Skip to main content
Add as a preferred source on Google

KI Joins Education Design Research Consortium as Founding Sponsor

  • By Matt Jones
  • 09/17/24

Furniture solutions manufacturer KI recently announced alongside the Center for Advanced Design Research and Evaluation (CADRE) that it will become a founding sponsor for the Coalition for the Advanced Understanding of School Environments (CAUSE). A news release reports that the coalition’s research will focus on the relationship between K–12 physical environments and educational outcomes.

CAUSE members include architecture firms, local school districts, academic institutions, and research organizations, according to the news release. It was founded by researchers from organizations like CADRE, Perkins&Will, Multistudio, HKS, and the Austin Independent School District.

“We're excited to support CAUSE in its mission to use evidence-based insights to improve educational environments,” said KI research manager Jonathan “Juan” Matta. “We're eager to contribute to developing a research tool that will provide critical findings for enhancing how and where students learn.”

The coalition will develop a standardized, open-source, post-occupancy evaluation tool to measure how built environments impact the educational results of K–12 schools. They will consider elements like lighting, acoustics, ergonomic seating, access to nature, and more while creating an initial version of the tool, which will be deployed during a pilot study this fall in a Texas School district. Research will focus on “how school design impacts health and educational performance, establish[ing] data collection protocols for K–12 facilities, and promot[ing] interdisciplinary collaboration and an open-source approach within the industry,” according to the news release.

“Contemporary science is fundamentally a collaborative endeavor. CAUSE represents an industry commitment to working across organizations to generate better data that can improve the positive impacts of design for teachers and students,” said Michael Ralph, one of the coalition’s founding members and vice president at Multistudio. “The strength of our initiative comes from the expertise provided by our many leaders across research and design, and only by pooling our collective wisdom can we advance our efforts toward evidence-driven design excellence.”

About the Author

Matt Jones is senior editor of Spaces4Learning. He can be reached at [email protected].

Featured

  • Year-Round Schools Require Year-Round Indoor Air Quality Planning

    While many schools are out for the summer, year-round schools follow a more “balanced” schedule with shorter, more frequent breaks spaced throughout the school year. Even though this offers educational benefits, these facilities have less downtime for building maintenance. This can become an issue when facilities managers overlook the importance of routine HVAC maintenance and air duct cleaning services.

  • Wyoming District Breaks Ground on New Elementary School

    Laramie County School District #1 in Cheyenne, Wy., recently held a groundbreaking ceremony for the upcoming Mountain View Elementary School, according to a news release. The facility has an estimated completion date of summer 2028, and it will have the capacity for 650 students in fifth and sixth grade.

  • Amazon Expands Lockers to More Than 500 College, University Campuses

    Amazon recently announced that its Locker Network now totals more than 750 locations at more than 500 college and university campuses around the United States, according to a company news release.

  • Back-to-School Playground Safety: 7 Common Hazards to Look for After Summer Break

    As summer break comes to an end, school administrators have plenty to prepare before students return. While classrooms, hallways and common areas often receive attention during all the back-to-school preparations, the playground should not be overlooked. Months of weather exposure, storms, and regular wear can leave behind hazards that may not be immediately noticeable.