FNI in the News « Fielding Nair International – School Architects and Change Agents for Education

FNI in the News

Newest school in S.A. promises world-class education

by Amanda Lozano, La Prensa, March 26, 2013
“Inspire Academies has partnered up with Fielding Nair International: world famous architects that specialize in innovative school design and education technology to develop the first school of its kind in the nation. Their schools will feature more than eight outdoor learning areas, and creative indoor learning studios, opposed to more traditional classrooms.”

Liberated Spaces: Purposeful School Design Says Goodbye to Cells and Bells

by Jennifer Lewington, Education Canada Magazine, Volume 52, Issue 5, 2012
Using Douglas Park School as an example, Jennifer Lewington explores how school spaces impact 21st century learning.
“School districts in Canada are part of a growing international movement that puts strong emphasis on school design to serve the diverse needs and learning styles of students for the 21st century economy. Diverse, purposeful spaces for individual and group activities, “schools within schools,” support for cross-disciplinary collaboration by students and teachers and generous use of natural light are among the distinguishing features of the new approach to school construction. Advocates say teacher professional development will be needed for schools to reap the full benefits from learning-friendly architecture.”

Redesigned media center ‘surrounds’ Magnificat students with new learning environment

West Life, October 10, 2012
“Now, Magnificat High School has taken the transformation further, with its “Surround Learning Center”…”
“Designer James Seamon of Felding Nair International headed the design team, and made several trips to the school to gather input and suggestions from students, faculty and staff.”
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Magnificat students ‘surround’ themselves with design ideas

West Life, January 4, 2012
“The design firm of Fielding Nair International was selected to come up with a schematic for the work, and senior designer James Seaman visited the school…”
“Seaman also presented designs of the Surround Learning areas to the students, which were based on the discussions and findings during his spring visit.”
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The Classroom Is Obsolete: It’s Time for Something New

By Prakash Nair
The overwhelming majority of the nearly 76 million students in America’s schools and colleges spend most of the academic day in classrooms. That’s a problem because the classroom has been obsolete for several decades. That’s not just my opinion. It’s established science. Click here to download the full article.

FNI selected by Bloomfield Hills Schools (MI) to lead the community through Facilitation, Planning and Design for their New High School.

Prakash Nair Featured in “Education World Magazine” for his Dedication in Transforming India’s Education Landscape

U.S. based Fielding Nair International’s President, Prakash Nair, has a passion to create innovative 21st century learning environments all around the world. Addressing a group of academic heavyweights recently at the Grand Hyatt Hotel, Mumbai, Nair’s 60-minute lecture on “Learning by Design in the Creative Age”, which centered on how educational environments can be transformed to induce creative and critical thinking, wowed the 54-strong audience.
“Education World Magazine” features an article and interview with Prakash Nair regarding FNI’s long-term commitment in the design of 100′s of schools in India over the next 5 years. “This is my way to give back to India,” says Nair.

FNI’s Senior Designer, Mariana Boctor, featured in “Cocotte Design”: Designing the NextGen Schools — Just Like Home

“Cocotte Design”, an e-based site dedicated to outstanding females in design and interior decor, has chosen Fielding Nair International’s, Mariana Boctor, as their “Star of the Week”. In this informative article, Mariana describes how she is designing next generation schools worldwide that look and feel just like home.

FNI Projects Win Two International Awards

FNI’s Duke School in North Carolina and Scotch Oakburn College in Tasmania have received awards from the American School Board Journal’s Learning By Design, “The Premier Source for Education Design Innovation & Excellence”. Click here to download Reprints from the Spring 2010 Issue of Learning by Design.

Fielding Nair International: Educating the Masses

Minneapolis, Minn.-based Fielding Nair International approaches projects a bit differently than most architectural firms designing for the education sector, Chairman Randall Fielding admits. “The typical way to begin a design project is to listen very well and to take good notes,” he says.
“Most architects are great listeners. They will take out a yellow pad and take dozens and dozens of pages of detailed notes about what the client wants. We don’t start there. If Henry Ford asked people in 1905 what they wanted, they would have said a faster horse. Even innovative educators are not necessarily visionary when it comes to the integration of space and learning.”
“The idea is you don’t know what you don’t know,” CEO Prakash Nair explains. “We’re trying to get people to tell us what they need and what they want, but we also need to open their eyes to the possibilities. Our process is what we call ‘active listening,’ where we challenge the status quo and get people to focus on real data vs. perception.

