the world is are too... and changing schools
What does this mean?
Change is constant. We help schools navigate it with vision, collaboration, and design that endures.
EdEN PARK ElEMENtARY
o ur pur
DESIGNING SCHOOLS WHERE LEARNERS THRIVE
As a global leader in educational planning and design, Fielding International works alongside communities to create schools that inspire and resonate—places where agency, belonging, and purpose foster lifelong skills.
human-Centered Design
We create environments that give students choice, ownership, and voice—supporting independence, curiosity, and collaboration.
Whole-School Well-Being
We design schools as living and working ecosystems that cultivate belonging, balance, and joy for every learner and educator.
Future-Ready
Through design thinking and research-based practice, we create learning environments that support authentic, skills-based, globally relevant learning—preparing students and educators to thrive in a rapidly changing world.
Partner
We design with schools and communities, co-creating solutions that reflect local aspirations, advance equity and social impact, and draw on global best practices.
o ur story
FROM VISION TO GLOBAL IMPACT
Our story began with a vision to transform school design worldwide by reimagining how schools support all learners. What started as Fielding Nair International has grown into Fielding International, a collaborative practice of architects, planners, designers, and educators—and the first school design firm to become a Certified B Corporation™. Since 2003, we have partnered with schools and communities in over 50 countries on six continents, creating environments that promote student agency, nurture social and emotional well-being, and inspire authentic, future-ready learning.
Uniting Space, StRategy, anD learning
As education has evolved, so has our work. Today, Fielding International brings together architects, educators, and planners who design with the entire school experience in mind. By uniting space, strategy, and learning, we create environments that support students, empower teachers, and equip leaders, helping schools thrive as ecosystems at the heart of their communities.
Co-Creating with Communities
At the foundation of our practice is partnership. We work hand-in-hand with school leaders, communities, and local architects to understand aspirations and co-create solutions that uplift both learners and educators. For us, design goes beyond buildings, it’s about shaping educational landscapes that spark curiosity, strengthen connection, and empower schools to evolve alongside their communities..
Cranston, RI, USA
o ur AP p R oach
Every school has the potential to be a future-ready learning ecosystem. Our approach blends research, design thinking, and co-creation to tackle today’s most pressing challenges while empowering learners to thrive in a changing world.
Design Patterns: a toolkit for innovation
Design Patterns are central to how we approach school design. Shared through our open-source library, SchoolPatterns.com, simple sketches and annotations distill complex ideas into clear strategies for how learning spaces work.
Design Patterns are not “templates,” but tools for exploration and co-creation, helping schools and communities see possibilities, make connections, and jumpstart innovation. Since publishing The Language of School Design in 2005, we have continued to expand and evolve our library, which now includes more than 70 Patterns shaping successful educational environments worldwide.
Well-Being + human-Centered Design
Learning can only flourish when students and educators feel safe, valued, and connected. That’s why we design for whole-school well-being—embedding joy, balance, and belonging into the daily life of schools so that thriving learners become the measure of success.
learning in Community
We help schools shift from traditional single-teacher classrooms to collaborative learning communities led by educator teams. These communities empower student agency, foster relationships, and transform schools into places of shared ownership and collective growth.
global PerSpectives, local inSightS
Drawing on projects around the world, we bring a global perspective to every design. Yet every solution is rooted in local culture, values, and aspirations, ensuring outcomes that are globally informed and authentically local.
Future-Ready Skills, Future-Ready SchoolS
Our environments are designed to support the skills learners need most—collaboration, creativity, adaptability, and critical thinking. By aligning space and practice, we prepare students not only for the world today, but for the world they will shape.
gARdEN cITY school
hoRAcE grEelEy hIgh school
ss
We work to align ecosystem:
vision — what it hopes to achieve educational program — how it supports that vision
social and physical environment how learning happens
lignment matterS
Aligned design drives student outcomes, supports teacher effectiveness, advances equity and well-being, and protects budgets by ensuring every square foot serves your vision. We translate vision into clear decisions about space, schedule, supervision, safety, and technology—so buildings work for learning every day.
