Learning Space Contest Part I

At Fuse we love to talk about zones. Zones for reflection. Zones for doing. Zones for each specific intention of the day. Why? Because, like we mentioned in our last journal entry, our environment sends us cues that influence our behavior. This can be harnessed to support our goals, whatever they may be.  

What does all of this have to do with a child's learning space? Everything. Children can struggle with engaging in remote schooling at home. This conflict sparked an idea which was supported as we started talking with those around us. 

We heard from one family how their child had no interest in remote learning and a simple shift to her environment (a new desk) changed everything. It made perfect sense. She now had a zone for learning. It wasn’t taking over another space traditionally used for other activities, like a kitchen table or playroom surface. These areas have had specific intentions throughout your child’s life (whether crafted intentionally or unintentionally). The kitchen table has been a place of gathering, for sharing a meal, or a place for a quick snack. The playroom has always been for...well, play. Bedrooms for sleeping. To shift from those intentions can be very hard, especially for a child. And the question becomes, how can we support their learning? Remember those environmental ques we were talking about? Well, a zone specifically for learning is a big cue.  

 This was the inspiration for our first ever social media contest. We offered our design services for free to one lucky winner.  

Following the selection of our winner we began the design process. This began with meeting the family, seeing their space, and hearing their needs. Next was concept. We pulled together a room board based on what we heard from the family and presented it. Finally, we created a design based on the family’s budget and got to work on making it a reality! 

Check out the pictures bellow to see the project in process. And stay tuned for our next Journal entry where we will interview the winning family to get their thoughts on the process and how everything is working out. 

It all begins with a room board.

Feeling out possibilities.