By Lindsey Coulter

SCOTTSDALE, Ariz. and GAITHERSBURG, Md. — The Association for Learning Environments (A4LE), headquartered in Scottsdale, and the Education Market Association (EDmarket), based in Gaithersburg, are joining forces, forming one entity that will “create a powerful new association dedicated to reimagining where and how students learn” according to a joint statement. By uniting their expertise, A4LE and EDmarket hope to “accelerate innovation and expand opportunities to design learning spaces that inspire, engage and empower every student.”

The organizations together serve a global network of planners, designers, educators, industry experts, manufacturers, dealers, and suppliers working to create high-quality, sustainable and innovative learning environments. This merger will create a single, global community committed to designing dynamic, sustainable, and student-centered learning environments that prepare the next generation for success.

“Together, we have the power to reimagine learning environments worldwide, strengthening our voice, expanding impact, and enriching the knowledge that shapes spaces where students learn,” said Darlene Akers, EDmarket Chair, in a statement. “By uniting our leaders, members, and staff, we can inspire greater success for every student.”

Following joint analysis, strategic alignment, and financial review, the boards of both organizations unanimously agreed that combining strengths will create a stronger voice for the industry and deliver greater value for members worldwide. While both organizations report strong financial health, joining forces will allow both entities to maintain stability and create new opportunities to reinvest in the programs, events and professional development.

“By uniting A4LE and EDmarket, we amplify a shared mission to create exceptional learning environments for every student-strengthening our voice, combining our resources, and expanding our impact so that educational spaces everywhere truly inspire learning and success,” added Ryan Bultena, A4LE Chair.

The merger will further allow the organizations to:

• Expand opportunities for global connections and learning.
• Lead the way in learning-environment design.
• Provide more value through integrated events, credentials, and professional growth.
• Bring together the voices of both professionals and industry partners to strengthen our impact on the K–12 community.

The two organizations will continue to operate independently through 2026, during which time membership, services and events will remain unchanged. The organizations’ upcoming flagship events — LearningSCAPES, held in Phoenix Oct. 29-Nov. 1, and EDspaces, held in Columbus, Ohio, Nov. 5-7 — will continue as planned for 2025 and 2026. Additionally, both ALEP® and ECLPS credentials remain valid and will continue to be supported, with opportunities for broader recognition and career growth.

Legal consolidation will begin Jan. 30, 2026, and integration and planning related to staff, services and governance will continue throughout the year. Full integration and a permanent governance structure are expected to be established by early 2027. This will include a unified mission, vision, and values dedicated to serving the needs of all stakeholders, advancing high-performing, sustainable and innovative learning environments everywhere.

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Thursday’s Plenary session was given by Speaker Jaime Casap, a communication skills educator at the Phoenix Coding Academy in Arizona who spoke on the importance of computer science education. “I don’t want to start with the fact that education is broken, but ask what is the right education we need for the future that we face?” he asked the EDspaces audience. “Our job in education is to prepare kids for the future, but we also have to realize that the future is already here. A lot of that has to do with technology and computer science.”

He continued by addressing the fact that cloud computing is impacting everything we do and stated that all work will soon be automated to some degree. Because technology is able to support and enable what we do, students now more than ever need to be given the opportunity to solve problems instead of being asked to simply memorize information out of a text book.

“There is a need for a cultural shift that involves converting information into intelligence,” Casap said. “We need to be asking ourselves, ‘How do we convert that information that [students] memorize into intelligence?’”

Casap alluded to the fact that there should be fewer discussions about what the future classroom will look like because the classroom is undergoing constant iteration, changing to accommodate each new technology or learning concept. For instance, one innovative concept from the Phoenix Coding Academy is that its curriculum uses computer science in every class or subject it teaches.

Casap’s session seemed to go hand-in-hand with almost every talk at the conference. Another poignant one included a session given by Tomas Jimenez-Eliaeson, design director of learning environments for international architecture firm LITTLE. Jimenez-Eliason spoke about the idea of a transdisciplinary approach to teaching and learning. “Kids are now creating their own majors and crafting their own experiences because they’re seeing problems that are not being solved by just one discipline; multiple disciplines are required,” he said.

He pointed to teaching approaches in Finland where entire curriculums are doing away with individual subjects such as physics and math, and instead teaching by topic, which could apply to several subjects at once.

Craig Park, principal for The Sextant Group, also spoke on technology and how architects can design for big data. He pointed to several projects that incorporated large-scale technologies such as the Visualization Lab used for data analytics, located at North Carolina State’s James B. Hunt Jr. Library. Multi-touch visualization and group wireless sharing were other technologies trending in the data world.

Needless to say, the idea of ever-changing technologies and designing spaces to be flexible enough to constantly shift with those changes were top of mind at the conference. Jimenez-Eliaeson referenced a favorite quote from Futurist Alvin Toffler: “The illiterate of the 21^st century will not be those who cannot read and write, but those who cannot learn, unlearn and relearn.”

As adaptation will be key in these next generations of school design, what are you doing to adapt your education spaces?

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In 2013, the school welcomed roughly 8,500 students to its original 155-acre Phoenix campus. In an effort to attract even more students, and accommodate them, the Significant Federation-owned university has embarked on multiple large-scale building projects in recent years. In 2011, the school added a 5,000-seat arena to its original Camelback Road campus. The same year crews also broke ground on the new College of Arts and Sciences classroom building. In Feb. 2013, GCU officials also announced that a four-story, 58,000-square-foot addition to the existing Student Union would follow, expanding dining and other services for the growing student population.

Just three months later, the school kicked off a slew of summer construction projects, while projecting a 30 percent increase in enrollment for the coming term. In addition to the two new five-story residence halls already well underway, the school also announced the construction of a new 33,700-square-foot classroom building, as well as plans to relocate the school’s library to the newly expanded Student Center.

However, the school’s biggest announcement came in late July as officials unveiled plans for a second Grand Canyon University campus in Mesa. The university selected the DMB-developed Eastmark community for its new 100-acre campus, with the option to expand by roughly 60 acres in the future. In a release, GCU President and CEO Brian Mueller said, “In selecting the Eastmark site, we were especially impressed with the integrated community concept DMB is creating. This environment will give our students, faculty and staff an exciting place to learn, work and play while being an integral part of the East Valley community.”

The school is currently anticipating a seven-year build out that will include new office buildings, administrative spaces, classrooms, labs, a library, student union, dormitories and recreational spaces. Construction of this new Mesa campus is expected to begin in 2014, with the first classrooms opening in fall 2015. According to Mueller, the school is also in talks to develop satellite campuses in Tucson, Las Vegas and Albuquerque after the Mesa campus is established.

To create space for it’s myriad construction projects, the school is seeking to acquire much of the real estate surrounding its Phoenix campus along Camelback Road. Though the school is reportedly offering above-market compensation in an area that had difficulty recovering from the economic downturn, some community members remain weary of the school’s rapid expansion. Plans to build in public parkland, as well as potential traffic increases and property value decreases, keep many on the fence. In response, Mueller insists that the university is determined to be a good neighbor and maintain positive relations with the surrounding community.

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