One of Learning Environments Australasia’s (LEA) most exciting initiatives is The Mayfield Project. Every two years we bring together a cohort of emerging professionals from across education and design to explore a big, complex question facing our sector. We like to think of it as part think tank, part leadership program and part research lab and it has become a powerful incubator for new ideas about learning environments.
Every two years we ask our Mayfielders to step back and ask a big, searching question about learning environments, and these are the kinds of questions that definitely don’t have a quick answer, but really matter. The 2025 Mayfield Cohort, have been exploring a question that resonates well beyond Australasia “how can we design schools that evolve with, and for, people who use them”.
Since October 2025, the Mayfielders have spoken with education departments from their home states, designers, architects, and school communities, as well as spending quite a lot of time looking closely at schools using their learning environments. What became clear is, what many of us have sensed for a long time – that we put enormous care into designing and delivering schools – but we don’t always have a strong ongoing way to learn from the lived experience of the people inside them.
Too often we treat schools as finished products, rather than a place that could continue to adapt and grow along with its community……it was out of these insights The Mayfield Loop was born.
What is The Mayfield Loop?
It is a model and suite of resources that have been designed to support continuous participatory evaluation. The idea is simple, but powerful – to make feedback part of everyday school life, and to create an ongoing learning loop between educators, students, designers and architects. It is really about shifting from one off consultation to an ongoing conversation…..a loop.
Who Created The Mayfield Loop?
The original 2025 Mayfield Cohort included a group of 16 professionals from throughout Australasia, and five members have continued to carry this work forward, developing the Mayfield Loop architect/designer and school resources.
- Agatha Partyka, Architect, based in Tasmania Australia
- Alison Giancristofaro-Keswell, Architect, based in Perth Western Australia
- Ella Camporeale, Educator/Teacher/Researcher, based in Adelaide South Australia
- Nicole Kirby, Architect, based in Melbourne Victoria, Australia
- Olivia McKim, Architect, based in Melbourne Victoria, Australia
Download the Mayfield Loop Engagement Resources
The Mayfield Loop is the toolkit all about helping schools dream up, test, and improve their spaces together. We want to make it easy (and fun!) for everyone to share what works, what doesn’t, and what could be even better.
OUR MISSION build a tool that grows with you, shaped by real feedback from students, teachers, and the whole school community.
All files are PDF, click on the image and the PDF will download to your computer (check your downloads folder)
