Where kids design their own school

Children spend most of their day at school, but their views are rarely included in the school's design. Especially in Montessori schools, where the learning environment plays a key role, it is important that students can actively participate in the design process. 

The non-profit association Montessori Neumarkt + Postbauer-Heng e.V., which wants to build a Montessori school in the Bavarian town Neumarkt, approached students at the HPI d-school with an exciting challenge: “Redesign an existing building to create a school for children in grades 5 to 10 that provides an inclusive learning environment and is based on Montessori principles.” Just like in other design thinking processes, it was very important to incorporate the perspectives of users - in this case, school children.

Montessori Neumarkt + Postbauer-Heng e.V. is planning to open a Montessori secondary school (grades 5–10) in a former residential building near Neumarkt station. This process is both an opportunity and a challenge: many decisions need to be made, a shared vision must be developed – and the school is scheduled to open by the 2026/2027 school year at the latest. It is particularly important that the building is redesigned according to the principles of Montessori education. However, a shared understanding of space and learning environment among students, parents, teachers, and architects has been missing so far.

The design thinking team at HPI d-school didn't just want to develop spatial concepts – they wanted to create a process that puts the pupils at the centre and makes their ideas visible. They therefore made a conscious decision not to draw up specific spatial designs and instead set about developing a creative participation format that would empower the pupils to become co-designers themselves.

In interviews, the student team from the HPI d-school discovered that children are mostly not involved in school's design processes, and also gained in-depth insights into the principles of Montessori education. Based on the valuable insights the students gathered in conversations with children, parents and educators, a prototype for the so-called ‘MonteLab’  was created. In this interactive design lab, children are given creative opportunities to help design their own school. The concept was developed in several iterative steps and has already been tested with children in Neumarkt. 

The team developed a LEGO® station where children could build their ideal school themselves and playfully discover how interior design influences learning. With the help of a mood board, the children were able to explore their preferences for colours, materials and the atmosphere of the learning spaces. It became clear that pupils want more flexible learning spaces and less rigid classrooms. Furthermore, the student team was impressed to see how creatively and thoughtfully the pupils expressed their wishes.

In addition, the team used augmented reality to develop a design for a central common area connecting the two school buildings. This immersive experience was aimed at parents, who were able to gain new perspectives on the redesign of the building in Neumarkt.

MonteLab generated a lot of valuable input by the children for the school design in Neumarkt: the LEGO® and mood board stations led to specific recommendations for the classrooms – larger learning spaces, more flexible furniture, creative retreats and pleasant colours. Plus, the idea for the community centre is being developed further – it is now set to be created as a central meeting place between the school buildings.

And the best part? The design process has not only brought about new ideas for the design of the building, but has changed the mindset of those involved: pupils feel taken seriously, adults understand Montessori principles better and have received concrete input for the interior design.

Although the prototype was designed specifically for Montessori Neumarkt + Postbauer-Heng e.V., it can also be used for (interior) design processes at other schools. In keeping with the spirit of design thinking, the students found out that the best learning environment is one that is designed by the people who spend their time there. The MonteLab prototype shows that children know exactly what they need – they just need to be given the right tools to express their ideas.