Designing for health in school buildings: between research and practice.
OBJECTIVE
To investigate the kinds of knowledge practitioners use when planning and designing for health in school buildings.


METHODS
Twelve semi-structured qualitative interviews were conducted with architects, teachers and officials to investigate use of knowledge in the making of school buildings.


RESULTS
Practitioners drew on many kinds and sources of knowledge, but in particular they made use of concepts, examples or pictures or thought-provoking knowledge. However, the interviews indicate a number of hurdles for efficient knowledge sharing between research and practice: (1) a considerable discrepancy between kinds of knowledge used by practice and knowledge traditionally produced by research; (2) research-knowledge and practice-knowledge form two circuits and the flow from one circuit to the other is weak; (3) practitioners' knowledge was often based on experience and therefore person-dependent. It makes the knowledge vulnerable.


CONCLUSIONS
Special attention has to be paid by research to concepts and principles to guide the decision-making in practice. Further is recommended to consider new kinds of collaboration between researchers and practitioners.
Danish Building Research Institute, Aalborg University, Copenhagen, Denmark imk@sbi.aau.dk.
Inge Mette
IM
Kirkeby
Steno Diabetes Centre A/S, Gentofte.
Bjarne Bruun
BB
Jensen
Department of Learning and Philosophy, Aalborg University, Copenhagen, Denmark.
Kristian
K
Larsen
The Royal Danish Academy of Fine Arts, Schools of Architecture, Design and Conservation, Copenhagen, Denmark.
René
R
Kural
D003299:Cooperative Behavior; D003718:Denmark; D055317:Evidence-Based Practice; D005160:Facility Design and Construction; D006293:Health Promotion; D006801:Humans; D019359:Knowledge; D036301:Qualitative Research; D012106:Research; D012574:Schools
Knowledge management; research-based knowledge; school buildings; school mental health