WindsorPatania Architects’ futuristic Extended Reality Lab (XR Lab) project has claimed the “Inspiring Learning Space” award at the recent Education Estates® Awards 2024 in Manchester. The prestigious Awards recognise excellence, innovation, and sustainable practices by architects, consultants, contractors, and clients operating in the education space. For WindsorPatania directors Giovanni Patania and Ryan Windsor, the XR Lab project provided an opportunity to envisage a dynamic new way of learning by drawing heavily on the firm’s ethos of innovation, aesthetics and sustainability.
WindsorPatania Architects is an award-winning RIBA Chartered Practice which is celebrated for its dedication to sustainable practices and innovation.
For the 2024 Award, XR Lab was shortlisted alongside Alfreton Park Community Special School, Bloxham Grove Academy, Brett Study Garden, Buckinghamshire New University – High Wycombe Campus, Central Foundation Boys’ School and Confetti X.
An Award-Winning Concept by WindsorPatania
Commissioned by Eastern Colleges Group, the purpose-built XR Lab is housed at West Suffolk College (UK), which offers a range of qualifications across technical and innovative sectors. Eastern Colleges Group is a forward-thinking educational consortium that aims to deliver world-class and inspirational life-long learning journeys for its students. The intention behind the XR Lab is also to leverage the space as a business catalyst and business hub for the surrounding community, and a place in which industry partners can collaborate, learn, and develop. Over the long term, this multi-pronged approach will help the College generate income thereby reinforcing the sustainable investment credentials of the project.
The high-tech, futuristic and pod-like XR Lab comprises an Immersion Lab, a Collaboration Theatre, a Green Room, and a Conference Room. The steel structure incorporates thermal and acoustic insulation, allowing for maximum and unmatched immersion. The XR Lab is equipped with an array of advanced cameras and microphones to facilitate an interconnected and interactive educational experience using the latest in immersive technologies including artificial intelligence-powered Virtual Reality (VR), Augmented Reality (AR), and Mixed Reality. Together, this fusion of the real world and the metaverse, supports a truly next-generation teaching and learning capability, in line with the project brief.
A Transformative Learning Space
For Ryan Windsor, Development Director at WindsorPatania Architects UK and a former governor of West Suffolk College, the XR Lab has the potential to revolutionise teaching in the UK and democratise education.
It will enable [the] world around us by getting the chance to explore innovative industries like engineering.
Ryan Windsor, Development Director at WindsorPatania Architects UK
Research already shows that the use of XR technologies in the classroom increases learning speed and retention, and supports stronger educational outcomes. However, learning in a virtual environment brings with it a number of unique design considerations, including the need for merging high-tech facilities with real-life interaction spaces that foster curiosity, teamwork, and a culture of collaboration.
By blending function and form with a futuristic vision, WindsorPatania was able to create a compelling learning and collaboration space. As Giovanni Patania, Architect Director of WindsorPatania Architects Europe, explains:
We had different sources of inspiration for this project, which combined helped us deliver the wow factor our client wanted. We reimagined the likes of the Tesla factories in the US and the boxy Tesla Cybertruck, and even the minimalistic, monochrome interiors from the Men in Black films.
Giovanni Patania, Architect Director of WindsorPatania Architects Europe
Ultimately, WindsorPatania was inspired to transform an existing workshop hangar within the College’s 7200m2 STEM complex into a light and inviting space for students, with the imposing XR Lab at its heart. The high-spec, polished plaster exterior draws students in, and offers them a portal into the future of learning. The structure’s unique futuristic appearance is further enhanced by a 3D triangular mesh that creates a visual connection with virtual environments, resulting in a captivating design that complements the cutting-edge technology inside.
“The XR Lab is truly an inspired learning space, where ambitious architecture embodies the function of the building,” says Giovanni Patania. “We are very proud to have been part of this exciting and game-changing educational initiative.”
