Skip to main content
Add as a preferred source on Google

Schools In Focus Podcast: 2020 Education Design Trends

  • By Yvonne Marquez
  • 03/04/20

Welcome back! Schools In Focus is a Spaces4Learning podcast dedicated to K-12 school design, planning, and management. Each episode will feature a conversation with industry experts, facility managers, architects, and thought leaders on everything from security technologies to best practices for sustainable facilities and so much more!

Thank you for listening to the inaugural episode of Schools In Focus Podcast! We spoke to Andrew Hausmann, an associate principal at Perkins + Will about innovative library design. If you missed the first episode, I invite you to go back to listen to it.

If you have suggestions on topics you would like to hear us cover, feel free to email me.

Schools In Focus, Episode 2: 2020 Education Design Trends

Schools In Focus Podcast logo and Todd Ferking, principal at DLR Group

Today we have an exciting new episode on education design trends to watch in 2020. I spoke to Todd Ferking, a principal at DLR Group. He lives for school design and has become recognized as an expert in forming spaces that enable student-focused learning and that takes advantage of new and emerging technologies in the learning process. 

Pathfinder Kindergarten Center, ©Chris J. Roberts, photo courtesy of DLR Group

Pathfinder Kindergarten Center, ©Chris J. Roberts, photo courtesy of DLR Group

In this episode, we talked about education design that is geared toward the future. Ferking talks about the shift from classrooms being the dominant teaching space to multiple spaces that include collaborative commons and makerspaces. We explore the use of “flipped classrooms,” collaborative technology, and a flexible infrastructure to support emerging technologies. We also talk about going back to the basics of building relationships and how learning environments can support a sense of belonging for teachers and students. 

Where to Listen

Schools In Focus is available on Apple Podcasts, Google Play, and Stitcher. Subscribe today, or listen below! Stay tuned for more episodes!

About the Author

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

Featured

  • University of Rochester to Break Ground on New Student Life Center

    The University of Rochester in Rochester, N.Y., recently began construction on a new Student Life building, according to a news release. The first floor will contain campus-wide gathering, program, and rehearsal space; the second floor will play home to the Greenbaum Center for Jewish Life.

  • Montclair State University Starts Construction on $120M STEM Building

    Montclair State University in Montclair, N.J., recently broke ground on a new $120-million Interdisciplinary Science Building, according to university news. The university partnered with HoK Architects for the project’s design, and it’s scheduled to open in time for the 2028–29 academic year.

  • Missouri Child Development Center Completes $2.3M Expansion

    The Urban Sprouts Child Development Center in St. Louis, Mo., recently announced the completion of a $2.3-million expansion and adaptive reuse project, according to a news release. The new space includes a retail café, outdoor learning space, and a support office building.

  • Georgia State University Opens New Research Tower

    Georgia State University in Atlanta, Ga., recently held a ribbon-cutting ceremony for a new, nine-story, 155,000-square-foot Research Tower, according to university news. Amenities include academic classrooms, a large lecture space, teaching labs, faculty research space, and the uppermost floors reserved for future expansion.