New Line Learning

Maidstone, Kent

The brief

New Line Learning is an academy whose transformational learning vision is based upon a risk/resilience model. Pupils are individually evaluated over a six week period through curricular, emotional and social competencies, enabling assessment beyond predictive educational needs. The model aims to provide alternative life outcomes for this deprived community.

To accommodate this vision and reinforce NLL’s learning approach; a new spatial use model was developed by Gensler. The ‘Plaza’ concept was devised with the academy to provide a higher degree of collaboration between teachers and pupils. This is achieved through an IT rich, flexible environment that promotes and enables a variety of static and fluid learning settings to occur simultaneously within the physical fabric. Both individual personalised ‘learning to group’ based activities and a whole plaza scenario of 120 pupils are achieved. This provides a safe and secure home base..

Furniture can be more than just furniture. The choice we have made not only lends itself to flexible and innovative learning, it also gives a strong visual message that the students are entering a different and special environment when they enter our plazas.

Guy Hewett, Head Teacher, New Line Learning Academy

Our solution

Torsion on the Go! - KI installed Torsion on the Go! flexible seating to enable reconfigurable options such as team working.

Perry chairs - Perry seating with blue & white pinstripe fabric were also installed, with their unique articulating back for added comfort after longer periods of sitting.

KI readily took our ideas on board and put them into practice, adapting their standard products to conform with our furniture requirements to create the environment we envisaged. KI seemed very interested in the whole concept where the furniture was required to resemble a workspace rather than a classroom, at the same time as being flexible. The plaza needs to be reconfigured and transformed to accommodate different aspects of learning while students remain in the same physical space. KI assisted in enabling the technology and environment to come together as one.

Anibal Cruz, Gensler

More information

End user - Students, 11 to 18 years old
Project size - 'Plaza' room for 120 students
Project partners - Gensler
Website - www.futureschooltrust.com