arki_lab worked with the 7th graders from Blågård School to improve a classroom, better responding to their everyday needs. By using creative engagement tools, we worked with the challenges and potentials of their classroom. The goal was to develop solutions for a space that caters to learning and hanging out.

Through collages, taping the floor and collaborative brainstorms the students discovered the potentials of the space, meanwhile imagining potential solutions. Many students proposed putting colour on the white walls to improve the atmosphere of the classroom. Another critical notion that came from the discussions was that the classroom didn't reflect their identities or themselves. These two concepts served as the foundation for the installations. Each student got a piece of wood to paint a portrait of themselves - choosing from 4 colours, which were inspired by the flag colors of the students' nationalities. To activate the portraits in everyday learning situations, we painted the back black, so each students could use it as an individual blackboard.