Building learning spaces that shape the future – the inspiring closing of the LEARNITECT Project
Shared journey, shared lessons
The LEARNITECT – Meeting of Innovative Learning Design and Inclusive Learning Spaces Erasmus+ project was launched in autumn 2023 with the aim of offering a new perspective on the development of learning and community spaces. Over two years, Hungarian, Italian, and Portuguese partners worked together to help schools become genuine 21st-century centres—places where students and teachers not only learn and teach but also feel at home, build communities, and find inspiration.
Throughout the project, partners engaged not only in collaborative meetings and study visits but also created tangible outputs: an international diagnosis and handbook, a collection of interviews, podcasts with accompanying articles, and comprehensive architectural studies and models. These results hold value not only for the partnership itself but also for all teachers, school leaders, and decision-makers who are open to innovation.
Diagnosis and Handbook
The first pillar of the project was a comprehensive diagnosis conducted with the participation of 283 teachers and 26 school leaders. Through questionnaires and interviews, we gained a precise understanding of how educators perceive their own school environments—what inspires them, what challenges they face, and where they see opportunities for development.
The resulting publication presents:
- The condition and attributes of learning spaces: how teachers use existing environments and to what extent these spaces support community learning, inclusion, and the integration of digital tools.
- Country-specific characteristics: how tradition, regulation, and local opportunities manifest in Hungary, Italy, and Portugal.
- An international comparison: concrete insights that align with findings from other studies and can serve as international good practices to be adapted in Hungary.
The research revealed that the quality of school spaces is not merely a backdrop but an active factor in learning. In the years ahead, our task is to translate this knowledge into practice—to create environments where both children and their teachers can truly thrive and soar.
– said Tibor Dőri, President of the Hungarian Association for Digital Education.
To explore and better understand Europe’s innovative school environments, we applied a multi-phase, mixed-method approach, which included an international questionnaire-based study.
The questionnaire—developed collaboratively by all project partners—collected the views of more than 300 teachers and school leaders on the use of school spaces, inclusivity, digital tools, and the presence of community learning. The data collection took place between November 2023 and February 2024 in Hungary, Italy, and Portugal, with the participation of 283 teachers and 26 school leaders in total.
The survey was conducted voluntarily, anonymously, and online, containing 95 open and closed questions. These addressed the school’s infrastructure, the educators’ understanding of the institution’s mission and goals, their teaching practices, as well as their habits, intentions, and experiences. Open-ended questions invited respondents to share their ideas about desired improvements in their school’s physical environment.
The questionnaire focused primarily on learning, as defined by 21st-century education policy recommendations—rather than on other functions such as safety, health, well-being, readability, sense of belonging, or representation of the local context.
Study visits and shared experiences
Linked to the international partner meetings, the project included study visits to six different schools: the Marco Polo Institute in Florence, the Don Milani School in Viareggio, the schools of Ponte de Lima and Freixo in Portugal, and in Hungary the Deák Diák School in Budapest and the Biatorbágy Innovative Technical School.
These visits offered not only professional insights but also profound human experiences. Based on the interviews and visit diaries, one theme consistently emerged: the renewal of community spaces is a key issue in every country.
- In Florence, colours and creative solutions brought students closer to learning.
- In Viareggio, the role of the community network was essential, with parents and local organisations actively contributing to change.
- In Ponte de Lima, students shaped their environment through their own participatory projects.
- In Freixo, the digital laboratory and makerspace opened new horizons for creativity and collaboration.
- At Deák Diák School, art and music provided a unifying community framework.
- In Biatorbágy, a completely new, modern school building demonstrated what a 21st-century school can look like in practice.
These journeys revealed that true innovation lies not only in walls and furniture but in the community itself. The school of the future must be co-created—by teachers, students, and parents together.
– emphasised Gabriella Pusztai, Project Manager at IAL Toscana.
One of the most exciting and inspiring components of the LEARNITECT project was indeed this series of international study visits, during which partners jointly explored innovative schools across Italy, Portugal, and Hungary. The aim was not only to discover good practices but also to reflect on them collectively, learn from them, and use them as inspiration for the project’s final outputs.
– as Lisa Gomes, Project Manager at Previform, aptly summarised.
Knowledge Sharing in Focus: Podcasts, Interview Booklet, Articles and Stories
From Experience to Insight – A Handbook on Learning Environments for Teachers and School Leaders
The conversations and diaries collected during the study visits formed the basis of the interview booklet, a rich compilation spanning hundreds of pages of experiences, stories, and insights. What makes the booklet truly valuable is its international scope: it gives voice to schools from all partner countries, complemented by the perspectives of international experts and researchers—creating a genuine mosaic of diverse learning environments.
The aim of the booklet is to inspire teachers and school leaders who are open to new ideas and wish to reimagine their own schools. It features school leaders, teachers, and educational researchers, offering reflections on questions such as:
- How can a learning environment become more human-centred?
