Empty spaces, open spaces, prefabricated buildings, disused school halls, patches of grass and suchlike have long been the teaching spaces of subjects such as Drama and Physical Education; likewise, ECE and Marae-based learning are other 'marginalised' domains of education in Aotearoa New Zealand today. Subjugated in the educational landscape, these areas have often had to make do, and innovate pedagogy out of necessity. Arguably, these domains have been navigating the issues related to Innovative Learning Environments (ILE) for many years. In this article, these domains provide the four focus areas of education, for thinking about the relationship between space and pedagogy. As dynamic and interactive forms of education, ECE, PE, Drama and Marae-based learning require practitioners who cultivate students' relational and collaborative skills, essential to twenty first-century competencies. This article highlights: the nature of the physical spaces allocated to teachers in these four domains; how the spaces contribute to pedagogy; and what lessons are on offer for ILE practice. Three elements serve as a framework (the '3-R' framework) to guide our discussions of how teachers working in these four foci navigate physical spaces: (1) Remembering what spaces went before, and how did they inform praxis? (2) Relating how does space shape our social interactions? and (3) Rekindling how can we support innovative pedagogy through the use of space? Using this framework, we consider each of the four foci in turn, to identify key considerations for ILE practitioners, and offer provocations for re-conceptualising pedagogy in relation to space.