Context-Driven Design
School is more than a building, it’s an ecosystem. We start by understanding the whole—vision, pedagogy, schedule, culture, and community—and co-design with students, educators, families, and leaders. We translate goals like learner agency, belonging, and real-world learning into daily experiences and the spaces, tools, and routines that enable them, delivering solutions that energize teaching and learning, streamline operations, and turn vision into daily
interDisCiplinary by design
Our team blends educators with architects, planners, and designers because complex challenges demand multiple lenses, creating environments where people and learning flourish, and where investments make a visible, measurable difference.
lEaRnING EcosYstEM
What we do
DESIGNING FOR EVERY LEARNER
tranSforming Vision Connected CamPuses
We turn long-range educational goals into sustainable, actionable roadmaps that connect learning, community, and the environment. By aligning vision with space and strategy, we help schools imagine what’s possible and create step-by-step pathways to get there. Our Connected Campus approach ensures every part of a school community—learning, athletics, dining, wellness, and gathering, works together as a cohesive ecosystem for teaching and learning.
Reimagining School thRoUgh CommunityCentered Design
We believe schools are vital community anchors. By engaging families, educators, and local leaders in inclusive design processes, we create spaces that reflect the culture and values of the community they serve while addressing systemic disparities and future needs.
singApore American school
Community Gallery Walk
hopkins Public schools
Spaces that Spark early Curiosity + growth
Early childhood experiences set the stage for lifelong learning. Our early learning environments blend play, imagination, and exploration with developmentally-responsive design—spaces where children build confidence, curiosity, and joy from their very first steps in school.
Early Childhood Center
col·leGi MonTserRat
Early Learning Center
YcIs RoNGhUa
shorecResT Preparatory school
Barcelona, Spain
What we do
DESIGNING FOR EVERY LEARNER
Creating Pathways for Student agenCy
Student agency thrives when learners have choice, voice, and ownership in how and where they learn. We design flexible, adaptable spaces that encourage collaboration, independence, and authentic learning experiences, empowering students to be active leaders and thought partners in their education.
gARdEN cITY school
MaGNificat hiGh school
seVen bRidges middle school
BlAcK RocK MIddlE school
opportunities that help students practice these essential skills every day, preparing them not just for tests, but for life.
inClusive Design for DiverSe learnerS
Every learner deserves an environment that values and supports them. Our inclusive designs celebrate cultural and linguistic diversity, provide equitable access for all abilities, and ensure every student can learn in ways that affirm their identity.
Washington, DC, USA
souTh clEaRFIeld ElEMENtARY
horace GReEleY hiGh school
What we do
DESIGNING FOR EVERY LEARNER
Resilient SchoolS for equity an
Resilient schools don’t just withstand challenges, they help communities thrive in the face of them. We design schools that promote equity, provide safe and welcoming spaces for all, and foster a true sense of belonging where every learner is supported.
Joyful learning ecosystemS
Schools should be places where curiosity and joy fuel growth. By designing ecosystems that connect classrooms, commons, outdoor spaces, and communities, we create environments where learning feels meaningful, playful, and full of possibility.
soUth cleArfield elemenTary
sinarMas World Academy
sun PraIriE WesT hiGh school
sT. mar
Well-being is central to learning. Our designs embed opportunities for balance, joy, and mental health into the daily life of schools, creating spaces that care for both students and educators.
norMa rose poInT school
garden city school
Chongqing, China
What we do
DESIGNING FOR EVERY LEARNER
Small-Scale PathfinDerS, Big imPact
Change doesn’t have to start big. Our Pathfinder projects are small-scale prototypes that allow schools to test innovative spatial ideas, build confidence, and gather real data, creating the evidence and momentum for broader transformation.
Eden Park ElemenTary
for a Changing World
With projects in over 50 countries, we’ve learned that every school community is unique. Our designs combine global best practices with local culture and context, creating environments that prepare learners to thrive in an interconnected world.
TEXAs TEch costA RIcA
Ballarat + QuEen’s Anglican gramMar
Singapore
emPowering EdUcAToRs
SUPPORT FOR THOSE WHO TEACH AND INSPIRE
Fielding International partners with educators to help them thrive in flexible, student-centered environments. Through hands-on coaching, professional learning, and co-creation, we equip teachers with the tools, confidence, and strategies to make new spaces—and new models of learning—work beautifully in practice.
Co-teaching, Reimagined
Collaboration lies at the heart of thriving learning communities. We help educators shape co-teaching models and shared spaces that support real-time collaboration among teachers, specialists, and support staff.
Through guided coaching, practical resources, and professional learning, we help educators use space as a catalyst for collaboration and well-being. Our work helps schools design environments that nurture professional growth and provide places for teachers to plan, reflect, and recharge—cultivating a connected community.
