Spaces4Learning Trends & Predictions for Educational Facilities in 2026: Part I
We asked, you answered, and the results are in! Last year, we put out a call for submissions to collect our readership’s opinion on trends and predictions for K–12 and higher education facilities in 2026. We received responses from professionals in both groups, ranging from educators to architects to construction management workers to providers of products and solutions; they provided opinions on the areas of focus that they think will rise to prominence this year.
From a sample size of 55 respondents, 21.82% were from architecture firms, 20% from products and solutions providers, 16.36% from four-year higher education institutions, 10.91% from PreK–12 schools, and 18% from “Other,” including nonprofit and federal workers. They were asked to select the top three “trends or areas of focus [that they] anticipate will impact education facilities the most in the coming year.” Their answers included:
- Artificial intelligence and automation: 40.00%
- Multi-use/flexible spaces: 32.73%
- Career & technical education: 23.64%
- Healthy schools/wellness: 23.64%
- Doing more with less: 20.00%
- Other (please specify): 18.18%
- Sustainability: 16.36%
- Evidence-based design: 16.36%
- Campus safety: 16.36%
- STEM/STEAM education: 14.55%
- Designing for neurodiversity: 9.09%
- Adaptive reuse: 7.27%
- Community-oriented design: 7.27%
- Hybrid learning: 5.45%
- Disaster preparedness & recovery: 5.45%
- Outdoor learning: 3.64%
- Biophilic design: 1.82%
- Wayfinding: 0.00%
In the “Other” category, responses included energy efficiency, cybersecurity, strategic partnerships with employers, and workforce readiness.
Among free responses, predictions specific to K–12 education environments included:
“In 2026, K–12 education will reach a critical moment as students navigate an increasingly complex, AI-enabled world. The widening gap between the skills students develop in school and the demands of tomorrow’s workforce will draw growing attention, underscoring the need for Decision Education in classrooms nationwide. Students, parents, teachers, and education leaders are all experiencing uncertainty about the future. Schools and districts will need to integrate Decision Education more systematically so students build the dispositions and skills to make informed choices about their learning, careers, and lives. Strengthening decision-making skills gives students greater agency and helps them navigate uncertainty more effectively. Education leaders who prioritize practical approaches to closing this skills gap will be best positioned to help students thrive in a rapidly changing world.”
—David Samuelson, Alliance for Decision Education
"Universal design for learning spaces will be a defining facilities focus in 2026. As enrollment declines lead to school closures and consolidations, districts need learning environments where students and staff feel at home regardless of which classroom or building they are in. That means establishing a consistent classroom experience through flexible furnishings, interactive projection systems, and classroom audio that supports clear instruction, so the space and core tools work the same way from room to room. When spaces function in consistent and predictable ways, transitions are less disruptive and routines carry over from year to year. A consistent baseline also reduces inequities so access to supports, instructional tools, and the quality of the learning environment does not depend on where a student is placed. To meet these shifting conditions, districts will need to increasingly prioritize common design elements such as consistent layouts, lighting and acoustics, and flexible furnishings to support a wide range of learners and needs."
—Tony Spence, Waterford Graded School District
“District leaders will harness school safety as a strategic advantage. In 2026, K–12 district leaders will increasingly see school safety as a key driver of their biggest goals—from increasing student achievement to keeping great teachers in the classroom. Safety will show up more naturally in everyday conversations with teachers, parents, and students, underscoring how a secure, supportive environment helps everyone do their best work. As districts point to the way safer campuses improve focus, attract strong educators, and build community trust, school safety will become a clear advantage that helps move the whole district forward.”
—Brent Cobb, CENTEGIX
"In 2026, schools will design physical spaces to support evolving learning goals and ensure technology supports the classroom experience rather than hinders it. As nationwide cell phone bans expand, AI-use guidelines solidify and other digital restrictions emerge, districts will need to rethink how physical spaces actively reinforce these regulations. The classroom itself will increasingly function as a tool to support focus, reduce anxiety and promote meaningful engagement within a more structured digital landscape. This shift will drive demand for agile, purpose-built environments that prioritize human connection and face-to-face learning. While technology will remain a key part of the classroom, it will take a more intentional, secondary role as educators seek to preserve the human element of teaching. Educators will increasingly use furniture, layout and movement to support discussion, collaboration and focus. Thoughtfully designed spaces will help teachers reengage students, restore attention and give learners greater agency in how they participate throughout the day. In environments designed with purpose, physical space will become an active teaching tool that supports deeper interaction, sustained engagement and learning experiences shaped around students, not their devices.”
— Dr. Sue Ann Highland, National Education Strategist, School Specialty