Towards an Ecological Culture of Educational Space | Verso una cultura ecologica degli spazi per l’apprendimento.

The field of ecology has undergone a progressive transition from a sectoral concern to a foundational condition of contemporary architectural practice. No longer confined to questions of environmental performance or technological efficiency, ecological awareness today it shapes the way spaces are conceived, inhabited, transformed, and maintained over time. In this wider sense, the term ecology refers to a complex system of relationships between humans and non-human actors, between built environment and biodiversity, between spatial structures and social practices, and between short-term needs and long-term responsibility. In this sense, as Tim Ingold argues, the «aim is to replace the stale dichotomy of nature and culture with the dynamic synergy of organism and environment, in order to regain a genuine ecology of life» (2000, p.16). Educational architecture constitute a particularly revealing field of inquiry. It forms a distinctive category within the spectrum of public buildings, as it combines a high degree of spatial permanence with an equally high intensity of everyday use.