What Does “Radically Student Centered” Design Mean?

What does “radically student centered” design mean for PK-12 education spaces?

Two of FGMA’s interior designers, Samantha Blum, NCIDQ, LEED AP and Celeste Karier, IIDA, ALEP, answered this question in conversation with Better Learning Podcast host Matt Rogers.

Recorded live at EdSpaces 2025, Samantha explained how engaging teachers through user meetings, designing flexible classrooms and planning for evolving curriculum and technology can empower student agency, collaboration and well-being. Drawing on lessons from healthcare design, she highlights how the built environment becomes an active teaching tool — not just a backdrop — for real-world learning.

Listen to Samantha on the Podcast

Celeste took the question in a different direction: Celeste explains how student surveys, peer-district tours and full-scale classroom mockups help administrators make informed decisions about furniture, space planning and instructional alignment before committing to long-term investments. She also discusses how emerging factors like social-emotional learning and AI are shaping future-ready school environments, underscoring the importance of flexible spaces that support both students and the adults who serve them.

Listen to Celeste on the Podcast