Educator workspaces are among the most meaningful opportunities in school design. When teachers have shared spaces of their own, they’re better equipped to model collaboration for students and sustain their well-being. These spaces become the heartbeat of a learning community, where ideas are exchanged and innovation takes root.
Kingston, ON, Canada
integrating movement, technology, and adaptable tools to support dynamic, studentcentered learning. Through workshops and coaching, we help teachers harness space as a tool that fosters curiosity, collaboration, and agency every day.
learning by Doing
Professional learning is most transformative when it’s lived. Through immersive experiences like Fielding International’s FLEx (Flexible Learning Environments) Bootcamp for Educators, we invite teachers to step into the role of student, exploring learner-centered design first-hand.
Built by educators, for educators, our hands-on programs help teaching teams gain confidence using flexible learning environments, strengthen collaboration and co-teaching practices, develop strategies to enhance student agency and engagement, and walk away with practical tools to apply immediately.
FLEx Bootcamp isn’t a typical PD workshop, it’s an energizing, multi-day experience that empowers educators to reimagine how learning happens, together.
gARdEN cITY school
FlEx BootcamP For Educators
o ur s er V ices
Whatever challenges you face, we begin by listening— understanding your school community, its culture, and its vision— so we can co-create solutions that bring your goals to life.
StRategic Planning for educational tranSformation
We partner with school leaders to set clear, measureable, future-focused goals, creating dynamic visions and actionable roadmaps that adapt to change and drive meaningful transformation.
Visioning, Prog + Planning
Guided by our robust Discovery Process, we turn your aspirations into a living vision that shapes strategy, identifies priorities, and aligns teaching, learning, and space.
Facilities master Planning
We develop flexible master plans— balancing budget, sequence, and adaptability so facilities remain purposeful as needs evolve. We call them “Roadmaps,” because schools, like learners, need the ability to pivot, adapt, and take new paths as opportunities arise.
community context, always with a focus on creating environments that reflect local aspirations and global best practices.
l ea r ner’s Rep R esentative
learning Design + educational ConSulting
Our interdisciplinary team of educators and designers works with schools to align spaces, strategy, and learning. We support both vision alignment— defining what your space could be— and implementation, activating flexible learning environments that help bring that vision to life.
Guiding the work of other consultants, we serve as an advocate for learners (students and adults), ensuring their needs remain central throughout planning and design and guide with a human-centered lens
Dar es Salaam, Tanzania InTerNational school oF TanganyIKa
hopkins public schools pathfinders
o ur im Pac T
TRANSFORMING LEARNING ENVIRONMENTS
20+ YeA rs
Reimagining schools and learning environments since 2003
50+ c o U n T ri E s
Projects completed across 6 continents
300+ s chools
Public, private, independent, and international
70+ d esi GN Pat T er N s
Shared globally through SchoolPatterns.com
The g lobal l eA r N ing c om M ons
The Global Learning Commons (GLC) is a free network connecting schools and educators worldwide to exchange ideas, practices, and innovations. By linking diverse communities—urban and rural, public and private, local and international—the GLC demonstrates how learning environments can serve as living laboratories for change. Members engage through virtual events, peer connections, workshops, and school tours, gaining access to thought leaders, tools, and real-world examples.
Learn more and join at GlobalLearningCommons.com lEaRn MoRE and JoIn AT gloBAllEaRnINGcoMmoNs.coM
TEachER PANEl AT BlAcK RocK MIddlE school
LEADERSHIP AND FOCUS
the americas
Spanning North and South America, this practice connects deeply with public and independent schools across the hemisphere, aligning vision with design in ways that reflect each community’s aspirations.
James Seaman, PhD, AIA, ALEP Managing Principal james@fieldingintl.com
Community Design
Seeing schools as community anchors, this practice focuses on equity and inclusion, helping schools become vibrant gathering places that serve learners, families, and neighborhoods together.
Jessica Sticklor-Lipson, AIA, LEED AP BD+C, Fitwel Design Principal jessica@fieldingintl.com
learning Design
Working with educators and leaders, this practice aligns vision, pedagogy, and environment, ensuring that new spaces inspire new ways of teaching and learning
Michael Posthumus, M.Ed, Learning Design Principal mike.posthumus@fieldingintl.com
international SchoolS
Partnering with independent schools around the world, this practice supports mission-aligned learning communities and helps schools navigate the opportunities and challenges of a global context.
Isaac Williams, LEED AP Managing Principal isaac@fieldingintl.com
garden city school
Cabo San Lucas, B.C.S., Mexico
