Available Online at www.e-iph.co.uk AicE-Bs2016Edinburgh 7 th Asia-Pacific International Conference on Environment-Behaviour Studies, St Leonard Hall, Edinburgh University, United Kingdom, 27-30 July 2016 2398-4287 © 2016. The Authors. Published for AMER ABRA by e-International Publishing House, Ltd., UK. This is an open access article under the CC BY-NC-ND license (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-nd/4.0/). Peer–review under responsibility of AMER (Association of Malaysian Environment-Behaviour Researchers), ABRA (Association of Behavioural Researchers on Asians) and cE-Bs (Centre for Environment-Behaviour Studies), Faculty of Architecture, Planning & Surveying, Universiti Teknologi MARA, Malaysia. DOI: http://dx.doi.org/10.21834/e-bpj.v1i4.178 Flexible Schools? A Review of School Design in Scotland Nik Farhanah Nik Azhari 1 *, Fiona McLachlan 1 1 School of Architecture and Landscape Architecture, Edinburgh College of Art, The University of Edinburgh, Edinburgh, Scotland, United Kingdom Abstract Flexible is a common term used in the built environment, especially relating to current and future design. However, individuals will define the term in different ways in relation to their context. In school design, there are various interpretations and applications of ‘flexible’ terminology. The objective of this paper is to scrutinize the term flexible by reviewing its application primarily in Scottish Government publications relating to school design. This paper aims to generate constructive reflection for those involved in school design, directly and indirectly, so they can respond effectively to the question: What does ‘flexible’ mean in a school design context? © 2016. The Authors. Published for AMER ABRA by e-International Publishing House, Ltd., UK. This is an open access article under the CC BY- NC-ND license (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-nd/4.0/). Peer–review under responsibility of AMER (Association of Malaysian Environment-Behaviour Researchers), ABRA (Association of Behavioural Researchers on Asians) and cE-Bs (Centre for Environment-Behaviour Studies), Faculty of Architecture, Planning & Surveying, Universiti Teknologi MARA, Malaysia.. Keywords: Flexible; School Design; Architectural Context; Operational Context. 1. Introduction There is a distinguished perception worldwide that 21 st -century education developed more than basic knowledge. New schools introduce problem-solving skills, social and self-directional learning, with innovative tools of information and communication technologies (Pearlman, 2008). For that reason, this has led to the emergence of major school building programs worldwide as many nations began to reassess their national curricula. Australia, for example, was committed to constructing and refurbishment of their school infrastructure and learning environments through the $16.2 billion Building the Education Revolution (BER) program (Australian Government, 2009). In England, the £55 billion investment of Building Schools for the Future (BSF) program had reflected UK Government’s serious investment to improve every secondary school in the country (Public Accounts Committee, 2009). Both nations are * Corresponding author. Tel.: +447519293964 E-mail address: nikfarhanah.azhari@gmail.com