How to use a building

Inhabiting new space is often a matter of trial and error. New spaces can often be confusing or frustrating for inhabitants until they ‘see’ how they might use them. Bridging design and use requires an alignment between organisational ethos, inhabitant practices, and the spaces themselves. Fiona Young discusses how a ‘user guide’ might help inhabitants transition to new spaces, and in their ongoing use.

When we buy a new appliance it’s likely to come with instructions on how to use it. But when users encounter new buildings or spaces, they tend to be left to their own devices to uncover available features or to troubleshoot potential issues that might arise.

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LLV Life (Part 3): Insights from an inhabitant

Lindfield Learning Village (aka LLV) is a progressive K-12 comprehensive school which opened in Sydney, Australia in 2019. In Part 1, we heard from the perspective of a new Year 5 student to the school. Part 2 gave insights into the process undertaken to create LLV. In this next installment, we hear from the heart of another inhabitant – a citizen, a parent and as well, a teacher.

Image: Lindfield Learning Village Vision & Values cards

When I first read an article about UTS Ku-ring-gai being closed down to open up a new K-12 school, I was intrigued. The article didn’t say much about what the school would be like, but it spiked my interest.  I followed the progression of the new school closely, I would even drive by randomly to see whether the building site would give any indication of when the school would be opening and what it would be like. 

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