For teachers
Curriculum subjects: RME/Art and Design
Responsibility of all: Literacy
Curriculum level: Third level
Design a space for reflection
For centuries humankind has sought to answer ultimate questions such as the nature and purpose of life and humankind’s place within the universe. In trying to address these
questions people have often expressed their ideas by marking the landscape with signs, symbols and buildings to show their relationship with the physical world and the divine.
The artist Charles Jencks uses ideas about humankind’s relationship with the physical environment in his landscape work to bring to our notice some of the key ultimate
questions of life.
This design challenge asks learners to design a space for people to think and reflect on life. It is constructed to enable pupils to develop their knowledge of faith and belief
systems throughout the world and the ways in which people have sought to answer key ultimate questions. Learners are then invited to apply their knowledge through the
design challenge. By reflecting upon what they have learnt they will be able to demonstrate their developing opinions, ideas, beliefs and values in an imaginative design context.
Learners may be more quickly engaged if the design brief is presented through a real life context. In this instance, the learner has three contexts to select from: a reflective
space within a hospital, an airport or a school. However there may be other contexts that would allow the learner to stretch their imagination and provide creative solutions.
The brief can be interpreted or refined by learners or, alternatively, groups can prepare briefs or a brief for other groups. The brief should be short and open ended to
encourage space for interpretation and creative responses.
Reflection
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What do religious buildings tell us about the
beliefs of people?
In what ways have people marked the landscape
to demonstrate their beliefs over time?
In what ways have religions sought to answer
questions about humanity’s place in the
universe?
How might people want to use a space for
reflection?
How might a space accommodate the needs of
users with different religious, non-religious and
cultural backgrounds?
Experiences and outcomes
Responsibility of all
Art and design
I can convey information, describe events,
explain processes or concepts, and
combine ideas in different ways. Lit 3-28a
I can use and combine the visual elements and concepts to convey ideas, thoughts
and feelings in expressive and design work. EXA 3-03a
While working through a design process in response to a design brief, I can develop
and communicate imaginative design solutions. EXA -06a
RME
I can explain a range of beliefs which Christians hold about 'ultimate questions' and
participate in debates about these. RME 3-01c
I can explain a range of beliefs which followers of world religions hold about
'ultimate questions' and participate in debates about these. RME 3-04c
www.educationscotland.gov.uk/marksonthelandscape
Themes across learning
Enterprise
Creativity
Wwww
For teachers
The design process
The design process can be complex depending on the specific industry. For the purposes of this resource it has been simplified in the three sections below: Research, Create,
Evaluate. The sub-headings suggest the types of transferable skills and experiences that may be relevant to the design challenge although the lists are not exhaustive. The
sample activities relate to the specific challenge but they should be expanded as part of the collaborative planning process with pupils. The experiences and outcomes provide a
starting point for discussions with learners to identify learning intentions and success criteria.
Research
Create
Evaluate
Define the problem, analyse the brief,
investigate the theme, manage information
Ask questions, generate ideas, use
imagination, identify solutions, develop the
design, solve problems, take risks
Ask questions, revisit the brief, judge value,
modify, communicate, present
Sample activities
Sample activities
Sample activities
Sample activities
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Find out about different sacred spaces
and buildings focussing on how they
reflect beliefs
Investigate different buildings with
specific purposes, eg. Maggie’s Centres
and look at how they promote a sense of
wellbeing.
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Discuss how the context of the building
may affect the design of the room
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Look at motifs or designs that promote
tolerance and respect amongst world
religions.
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Invite representatives to discuss the key
ideas you wish to reflect in your designs.
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Identify further resources you may need
to support your design – you may want to
visit a range of reflective spaces
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Develop success criteria based on what
you think your users might need.
Plan the layout of your room and use
inspiration from your study of faiths and
religions and examples of sacred spaces
from around the world.
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Decide on a context for your design and
experiment with different ideas for a
reflective space.
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Invite a range of respondants to discuss
the design’s strengths and weaknesses.
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Combine and use colours, shapes and
textures that help to express the mood
and ethos of the space
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Create a container for the puzzle and
consider whether it should have a name, a
brand or specially designed packaging.
www.educationscotland.gov.uk/marksonthelandscape
Devise questions to help you decide how effective
your design is, for example:
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Does it fulfil your success criteria and
meet the spiritual, religious and nonreligious needs of the users?
Have you chosen suitable materials,
colours and other sensory elements to
express the desired moods and
atmosphere?
Is your design imaginative?
Is it well presented?
Could it be improved in any way?
Wwww
For pupils
The Design Brief
Design a space where people may be inspired to reflect upon the ultimate
questions of life. This space could be sited in either:
1) A hospital
Resources
Japanese Zen Gardens
Japanese Article about Zen Gardens
2) A school
3) An outdoor area
4) An airport
You have been entered into a national competition to design a reflective space.
The space should create an atmosphere where people are inspiration to think
about the ultimate questions of life. The space will allow individuals to reflect and
have a moment of silence in what is otherwise a hectic, and often noisy, world.
You should consider when and why people may enter and use these spaces.
You should work as part of a team to think about how the design and decoration
of a space can invoke a sense of awe and wonder. You may want to consider
ways to impact on all of the human senses, for example, how the place sounds as
well as how it looks.
The process of researching and designing mirrors the way in which Charles Jencks
developed his landform, Fife Earth.
You may find it helpful to use a “design process” template to develop your ideas.
Nazca Lines
Wikipedia Article about the Nazca Lines
Religious Buildings
An article looking at different types of religious buildings
Reflective Spaces
A look at silent spaces in Scotland
Marks on the Landscape – Land features over time
Throughout history and across the world people have made marks or placed
permanent physical features in nature and on the landscape for a variety of
different reasons. Find out more.
Landforming projects - Maggie’s Centres
Information about the creation of the Maggie’s Centre
Capturing ideas
Wwww
Links to videos about Charles Jencks talking about where his ideas
come from
www.educationscotland.gov.uk/marksonthelandscape