The aspiration for inclusive school environments is an international priority aligned with multiple Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). ILE with salutogenic design (a focus on physical and psychological health and well-being), can enable unique opportunities to foster inclusive educational practices that address the diverse needs of all learners. Critiques underscore how power relations, pedagogical choices, and material design intersect to shape whether ILE support inclusive teaching and learning or unintentionally exclude learners who do not fit dominant norms. Flexible, collaborative spaces, when poorly designed, can inadvertently marginalize certain students and reinforce exclusory practices.
ILE are central to contemporary education reform, particularly in compulsory schooling. Characterized by open layouts, integrated digital tools, and team-based pedagogies, ILE are often viewed as catalysts for collaboration and equitable learning (Page et al., 2021). Movable furniture, breakout zones, and digital platforms are intended to foster student agency. Yet, these same features can reflect normative assumptions about learners. As Willis et al. (2024) explain, “schools communicate messages to students through their physical spaces, including ideals about who was imagined as a student who would feel welcome and at home” (p. 1). When environments presume that all learners thrive in highly stimulating, visually open spaces, students who require quieter, structured, or low-sensory settings may be marginalized. It is therefore important to design a range of spaces for students who may need opportunities to reset away from others.