Not only educational districts but also core communities. A guidance to sustainable re-design of school buildings and spaces

The chapter investigates on how to make existing educational built environment of poor design and of old-fashioned institutional look work better and become a base for a strong community. Good educational areas are a recognised priority for all local communities, especially for those of deprived outskirts. If existing schools buildings need to take under consideration future development in education and technology, school contexts need to be aware of how the physical environment influences human behaviour and how good educational centres can be affecting the community as a whole. This paper introduces an experimental collaboration, undertaken by the joint Courses of “Urban Design” and “Recovery and Conservation of Old Buildings” of the Faculty of Engineering, University of Florence, which was proposed by the Public Building Department of the Lucca City Council. This project is undertaken in the framework of the reviewed City General Plan (PRG), based on an overall vision of sustainability in school areas and supported by the local representative educational organisation.