- What does “community space” mean to them?
- How does the built environment foster inclusion?
- Which digital solutions have proven most effective in practice?
Knowledge becomes truly valuable only when it is shared. In the interview booklet, we do not present theories but real experiences, offering a complete collection of adaptable ideas — and that is what truly inspires.
– said Bertalan Péter Farkas, editor of the handbook From Experience to Insight and managing director of Learnitect Design Ltd.
Podcasts and articles
One of the most innovative elements of the LEARNITECT project’s knowledge-sharing activities was its podcast series. In these episodes, teachers, school leaders, architects, and researchers shared their insights on how school spaces can be transformed, which pedagogical approaches bring about real change, and how digitalisation can effectively support education.
Each podcast was accompanied by a written article summarising the key ideas, ensuring that those who prefer reading can also benefit from the content. Together, the podcasts and articles form an accessible, clear, and reusable knowledge package designed to inspire and support educators, leaders, and decision-makers alike.
In Hungary, one of the project’s authors, Bertalan Péter Farkas, launched the Csomópont (Knowledge Hub) podcast in 2023 — the first Hungarian podcast dedicated to knowledge management. True to its motto, it brings together original people, inspiring ideas, community and corporate stories, carefully crafted thoughts, and a touch of public reflection.
In Portugal, Previform produced three thematic podcast episodes, available on their website, focusing specifically on learning environments and educational contexts.
🎙️ Join us on the Knowledge Hub (Csomópont) podcast channel and discover how architecture can become one of education’s greatest allies. Tune in to Hungary’s first knowledge management podcast and meet experts in learning environments!
About the Knowledge Hub (Csomópont) Podcast
The Csomópont Podcast is Hungary’s first knowledge management podcast — a space dedicated to knowledge and the art of managing it, where original voices, inspiring ideas, captivating community and corporate stories, carefully woven connections, and a touch of public thought come together.
Listen in and follow us — and don’t forget to subscribe on YouTube, Spotify, and Apple Podcasts, and give the podcast’s Facebook page a like!
Architectural studies and models
The highlight of the project was the creation of the final architectural studies, which aimed to demonstrate how classrooms can be transformed into flexible, multifunctional learning spaces; how central areas can be designed to strengthen community life; and how sustainability and digitalisation can be seamlessly integrated into everyday school practices. These studies are not only intended for architects and decision-makers but also for any school that believes well-designed spaces can shape communities and elevate the quality of learning.
The documents introduced several key innovations:
- Exploring trends: showcasing current directions and best practices in contemporary European school architecture.
Innovative models: presenting concrete examples of how traditional classrooms can be redesigned into adaptable, multifunctional spaces. - Rethinking community spaces: offering guidance on how a school can become a true community hub — a meeting point for students, teachers, and parents alike.
- Sustainability: placing strong emphasis on eco-conscious solutions such as the use of natural light, recycled materials, and energy efficiency.
The visualisations of these architectural models help school leaders and teachers envision what a renewed version of their own institution could look like, serving as inspiration and practical guidance at the same time.
The alliance between architecture and pedagogy is a powerful force. I believe that the schools of the future will be spaces where children not only learn but also unfold their personalities and grow stronger as a community.
– said Bertalan Péter Farkas, Managing Director of Learnitect Design Ltd., the organisation responsible for developing the architectural studies.
The LEARNITECT project’s final architectural study points the way toward the classrooms of the future: a guide that not only analyses the current situation but also offers concrete, adaptable models and inspiring solutions for every educational institution.
– highlighted Ádám Tihanyi, architect and author of the architectural studies.
Future-oriented legacy
The LEARNITECT project officially concluded on 31 August 2025, but its results, experiences, and connections will continue to live on well beyond its closing date.
The handbook, the interview booklet, the podcasts, and the architectural studies together form a lasting legacy that any school can draw upon for its own development. The project partners agree that LEARNITECT is not an endpoint but a new beginning — a foundation for future collaborations, additional Erasmus+ initiatives, and joint research efforts.
Project partners
- Magyar Digitális Oktatásért Egyesület (Hungary – co-ordinator)
- IAL Toscana Innovazione Apprendimento Lavoro srl. Impresa Sociale (Italy)
- Previform – Laboratório, Formação, Higiene e Segurança do Trabalho, Lda (Portugal)
- Learnitect Design Kft. (Hungary)
Project duration: 1 September 2023 – 31 August 2025
Grant amount: EUR 60,000
LEARNITECT – Meeting of innovative learning design and inclusive learning spaces (ENG)
Co-funded by the European Union. Views and opinions expressed are however those of the author(s) only and do not necessarily reflect those of the European Union or the European Education and Culture Executive Agency (EACEA). Neither the European Union nor EACEA can be held responsible for them.
GA Nr.: 2023-1-HU01-KA210-SCH-000152699.