The primary research learning experience: documenting life in spatial design

Primary research is an essential aspect of spatial design practices. Its site specific nature however makes it a difficult topic to explore in any meaningful way within the confines of the studio. So when 2nd year students on the BA (Hons) Spatial Design at the London College of Communication were required to learn to document how people inhabit transition spaces, the course team selected an external site, Wimbledon train station, as their learning space. The project brought a rewarding live dimension to studio practice by enabling students to engage directly with people’s experiences within a pedagogically managed research context.