Skip to main content
Add as a preferred source on Google

Key Design Features for Innovative Schools

  • By Dietmar Lang
  • 03/01/18

Educational spaces and modern school furniture design continue to evolve. Here are some design features that innovative schools utilize to achieve success.

Versatility in Design

Why it’s important: Numerous studies have shown the correlation between student well-being and flexible, ergonomic seating options. The best furniture design maximizes the potential for diverse uses and can be reconfigured to better suit both the user and the environment.

How it’s done: Stackable desks, mobile storage units, and easily foldable, storable teaching accessories are ways that furniture design is transforming educational settings.

Coherence of Furnishings and Environment

Why it’s important: Modern classrooms are typically single spaces used for various activities. When students feel their environment is purposeful and they’re prepared for the task at hand, the learning experience is dramatically improved.

How it’s done: Balance in design that extends to both environment and furnishings is achieved by evaluating space and choosing furniture that supports a diversity of tasks and activities.

Private and Public Space

Why it’s important: When students are kept in one position, energy and attention can lag. By contrast, motion allows for times of productive and reflective individual work as well as networking and team-driven activities that teach social skills.

How it’s done: Mobile dividers and movable furniture solutions instantly transform spaces from individual-focused to social and group-oriented. By allowing furniture design to organically promote authentic collaboration, students can feel more comfortable and adept in a variety of learning styles and situations.

This article originally appeared in the School Planning & Management March 2018 issue of Spaces4Learning.

About the Author

Dietmar Lang is the director of Marketing & Product for VS America. He can be contacted at [email protected].

Featured

  • Miami University Approves New $242M Multipurpose Arena

    Miami University in Oxford, Ohio, recently announced that its Board of Trustees has approved construction of a new multipurpose arena at Cook Field, according to university news. The $242-million project will serve as a new centralized hub for student life and create space for economic development on campus.

  • Dallas ISD Voters Approve $6.2B Bond Package

    Dallas ISD voters have approved a record-setting $6.2-billion bond package that district leaders say will modernize aging campuses, eliminate portable classrooms and reshape learning environments across one of the nation’s largest school systems.

  • Academy of Classical Education Breaks Ground in Louisiana

    Charter Schools USA (CSUSA) recently announced the groundbreaking of a new public charter school in Covington, La., according to a news release. The Academy of Classical Education at Covington will enroll students in grades K–8 and is scheduled for completion in August 2026, just in time for the new school year.

  • College of the Desert Hits Construction Milestone on New Campus

    College of the Desert recently announced that the construction of its new Palm Springs Campus in Palm Springs, Calif., recently reached a major construction milestone, according to a news release. The college is partnering with general contractor C.W. Driver Companies, which recently “topped out” the facility by placing the final beam in its structure.