the building and provides a room for those who prefer to study in a well-lit environment and another for those who prefer studying in a dark environment. On this level, users can relax in the communal area, or borrow equipment from the tech room where required to support their studies. New users or visitors can use the reception to help navigate the building, get information on the facilities available or book out study areas.
Moderate Level 0
The moderate level of the study space provides dark, bright and group study rooms. It has a yellow colour scheme and should be kept at a moderate sound level. This level also holds the cafe and mental health office that are open to the public and can generate income to support the daily running of the study space.
Loud Level 1
The loud level is located on the first floor of the building, it also provides dark, bright and group study rooms. The loud level has a green colour scheme and users are able to partake in loud study activities on this level. An active learning area is also provided on this level and would accommodate users who prefer to learn through song, dance, entertainment or games.
Bespoke Furniture
The furniture within the space was designed to give users the choice of what type of furniture they would prefer to use during their study session.
I created a range of seating and desks that would suit most users and can be adjusted to fit their location within the study space. The furniture has been designed with curved edges to reduce the risk of injury to those with mobility issues like cerebral palsy.
