The Improved Design Aspects of Learning Space from Students’ and Designers’ Perspectives in China

Learning space design has become an increasingly important consideration in educational buildings; however, existing studies have predominantly focused on the perceptions and comfort of students, teachers, and administrators, while limited attention has been given to the roles and professional perspectives of interior designers and architects, who are directly responsible for translating government design standards into built classroom environments. Hence, this study investigates the students’ dissatisfaction with current learning space and interior design strategies for primary school classrooms in China from the perspective of professional interior designers. Card sorting techniques and group interviews were conducted with 72 students. Semi-structured interviews were conducted with seventeen experienced designers involved in school design and renovation projects, and the data were analysed using thematic analysis supported by NVivo 14 plus software. The findings identify that four key design dimensions influence the designers’ decision-making. These include improved indoor environmental quality (IIEQ), flexible spatial design (FSD), appropriate decoration (AD), and institutional support (IS), which all influence the environmental performance and functional adaptability of classroom. This study developed the affordance theory and the SIN model to improve the current learning space. These dimensions highlight the role of interior design strategies in addressing issues related to thermal comfort, daylight control, ventilation, spatial flexibility, visual comfort, and implementation conditions within school buildings. The study proposes a set of design recommendations and practical interior strategies for primary school classrooms.