Schools without Classrooms

Vittra: International Schools in Sweden

Vittra is more than a model; it is a design that is being used around Sweden. Vittra runs 30 schools in Sweden and wants learning to take place everywhere in its schools, so it threw out the “old-school†thinking of straight desks in a line in a four-walled classroom. They eliminated all of its classrooms in favor of an environment that fosters children’s “curiosity and creativity.â€

http://vittra.se/english

Architect Rosan Bosch designed the school to encourage both independent and collaborative work such as group projects and PBL. Even the furniture is meant to encourage learning. Bosch says each piece is meant to “aid students in engaging†while working. Instead of a classic classroom set up with desks and chairs, a giant iceberg with a cinema, a platform, and room for relaxation and recreation now accommodate many different types of learning situations. The Swedish free school organization Vittra’s new school in Stockholm has a physical design that promotes the organization’s educational methods and principles.

 Vittra opened Telefonplan School, in Stockholm where Architect Rosan Bosch designed the school so children could work independently in opened-spaces while lounging, or go to “the village†to work on group projects. All of the furniture in the school, which looks like a lot of squiggles, is meant to aid learners in engaging in conversations while working on projects.

Vittra gives every individual the opportunity…

• to find the best approach for them
  Children play and learn on the basis of their needs, curiosity, and inclination in the best ways possible.
• to learn based on experience
  Children’s learning is based on their experience which increases motivation and inspires creativity.
• to understand their own learning
  Children are equipped with the tools to acquire new knowledge and increase understanding of ‘How I learn’, which enables them to learn more easily and effectively in the future.
• to have faith in themselves and their abilities
  Children become more self-aware, aware of their strengths and potential for development which means they dare and like to be challenged.
• to develop their ability to communicate and engage in respectful interaction with others
  Children understand and are considerate to the needs and interests of others, they can express and stand for their own views as well as take responsibility for their actions.
• to be equipped for study and work in an international environment
  Children develop effective bilingualism in English and Swedish while experiencing and creating international contacts through networks and exchange programs abroad.