While no businesses succeed based on their architecture or space design, many fail as a result of inattention to the power of spatial relationships. This course demonstrates through live case studies with managers and architects the value of strategic space planning and decision making in relation to business needs. The course presents conceptual frameworks for thinking about architecture, communication and organizations.
This course is offered during the Sloan Innovation Period (SIP), which is a one-week period at the MIT Sloan School of Management that occurs midway through each semester.

Students teams determine the size of the caverns necessary to house the population of the state of Alabraska from the impending asteroid impact. They measure their classroom to determine area and volume, determine how many people the space could sleep, and scale this number up to accommodate all Alabraskans. They work through problems on a worksheet and perform math conversions between feet/meters and miles/kilometers.

In this course we will look at ways to change the narrative on school libraries from questioning the need for them or how to renovate the industrial era models of a single, shared resource environment to a learner-centered model.  We will work on how to move beyond traditional concepts, personal biases and even past current Learning Commons and Maker Spaces to creating learning environments where resources are ubiquitously accessible to students in virtual and physical formats.    We will look at the enormous complexity of this model in a K-12 school and why not exploring unique, alternative concepts may be hastening the elimination of school librarians.

In this course we will look at ways to change the narrative on school libraries from questioning the need for them or how to renovate the industrial era models of a single, shared resource environment to a learner-centered model.  We will work on how to move beyond traditional concepts, personal biases and even past current Learning Commons and Maker Spaces to creating learning environments where resources are ubiquitously accessible to students in virtual and physical formats.    We will look at the enormous complexity of this model in a K-12 school and why not exploring unique, alternative concepts may be hastening the elimination of school librarians.

Introduction to the CourseThis module will introduce students to the overall goals of the course, contextualizing the creation of alternative library spaces within two key movements currently seeking to transform library spaces:  Learning Commons and MakerSpaces. Students will be asked to begin reflecting on the complex factors which are involved in successful planning and implementiation of transformative solutions in their school library settings.Two suggestions for a final project for the course are: Project Have each student document where they believe their library is in its evolution of change, explain how its current environment is supporting inquiry for students in their school today.  Then using tools from the course develop a plan for obtaining the information needed to project into the future what their school library and school could be in the next 10 years.   Develop a persuasive argument to present to school administrators why resources should be allocated to initiate the plan.  How could the plan improve student learning, enrich instruction and support the mission of the school?   How would the physical space and your role within it change?Alternative ProjectYour district is launching a new STEM Charter Middle School in the next year.  Initially there is no plan for a library in the Charter School; it will be a one-to-one environment, large studio style learning environments, extensive access to technology, and planners have decided a library is too“traditional” and unnecessary in the new building.   Consider the educational model, the curriculum, the diversity of instructors and students and why the district has approved this concept for new construction.  You believe strongly that the new school needs the inquiry based skills a librarian can provide and ask for the opportunity to present an alternative library concept to the board.  The school board gives you six months to research, compile data, and you have access to the original concept team of educators and the school design team as you plan.   Prepare your presentation for the board.