Modern school design continues to incorporate openness and irregularity as a means of achieving improvement. Irregular learning environments can act as a catalyst for student unsettling and enable possibilities of teacher practice. We outline a case study of teacher adaptation to irregular environments in a senior school setting. We argue that adaptation to irregularity reveals interplay between the systemic and individual responses. System wide adaptation in the case study setting was both a reaction and provocation for teacher adaptation. Subsequent teacher adaptations necessarily incorporated the irregular learning environment as well as the systemic response. We argue that the open structure and nonscripted use of space and time produce both a freedom and transparency. Each contains rewards and risks: collegiality and group-think; sharing and isolation. Moreover, we conclude that teacher adaptability in creating improvement of practice and student outcomes is inextricably linked with alignment of curriculum program, facilities and team autonomy.