A lecture theatre at the Toni Areal campus in autumn 2025: where bare walls, black table tops and cool neon lighting once dominated, hanging plants, wooden panelling and a pastel-coloured mountain mural now create a more inviting learning environment. The black table tops were covered with a light oak finish, and other elements, such as a wall clock, completed the redesign. The functional “grey classroom” was transformed into a “green classroom,” serving as a research experiment involving before-and-after measurements and a control group.
Whether the design would truly have an effect remained uncertain, however. Despite widespread enthusiasm, some students also expressed doubts: “Surely those few little plants won't make any difference.” The project team, headed up by Cathérine Hartmann, a lecturer and Co-Head of the Environmental and Sustainability Psychology section at the ZHAW School of Applied Psychology, therefore carried out a systematic investigation into how the change was affecting students. Questionnaires and cognitive tests were used to assess student well-being and performance before and after the renovation.
Cathérine Hartmann
Lecturer and Co-Head of the Environmental and Sustainability Psychology section, ZHAW School of Applied Psychology
“In this project, we want to understand the impact of a biophilically designed learning space, i.e. a “green classroom,” compared with a conventional classroom, particularly with regard to student well-being and concentration.”
Three institutes, one goal
Three ZHAW institutes are involved in the project: alongside the Institute of Human Behaviour, Society and Technology (IMGT), which is leading the project, the Institute of Applied Psychology (IAP) and the Institute of Facility Management (IFM) are also participating. On site at the Toni Areal campus, the Facility Management team also plays a key role. For Hartmann, the project demonstrates the value of interdisciplinary cooperation: only the collaboration between different user groups, institutes and operational units made rapid implementation and a genuine real-world test possible.
From prototype to physical space
Seven psychology students, one student from the Zurich University of the Arts (ZHdK) and an intern in architectural psychology developed four spatial concepts during a co-design workshop, which the team later consolidated into a single concept. The wish list ranged from plants, colours and natural materials to elevated seating rows. A subsequent reality check ensured that all ideas remained in line with safety regulations – for example, plants were not allowed to obstruct escape routes – and avoided disruption to ongoing teaching activities.
As it was essential not to disrupt lectures taking place in the rooms, the entire renovation had to be carried out over a single weekend at the end of October. To save on external painting costs, the project team got straight to work with their own paintbrushes. The renovation was supported by the Facility Management team at the Toni Areal campus, the hanging plant specialists Pendularis and an external company responsible for applying the table coverings. As a result, the project became an even more collaborative living lab. Financial support was provided by a grant from the ZHAW sustainable Living Lab Fund.
Beyond Grey Walls
What the measurements revealed
For two months, one psychology Bachelor’s degree class studied in the “green classroom,” while a comparable class remained in a traditional lecture theatre. The results were clear: in the green learning environment, students reported enhanced positive feelings, while levels of attention and the perceived spatial quality also increased noticeably. No changes were observed in the “grey classroom.” Those few little plants did, in fact, make a measurable difference.