Randall Fielding, Prof. Stephen Heppell discuss link between technology and education at the World Innovation Summit for Education in Qatar

“School architects and change agents for education, Fielding Nair International’s chairman Randall Fielding stressed the necessity for schools to have sustainable design.
“Daylight, natural ventilation, and indoor-outdoor connections should be the key elements,” he explained while observing that most of the new higher education buildings “are built on the wrong idea.”
“These structures end up as spectacular buildings by star architects, from the public relations point of view,” Fielding said.
Heppell.net CEO professor Stephen Heppell said that if 20th century saw building big things for people, 21st century helps people to help themselves through communication technology.
“The 20th century was an era of global conflict, whereas the 21st century is the age of learning,” he added. ”

FNI to partner with India’s Yash Birla Group in a venture that will develop 300+ new schools

“The 3,000-crore Yash Birla Group has earmarked Rs 500 crore in the next three years to establish nearly 350 educational institutions for students and teachers through the group company, Birla Edutech.
This will comprise around 200 pre-schools, over 100 K-to-12 schools, 15 super-speciality colleges, and 20 teacher training institutes, the Group Chairman, Mr Yash Birla, said at a press meet here on Wednesday…
..Birla Edutech has tied up with Fielding Nair International (FNI), a company that designs school facilities. ”
Other sources:
Projects Today
Myiris

Designing Schools for 21^st Century Learners

The Mobile Learning Institute’s film series “A 21^st Century Education” profiles individuals who embrace and defend fresh approaches to learning and who confront the urgent social challenges that are part of a 21st century experience. “A 21^st Century Education” compiles, in short film format, the best ideas around school reform. The series is meant to start, extend, or nudge the conversation about how to make change in education happen. In this film, architect Randall Fielding demonstrates the connection between where and how students learn in the 21^st century.

Nair, Prakash (2009)

Don’t Just Rebuild Schools—Reinvent Them

Education Week, Vol. 28, Issue 28, (8 April) Pages 24-25
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“If we simply repair broken structures, we will ignore the real problems with American education while giving renewed life to a model of teaching and learning that has been obsolete since the end of the industrial era.”

Randy Fielding interview podcast on Phorecast

Randy Fielding was interviewed by Swedish consulting firm Phorecast for a podcast on FNI’s educational philosophy, including some of Randy’s own techniques for maintaining creativity in his design studio… from exercise equipment to reindeer antlers! He discusses some of FNI’s innovations in challenging and exciting schools around the globe, and reflects on how FNI’s philosophy is viewed by both supporters and critics.

The class of 2009

Geelong Independent, Victoria, January 2009

Torquay College in Victoria, Australia, has been designed by John Patrick Architects using the Small Learning Community model. Prakash Nair has been credited as the concept developer.

Porirua College transformed into high-tech learning environment

Dominion Post (Advertorial), Wellington, October 2008
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Fielding Nair International FNI was the planning and design consultant for this project — including Te Ara Hou Ala Fou and the forthcoming school rebuild. Some very positive comments from the staff and students: “The kids are different — being kind to each other — and have a different attitude to their learning.”

Democratic Architecture: The Community Centre Model

Anneberg Institute at Brown University, Voices in Urban Education, Spring 2008
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This paper by Annalise Gehling and Prakash Nair discusses the democratic aspects of an autonomous small learning community with minimal or no classrooms.

Accommodating an Education Revolution: How Victorian schools are re-organising for the 21^st Century

Australian Education Union (Victoria), Professional Voice Vol. 5 Issue 3, 2008
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This paper by Annalise Gehling and Prakash Nair describes some of the key elements of several new school campuses in Victoria, Australia.

School Open to Change: Design changes and new teaching methods bring enlightenment to Hillel School

Carrollwood News & Tribune, 27 August 2008
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“When students returned to the school last week, they discovered light-filled classrooms, places to play and cozy study nooks. Teachers are planning time for outdoor learning, and parents may find themselves staying at Hillel to chat rather than simply dropping off their children and driving away.”

