Skip to main content
Add as a preferred source on Google

Schools In Focus: COVID-19 and the Impact on School Design

  • By Yvonne Marquez
  • 05/11/20

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 topics related to school facilities. Catch up on previous episodes here.

Today's episode is about the coronavirus' impact on school design and ways schools can safely reopen.

Schools In Focus, Episode 4: COVID-19 and the Impact on School Design

Schools In Focus podcast logo. Robin Randall (R) and Sylvia Kowalk (L).

With the 2019-2020 school year winding down to a close, school leaders look ahead to the fall as they figure out the best way to safely reopen schools. From classroom layouts to staggered scheduling to transportation and food service, there’s much to consider, especially when it comes to the health and safety of students and staff. Here at Spaces4Learning, we’re particularly interested in how COVID-19 will impact school design.

I spoke with two designers, Sylvia Kowalk and Robin Randall from Legat Architects, who are imagining new ways learning environments can accommodate students during this pandemic. We discussed design options currently available to schools that can help with social distancing in facilities, what we can learn from other countries who have already reopened, and the long-term impacts of COVID-19 to educational environments.

This episode was brought to you by School Specialty.

School Specialty is a leading provider of educational solutions from crayons to curriculum to complete learning environments. Today, as schools prepare to re-open, they are committed to providing the products and expert guidance needed to ensure schools can become and remain safe spaces when students return. And every day after. School Specialty. Transforming more than classrooms.

Where to Listen

Schools In Focus is available on Apple Podcasts, Google Play, 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

  • Sam Houston State University Completes Athletic Stadium Renovations

    Sam Houston State University in Huntsville, Texas, recently announced the reopening of Elliott T. Bowers Stadium after an extensive renovation project, according to a news release. The university partnered with Stantec and DLR Group for the project’s design.

  • University of Washington Opens New Broadcast Studio

    The University of Washington in Seattle, Wash., recently announced the opening of Sundodger Studios, a new broadcast, production, and content facility, according to a news release. The university partnered with Anthony James Partners for the design and development of the studio, which will host about 100 live broadcasts and 120 live videoboard shows per year.

  • Building Beyond Simulation: Creating Immersive Ecosystems for Healthcare Education

    Health sciences education is one of the fastest-growing facility types in colleges and universities. The demand for medical, nursing, and allied health professionals is driving the creation and renovation of medical simulation training facilities that provide students with real-world experience through advanced simulation-based learning.

  • California High School Opens New Classroom Building for 7th-, 8th-Graders

    Santa Rosa City Schools in Santa Rosa, Calif., recently announced the completion of a new classroom building for Piner High School. As the campus transitions to a Junior/Senior High School, the facility will play home to the school’s new population of seventh- and eighth-grade students.