Tomorrow’s learning spaces
Picture a group of children on a hot summer day, sitting comfortably in a cool, shaded classroom. They’re happy to work on their math exercises because the tasks match their individual learning pace. Digital tools support the lesson and are easy for every child and teacher to use, extending the physical classroom with personalized learning paths. Then the recess bell rings, powered by solar energy. Doors open and children stream out into a green schoolyard. On the playground, children with and without disabilities play together as a matter of course. Students and teachers feel welcome, included and comfortable.
It may sound idealistic, but this is the foundation of modern educational buildings. A positive learning environment does more than support individual achievement. It also contributes to social progress.
Tight Budgets and Inefficient Planning Slow Progress
The reality often looks very different. Crumbling walls, overheated classrooms, physical barriers and gaps in digital connectivity make everyday school life harder for students and teachers. The renovation backlog at schools is currently estimated at more than 50 billion euros. At higher education institutions, it stands at 140 billion euros.
The solution seems clear: Use existing resources more efficiently. Yet this often doesn’t happen to the extent required and renovation plans move forward too slowly. “Strategic roadmaps can speed up renovation programs, especially when individual measures are planned together from the start. It is also worth looking at delivery models that go beyond separate one-off contract awards,” says Thomas Köhler, Head of Education Science Research at Drees & Sommer.
Drees & Sommer supports both educational institutions and public authorities with this process. For example, our experts can analyze a municipality’s entire school landscape, identify where demand is most urgent and define where investment will have the greatest impact.
The Future of Education is Green
The Wilhelm-Hausenstein-Gymnasium Example
The construction sector accounts for 40 percent of greenhouse gas emissions. That makes educational buildings part of the climate challenge too. That’s why renewable raw materials are essential in school construction. Dynamic building concepts make flexible, sustainable and efficient solutions possible. They help buildings adapt to changing requirements and patterns of use. Schools also need to become more resilient, especially as climate conditions change and temperatures rise.
Mario Löhrer, Senior Consultant for Real Estate and Social Infrastructure, explains how architecture, location and materials can contribute to more sustainable educational buildings. The Wilhelm-Hausenstein-Gymnasium is a strong example. Drees & Sommer managed the project for the school’s new building.
The school opened on schedule for the 2024/2025 school year. To create a comfortable learning environment in summer as well, the design placed particular emphasis on circular materials and a healthy indoor climate. The wood facade shapes the building’s appearance and provides passive sun protection. Exterior greenery helps retain heat, improve air quality and support biodiversity.
The roofs are also part of the usable space, with areas for breaks, sports and planting. Photovoltaic systems installed there generate electricity.
Two resource-saving groundwater wells help regulate the building’s temperature. The planners also developed a natural ventilation system. At night, openings in the classrooms allow cool air to flow into the building. This helps cool the rooms and reduces energy consumption because active cooling is not required.
The system works especially well because the school is located in a cold-air corridor. Cool air flows around and into the building, while the permeable, cloverleaf-shaped architecture channels it farther into the city. This also helps cool the surrounding urban area.
How Can Circular Economy Work in Educational Buildings?
“A material that has already been used in another building often still has qualities that allow it to be reused, either in the same form or in a different way,” explains Thomas Köhler, describing Drees & Sommer’s Cradle to Cradle® approach.
EPEA, Part of Drees & Sommer, establishes Cradle to Cradle® design principles for the circular economy across industries. EPEA enables holistic transformation from both an ecological and economic perspective, thanks to its material expertise combined with Drees & Sommer’s construction and strategic know-how.
Environmentally Friendly Construction Also Creates Educational Value
Children feel more comfortable in green, organic learning environments, which can help them concentrate. In the long term, spatial design can also support education itself. Materials and design make sustainability tangible for children. What do the walls feel like? Where do the materials for the facade come from? These kinds of questions help children understand connections early and sharpen their awareness of the major issues that will shape the future.
The Wilhelm-Hausenstein-Gymnasium also shows how our design concept can support education beyond the classroom. The school is organized into nine self-contained learning houses, with shared spaces where different year groups and users can come together. A school garden with its own beehives adds another hands-on learning environment. The campus is open to the surrounding neighborhood rather than fenced off from it. An outdoor flight of steps connects the school grounds with the district, making the building part of everyday urban life.
Open Concepts Support Personalized Learning
The traditional classroom model, with students sitting in rows and working through the same exercises at the same pace, no longer reflects how learning works today. Future-oriented learning spaces need to respond to different abilities, needs and learning speeds. In user-centered environments, students can work more independently, follow individual learning paths and learn more effectively.
Planning Future Education Around Its Users
Future learning spaces put the people who use them at the center. For new concepts to work over the long term, students and teaching staff need to be involved in planning and implementation – from the choice of digital tools to accessible movement through the building.
Digital Education: Technology That Fits Real Needs
Digital technology is changing how learners access, understand and work with knowledge. That’s why schools need to do more than install new tools. They need to integrate technology in a way that supports teaching, learning and everyday use. That only works when the people who will use these spaces help shape the decisions. Done well, digital tools can make accessible learning easier and take pressure off teaching staff. One thing is for certain: while the learning spaces of the future will be confident with digital tools, the school will remain irreplaceable as a physical, social place.