Classroom Design for Living and Learning with Autism

Autism Asperger’s Digest, May/June 2008

“Eight design standards and solutions gathered from interviews with people most directly affected by autism – parents, teachers, and therapists, as well as college students and adults with autism”

Prakash Nair’s Keynote Presentation to Key Biscayne’s community stakeholders

Click here to see youtube Videos of Prakash Nair’s Keynote Presentation to Key Biscayne’s community stakeholders as they plan the first new Municipal Charter High School within this Island Paradise near Miami Beach, Florida. Presentation is titled: Best Practices in Education and Facilities Design:

Prakash Nair on School Design

Intended Consequences, 24 January 2008

“A great interview with a very interesting person.” Tim Holt interviews Prakash Nair for his regular podcasting series

Education 2020: From Knowledge to Wisdom (Full Video of Keynote address)

Baruch College Teaching and Technology Conference, 26 April 2006

Prakash Nair discusses the future of education and educational technology in the keynote address to the 2006 Baruch College Teaching and Technology Conference, City University of New York.

Visions of a Brave New Washington: Contest Shows the D.C. of 2108 Salvaging Decay For New Modes of Harnessing Water, Food, Energy

Washington Post, 16 January 2008

FNI Senior Planning Consultant Isaac Williams leads the team of faculty and students from University of Maryland, winners of the IBM Innovation Engineering Award at the History Channel/IBM/Infiniti “City of the Future” competition at Union Station, Washington DC.

Washington and Virginia Schools to Receive 2008 Architectural Awards from AASA

US Fed News, 4 January 2008
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FNI wins a citation award for design of Cristo Rey Jesuit High School and Colin Powell Youth Leadership Center, Minneapolis.

Schools for the Future: Design Proposals from Architectural Psychology

(To be published by Hogrefe & Huber in 2008)
Jeffery Lackney has contributed Chapter 6, A Design Language for Schools and Learning Communities to this international publication.

Local education gets attention

Cayman Net News, Cayman Islands, 2 January 2008

‘Celebrated international name in education’, Prakash Nair, credited in Cayman Islands’ presentation in London at the prestigious World Ministerial Seminar on Technology in Education.

Friends share mission of advocating for quality education

Minnesota Spokesman-Recorder, MN, 26 December 2007
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FNI Associate Tiffany Green speaks about her twin roles with FNI and the Black Alliance for Educational Options (BAEO) in Minneapolis

Worldwide Forecast 2008: Asia, Eastern Europe to See Heavy Investment in Educational Facilities

CEFPI e-News, December 2007

Randy Fielding consulted on worldwide school building trends

Randall Fielding is CEFPI 2007 Planner of the Year

CEFPI News Release, 18 October 2007

“Planner of the Year is the highest and most distinguished individual honor conferred by the international organization. It is presented annually to the individual whose professional facility planning activities have produced a significantly positive regional, national or international impact on educational facility planning.”

Spaces for Learning

Architecture Australia, September/October 2007

Prakash Nair listed as a partner in Victorian Government’s ‘vast’ education facilities investment program

Cayman Islands Ministry Blog

“Not education as usual — History in the making as the Cayman Islands take a holistic approach to the transformation of its entire government education system and blaze the trail towards building the ultimate 21^st century learning spaces.”

New Education offices at Countryside

Prakash Nair and Stephen Heppell

Randy Fielding, School Planner, wins international award

Cayman school campus designs set new benchmark for innovation

$122 million would revamp Middletown schools

The Providence Journal, RI, 21 November 2007
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FNI makes recommendations for Rhode Island district’s schools: “The plan, while certainly expensive, would be more beneficial to modern learning and more cost-effective than remodeling the district’s aging school buildings (to the tune of $108 million)”

1 campus, at last, for Duke School

The Herald-Sun, NC, 17 October 2007
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“‘We think the facilities are pretty cutting-edge,’ said Dave Michaelman, the head of the school.”

