The Implications of Sustainable Design Considerations for an Effective Learning Environment in Industrial Design Studios

Design studios are the central part of the learning environment in industrial design schools, and the incorporation of sustainable design considerations are essential for the optimization of the learning spaces for design students in our current times. These studio spaces can play a salient role in facilitating collaboration among students and promoting creativity. Recently, the School of Industrial Design's studios at Carleton University have been redesigned with an effort to resolve interior design challenges such as Indoor Environmental Quality (IEQ) and sense of space. Through semi-structured interviews and extensive field notes, this study sought to obtain feedback from end-users (students and faculty members) on their overall experience using the new design studios. This study also pinpoints problematic areas that need to be addressed, based on emerging themes. Preliminary directions and guidelines have been proposed that can be implemented in order to improve the studios in the School of Industrial Design