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Design trends in educational spaces: sustainability and functionality

Design trends in educational spaces: sustainability and functionality

APRIL 2025 | 4 minutes

In the world of education, design matters. The physical environments where teaching and learning take place are undergoing a profound transformation: they are no longer just spaces, but tools that influence well-being, motivation and the educational experience.

Life Friendly Spaces is the way Actiu conceives spaces in order to make them more human, flexible and sustainable. Applied to education, this translates into creating spaces that stimulate creativity, promote collaboration, reduce stress and foster ecological awareness. An approach that responds to the real needs of 21st century teachers, students and educational communities. As we did with the new office space trends for 2025, in this article you can discover some of the new trends that 2025 brings in educational spaces.

Here are some of the new trends for educational spaces in 2025!

Universidad Europea de Valencia, España

Flexibility and adaptation: the classroom as a changing ecosystem

Classrooms are no longer static spaces. Today, versatility is the key. The most innovative educational centres adopt modular, movable and easily reconfigurable furniture, which allows the space to be transformed according to the pedagogical dynamics.

  • Group activities, debates, individual work or exhibitions require different configurations.
  • The furniture must facilitate these changes without effort or loss of time.
  • Actiu solutions such as stackable tables, lightweight chairs and Qyos acoustic booths allow the classroom to be redesigned according to the moment.
  • Spatial flexibility favours inclusion, allowing each student to find their place.
IES Cotes Baixes, España

Technology that humanises learning

Today's education is moving between face-to-face and digital. The design of the space must accompany this evolution without creating technological barriers.

  • The aim is not to fill the classroom with screens, but to integrate technology in a fluid and functional way.
  • Accessible power sockets, seamless WiFi connectivity, intuitive audiovisual solutions and furniture that facilitates the use of devices.

Digitising the classroom not only improves access to resources, but also allows for personalised learning.

Well-being as an educational pillar: neuroeducation and emotional comfort

A physical environment can enhance or limit the ability to learn. Neuroeducation confirms this: light, colour, acoustics, order and furniture influence cognitive and emotional development.

  • Classrooms with natural light, adequate ventilation, soft colours and warm materials promote calm and concentration.
  • Acoustic comfort is essential in open spaces or spaces with a high density of students.
  • Incorporating relaxation or decompression zones within the school improves emotional management and reduces stress.
Secondary and Baccalaureate Secondary School Encuentro

Sustainability as a pedagogical and environmental value

The educational space also teaches. And every design choice conveys a message about the world we want to build.

  • Using recycled and recyclable materials, certified wood, organic textiles and non-toxic finishes educates in sustainability through practice.
  • Passive architecture, the use of natural light or the integration of vegetation connect students with nature.
  • Furniture, such as Globb chairs, becomes an educational tool when it responds to circular economy criteria.

Spaces that encourage collaboration and informal meetings

Learning also takes place outside the classroom. Well-designed common areas invite spontaneous conversation, cooperation and shared creation.

  • Spaces between classrooms, wide corridors, staircases turned into bleachers, active playgrounds? Everything can be an extension of the classroom.
  • The furniture must be accessible, comfortable and adapted to different types of interactions.
  • Products such as Meetia or Globb transform a simple room into a meeting point full of possibilities.

Such spaces reinforce a sense of community and promote essential skills such as empathy, listening and teamwork.

Participatory design: spaces co-created by the educational community

A centre designed without its users rarely responds to their real needs. Involving teachers and students in the design of their environments encourages engagement and ownership of the space.

  • Consultations, creative workshops or co-design dynamics allow the design to be adapted to the real methodologies of the centre.
  • Participation generates more caring environments, used responsibly and aligned with the values of those who inhabit them.

At Actiu we believe in designing with people, not just for them. This is a key principle of the Life Friendly Spaces approach.

Redefining the classroom: learning happens all over the centre

The 21st century school breaks with the limits of the classroom. The whole building - and its surroundings - can be a learning environment.

  • Classrooms open to the outside, outdoor areas, laboratories, libraries, canteens, workshops and play spaces are equally educational.
  • The design should encourage curiosity, movement and interdisciplinarity.

Transforming the school into a pedagogical ecosystem means designing every corner with intention and purpose, allowing learning to flow unrestricted.

Frankfurt School, Germany

Designing educational spaces today is about much more than choosing furniture or arranging classrooms. It is about creating living, inclusive, sustainable and emotionally healthy environments. At Actiu, we make this a reality through solutions such as Qyos, Meetia and Globb, designed to evolve with education and generate positive impact.

Would you like to redesign your school with a more humane, flexible and responsible approach?

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Case studies

Real cases of innovation in new learning spaces

Some examples of classroom furniture for universities, institutes, business schools and training rooms, with the Actiu seal of quality, design and ergonomics.