Campus under transformation: aligning learning space supply with student preferences

Abstract

PurposeThis study inspects the transformation of a university campus through the developments in learning space supply. During the last decades, societal, pedagogical and technological changes have put pressure on campus renewals, leading to claims of acceleration of campus transformation owing to new buildings and adaptations of existing ones. However, the acceleration, transformation types and their impact have scarcely been examined. This study aims to investigate the effects of possible transformation by categorising and comparing space supply with student preferences.Design/methodology/approachThe study builds on two steps and matching data sets. Firstly, the teaching and learning space supply is measured and categorised according to their condition, use and timeframe. Secondly, the space supply data is merged with student preferences data to evaluate the impact of the transformations. The first data set consists of the plan analysis, space allocation lists and site visits. The second set used a Soft-GIS questionnaire on preferred learning spaces on the case campus in 2018. The findings are based on descriptive statistical analyses.FindingsThe findings reveal that campus transformation has been constant rather than accelerated, but the nature of transformation has transitioned towards adapting existing premises. In addition, the more recent transformations are highlighted in the students’ preferences, indicating the developments are effective and change in design guidelines. However, the change of use is not always present in the transformation.Practical implicationsThe results can inform future campus development by showing the strength of various adaptation strategies in responding to user needs sustainably.Originality/valueThe study’s value lies in revealing the impact of recent campus developments. Its originality lies in the systematic evaluation of the campus transformations according to the supply’s condition, represented use and timeline with additional comparison to student preferences.