Problem
The fundamental learning situation is one in which a person learns by helping someone who really knows what they are doing.
Solution
Arrange the work in every workgroup, industry, and office, in such a way that work and learning go forward hand in hand. Treat every piece of work as an opportunity for learning. To this end, organize work around a tradition of masters and apprentices: and support this form of social organization with a division of the workspace into spatial clusters—one for each master and their apprentices—where the group can work and meet together.
Related Patterns
… the Network of Learning (18) in the community relies on the fact that learning is decentralized, and part and parcel of every activity - not just a classroom thing. In order to realize this pattern, it is essential that the individual workgroups, through- out industry, offices, workshops, and work communities, are all set up to make the learning process possible. This pattern, which shows the arrangement needed, therefore helps greatly to form Self-Governing Workshops and Offices (80) as well as the Network of Learning (18).
Arrange the workspaces as Half-Private Office (152) or Workspace Enclosure (183). Keep workgroups small, and give every group a common area, a common meeting space, and a place where they can eat together - Common Areas at the Heart (129), Communal Eating (147), Small Work Groups (148), Small Meeting Rooms (151) …
Alexander, Christopher. A Pattern Language: Towns, Buildings, Construction. Oxford University Press, 1977, p. 412.