A Comfortable Truth

Edutopia Magazine, April 2007

Randy Fielding and Prakash Nair advocate an ergonomic, humanistic approach to the design of learning spaces

Healthy Schools Campaign Blog

A Comfortable Truth: School buildings and healthy learning

7 May 2007

The Healthy Schools Campaign gives Randy Fielding and Prakash Nair’s article, A Comfortable Truth, the thumbs up

Traditional buildings inspire new schools’ architecture

Cayman Net News, Cayman Islands, 19 March 2007

The Cayman schools’ design team studied the local shapes, sounds and traditions for reflection in their world-leading designs

Award-winning school planners promise world-class design

Kapi Mana News, New Zealand, March 2007
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FNI worked with the Porirua College community to envision the spaces that would best support students for the 21^st Century

“Building Futures” Interview with Prakash Nair

Department of Education, Victoria, Australia, 2006
Audio
Transcript (PDF)

An in-depth discussion of the basic principles of 21^st Century school design with Prakash Nair

Minister heralds change for education at annual conference

Cayman Net News, Cayman Islands, 4 December 2006

“I believe that the work we are undertaking to transform our education system is to produce students and young adults, allowing them to emerge more and more as empowered, self-positioned, motivated, capable individuals, able to hold their own in the global market place,“ — The Hon. Alden McLaughlin, Cayman Islands Minister for Education, Training, Employment, Youth, Sports and Culture

Education stakeholders to gather for another conference

Cayman Net News, Cayman Islands, 24 November 2006

Prakash Nair, “a globally acclaimed change agent for the enhancement of teaching and learning through improved school design, ” is one of the keynote speakers at a conference on the future of education in the Cayman Islands

New primary school planned for George Town

Cayman Net News, Cayman Islands, 24 November 2006

“With the major cost implications of the planned new facilities, it is essential that we seek world class advice and get it right. There is no second chance,” — The Hon. Alden McLaughlin, Cayman Islands Minister for Education, Training, Employment, Youth, Sports and Culture

New ideas for old-school school

Kingborough Times, Australia, 12 November 2006
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INTERNATIONAL school design expert Prakash Nair met with students, staff and key community representatives in Kingston this month to discuss its $30 million new high school.

Designing Healthy Schools Our Children Deserve

School Planning and Management, 1 November 2006
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A discussion of knee-jerk and constructive responses to anti-social student behaviour, by Jeff Lackney and Christian Long

US firm hired as architects for three new public schools

Cayman Net News, Cayman Islands, 24 October 2006

Announcement of design team for 3 new public high schools on Grand Cayman, Cayman Islands

Randall Fielding interviewed on Charlotte radio

The American Institute of Architects had a symposium in late September 2006 to improve the quality of schools in Charlotte. Randy is interviewed along with Harvey Gantt, former Charlotte Mayor.

Randall Fielding interviewed on WCCO radio: “Human Rights and Design for Learning”

New School Design

Blog for TheThinkingCurriculum.com, Australia, 6 September 2006

A reflection on Prakash Nair‘s presentations regarding new schools in Bendigo, Australia

Building boon

The Age, Australia, 28 August 2006
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Jeff Lackney, Prakash Nair and Randy Fielding all mentioned in article on recently-developed and in-planning respectful spaces in Victorian high schools.

Proposal to build world-class education and community facilities in Vines Road

City of Greater Geelong, Australia, 8 August 2006

“Apart from the obvious benefits to local students, this innovative concept would mean the wider community would have access to the very latest facilities including a new library, performing arts and recreation facilities and learning areas” Kildare Ward Councillor Stretch Kontelj

Getting beyond the School as Temple

Edutopia Magazine, July 2006

A discussion of two community-centric approaches to school design: the ‘Community Learning Center’ and ‘Community as School’ models

Learning by Liberation

The Hobart Mercury, Australia, 21 July 2006
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On Reece High School, the design of which won Prakash Nair the McConnell Award for school planning: ‘The school is now protected by something proving far stronger than razor wire: pride. Since the opening of the rebuilt $10 million school in 2003, there has been very little vandalism.’

Master Classroom: Designs inspired by creative minds

Edutopia, June 2006

Randy Fielding, Prakash Nair and Jeff Lackney introduce several new design solutions for student-centred teaching and learning

What They See is What We Get: Ten myths about lighting and color in schools

Edutopia, March 2006

Randy Fielding debunks some of the myths associated with use of lighting and colour in schools

Knowledge Gap in School Building Design

Place, Australia, April 2006

Discussion of school building design in Australian architectural magazine; mentions Prakash Nair as international expert

Learning to the Max

The Age, Australia, 27 February 2006
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Prakash Nair’s work referenced in discussion of larger, non-traditional settings in Victorian schools

Small is Big

Edutopia, November 2005

Randall Fielding and Prakash Nair introduce the concept of the Small Learning Community

Putting Facilities into Words

School Planning and Management, 1 August 2005
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Tassie urged to make classrooms enjoyable

The Hobart Mercury, Australia, 22 April 2005

Tasmania commended on learning system

ABC News Online, Australia, 21 April 2005

Learn the fun way

The Hindu, India, 4 March 2005

Prakash Nair applauds Thiruvananthapuram (India) school

Education’s Radical Idea: Child-Centric Schools

Nation’s Cities Weekly, 29 March 2004

“So many new schools look alike, asserts Prakash Nair, international school building consultant and architect, because we continue to ‘warehouse’ children with too little thought to how the design will impact student learning.”

