Designer Advocates Flexible Learning Spaces for Children

Mary Featherston, an 83-year-old designer, says traditional classrooms with desks and chairs act as straitjackets for children. She argues that schools should create flexible spaces allowing movement, exploration, and student-led learning instead of fixed seating arrangements.

Featherston and her late husband Grant designed radical mid-century furniture that placed Melbourne on the global design map. Their chairs remain highly sought after today. She has spent decades working with educators and architects to improve children's learning environments.

Featherston grew up in England and moved to Melbourne in 1953. After studying interior design at RMIT, she met Grant and they collaborated on furniture, objects, and building interiors. Their work included the NGV international building when it opened in 1966.

She received the Order of Australia in 2020 and continues to live in a house designed by Robin Boyd. Featherston remains an adjunct professor at RMIT University.

Featherston says children naturally learn through movement, testing, and asking questions. She believes schools often set aside these tendencies in favor of academic study alone. Research from institutions including Harvard and MIT supports curiosity as a driver of learning, she stated.

She advocates for large group rooms, quieter spaces, hybrid areas, and dedicated spaces for making and play. Featherston will speak at the NGV on May 20 on "A Life in Design" during Melbourne Design Week.