My classroom and architecture

Here is a partial picture of my classroom. It is full of light and space but occasionally lacks order! Its my passion for organized chaos, I suppose, that drives the order aspect of my room. I actually have a very large classroom, but I guess it would be impossible to have 6 kitchens in there otherwise. So my not-so-small space in my classroom is a McMansion classroom if you will! There are some things that Susanka talks about that create a cozier space in the room. The picture shows one of them~ the lower ceiling. I know that this was created as a function piece several years ago when the entire building was remodeled, but accidentally became one of my favorite design elements in the room! It is part of the heating/cooling unit. However, it makes the section underneath it a bit smaller ad homier. In addition it is painted a nice blue color. Susanka wrote in the introduction to Home By Design that "The contrast between the colors, combined with the separation of the wall surface into two parts, tells our senses, inaccurately as it turns out, that the ceiling is higher than it actually is." (p. 14) She is speaking of a kitchen space that was made to look larger by contrast and illusion. I think that this blue painted ceiling duct of mine creates an opposite effect in that it makes the room/area feel smaller.
So with respect to Space and the principle of Ceiling Height Variety (vary the heights of parts of rooms, as well as the connections between spaces, to define one activity place from one to another, without resorting to solid walls), I will give another valiant effort at creating an imaginative bridge to teaching... Being that my classroom is so large and that many different activities occur in it I have attempted to visibly organize it so that different areas are obviously for different purposes. I cannot construct walls in my room to separate activities that should occur in different areas so with the desks in one area, I imply that independent learning takes place in the area, at the six round tables and in the kitchens, it is indicated that cooperative learning, group work and conversations will take place here, and finally my space is in the corner of the front of the room. The space creates boundaries protected by my desks creating the opposite corners and students know that this is an area that they may not freely enter. Its not a rule or ever even stated by me, but they know or maybe feel that it is a space that is not for them.
Secondly, if it takes space, light, and order to create a feel of home, maybe the same necessity exists for students to learn. Space is provided by the building, order is physically created by the organization of the room and the boundaries, rules, and standard operating procedures of the teacher. Light is not only what is provided to students through instruction but also what occurs inside of students as they learn!