School as a Service (SAAS) wins its 7th award

School as a Service has received its 7th award, and 2nd international award since its creation in 2015. The Human City Design Award by the Seoul Design Foundation, has selected School as a Service as a winner.

The idea of School as a Service (SaaS) was developed by Antti Ahlava, Jarmo Suominen, Fernando Nieto, Natalia Vladykina, Saana Rossi, and Mia Hertsberg, from the idea based on Service-Dominant Logic, where students are seen as active participants of the learning processes, and goods (as buildings) have instrumental value to support learning. SaaS solution is based on digital technologies, new methodologies for learning and services designed to support network of resources rather than independent buildings. SaaS focused on developing and designing new ways of learning, increases the joy of learning, strengthens communality and opens the school doors to doing things together and networking. It also makes for more efficient use of space when the facilities are flexible and the rest of the environment is utilised in teaching.

Prizes awarded to School as a Service:

2016 _ Mayors Award for Innovation

2016 _ National Award for Innovation

2016 _ Espoo Medal for Innovation

2017 _ International Innovation Award

2017 _ Best Learning Community, Espoo (Haukilahti School & Aalto University)

2018 _ Espoo Medal for Innovation

2019 _ Human City Design Award, Seoul Design Foundation

“The School as a Service pilot project is a concrete example of thinking in a different way and boldly trying a new approach. The project tackles many challenges relating to the physical organization of teaching, pedagogical operating model and user-oriented development in a fresh manner. It has multidimensional effects. The results can be seen from the viewpoints of social, ecological and economic sustainability alike.” –mentioned on Espoo Medal for Innovation 2016.

“The School as a Service demonstration project challenges the concept of a conventional learning environment and points the way for new kinds of learning conditions, pedagogy, and school operating culture. The operating model has already received plenty of positive feedback and aroused international interest,” says Sampo Suihko, Director of Espoo Education and Cultural Services.