Schools In Focus: Centering Student Health and Wellness In Design

Schools In Focus is a podcast dedicated to the design, planning and management of educational facilities and campuses. Listen in as senior editor Yvonne Marquez chats with industry experts, facility managers, architects, security and safety professionals, and other thought leaders. Catch up on previous episodes here.

Today's episode is on supporting student health and wellness on campus through design.

Schools In Focus, Episode 8: Centering Student Health & Wellness in Design

Schools In Focus Podcast logo and headshots Turan Duda and Jeff Paine.

Over the last several decades, universities and colleges have made an effort to address student needs as a whole person. We’re seeing more and more health and wellness centers on campus that not only provide physical health and mental health services for students but are also a place to relax, study and socialize with their peers.

In this episode of Schools In Focus, Turan Duda and Jeff Paine, founding principals of Duda|Paine Architects, discuss how architectural design is shifting to better address the mental and physical health needs of students.

“There’s a new sense of awareness on college campuses that these issues of physical health, mental health, emotional health, need to be addressed with these young people,” Paine said. “We’re very excited to be designing buildings that really have that motive behind them, to really help take some of the pressure off of students today so they can be successful in college and university.”

We talk about destigmatizing health centers, creating a welcoming, comfortable space with choice, the use of natural materials, and the importance of prevention in student health and wellness. Tune in to hear more!

Where to Listen

Schools In Focus is available on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Google Podcasts, and Stitcher. Subscribe today, or listen below!

About the Author

Yvonne Marquez is senior editor of Spaces4Learning. She can be reached at [email protected].

Featured

  • California K–12 District Completes Elementary School Campus Replacement

    The West Contra Costa Unified School District (WCCUSD) in Richmond, Calif., recently announced the completion of a replacement campus for Lake Elementary School, according to a news release. The school has capacity for 470 students between Transitional Kindergarten (TK) and sixth grade.

  • Photo credit - Chuck Coates

    Florida District Modernizes Central Energy Plants at Two High Schools

    Flagler Schools, a public school district in Flagler County, Fla., recently partnered with Matern Professional Engineering to modernize the central energy plants at two of its high schools, according to a news release. The project is part of a larger, district-wide effort to reduce energy costs and operational expenses.

  • UT System Approves First Funds for New Campus

    The University of Texas System Board of Regents recently approved funds to build the first facility of a new campus in far west Fort Worth, Texas, according to university news. UTA West will serve as a branch of the University of Texas at Arlington and is scheduled to open in fall 2028.

  • DFW-Area District Opens New Replacement Middle School

    The Eagle Mountain-Saginaw Independent School District near Fort Worth, Texas, recently held a ribbon-cutting ceremony for a new replacement middle school campus, according to a news release. The new facility for Wayside Middle School, originally established in 1964, was built on the site of the former district administration building and funded through Bond Proposition A in 2023.