Workshop focuses on education

The Daily Targum (Rutgers), NJ, 5 November 2003

Jeff Lackney and Prakash Nair present at workshop ‘focused on education reform, design and redesign issues facing American schools today.’

Schools of the Future

ABC 936 Hobart (radio), Australia, 29 April 2003

“In the same way the rest of the world has changed, education is finally catching up,” Prakash told 936 Drive Presenter Anthony Frangi.

Tasmania leads world in approach to teaching

ABC 936 Hobart (radio), Australia, 2 October 2002

Speaking to Annie Warburton on 936 ABC Hobart’s Afternoon show, Prakash Nair said Tasmania’s teaching and assessment strategies are decided after looking at the concept of schools and learning, while most other places start with assessment or test scores, “and then back their way into learning and teaching.”

International Conference on Schools of the Future

University of Western Australia, 20 May 2002

“Dr Lackney will discuss the relationship between educational environments and educational outcomes. Prakash Nair will lead an interactive workshop session on Thursday morning on designing schools for 21^st Century Learning.”

Sunny addition nicely blends Yeshiva school with neighborhood

Milwaukee Journal Sentinel, WI, 26 November 2001
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On Randy Fielding’s design: “In the play area below, little boys in yarmulkes tumble down a curvy, bright blue slide, shrieking with delight… A lot of architects would kill for raves like that.”

Architects hear the benefits of the future’s classrooms

Grand Rapids Business Journal, 15 October 2001
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A presentation by Jeff Lackney, who “consults nationally as an educational facility planner, advocating innovative, vision driven approaches to education.”

Small Learning Communities are key to the new Years 7-9 program at Torquay College, Victoria, Australia

Porirua College Vice Principal Ana Rees with students in Te Ara Hou Ala Fou, the College’s first Small Learning Community

Prakash Nair

Isaac Williams (center) leading the victorious University of Maryland team in the City of the Future competition

Cristo Rey Jesuit High School, Twin Cities

The cutting-edge setting soon to be a part of powerful everyday teaching and learning for students of the Cayman Islands

Tiffany Green, Associate Educational Planner with FNI, and Minnesota Project Manager at BAEO

Randy Fielding: CEFPI 2007 Planner of the Year

Prakash Nair and Stephen Heppell: ‘singing from the same hymn book!’

The Duke School, after years of planning, crosses the final hurdle to construction

‘A Comfortable Truth’ — comfort has nothing in common with these plastic chairs (picture: Edutopia.org)

“‘Getting Beyond ‘School as Temple’” (picture: edutopia.org)

FNI has worked with the Cayman Islands Government and school communities to forge an education plan for the 21^st Century

On Reece High School, Tasmania, Australia: “In 2003, Reece was rated among the top seven schools of the 21st century by The New York Times and it is the first school outside North America to win the James D. MacConnell Award” — Hobart Mercury

Scotch Oakburn College, Tasmania, Australia

Visioning in Melbourne, Australia

The Da Vinci Studio: Student-scaled space for hands-on projects

Natural lighting is precious (pictures: www.designshare.com)

‘Small Learning Communities’ are key to the Bendigo Secondary Schools’ designs

‘Putting Facilities into Words’: Nair and Fielding’s Language of School Design

High School for Recording Arts: the line between curricular and extra-curricular activities is blurred and space becomes student-owned. Stay tuned for news about a forthcoming MTV feature on the school, ‘Hip Hop High’.

Pathways World School, New Delhi, India

On Yeshiva Elementary School: “A sun-drenched, skylighted corridor, its wall punctuated above and below by bands of windows, bridges the old and new sections and sends light into basement classrooms and other connecting rooms.” — Milwaukee Journal Sentinel