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

  • Longwood University Hits Construction Milestone on New Music Education Facility

    Longwood University in Farmville, Va., recently celebrated the topping out of its new music education and performance facility, according to a news release. The university partnered with development and construction firm Skanska on the 63,800-square-foot facility, which began construction in August 2025 and has an estimated completion date of fall 2028.

  • Washington State University Debuts New Engineering Hall

    Washington State University recently celebrated a dedication ceremony for the new Schweitzer Engineering Hall on its Pullman campus in Pullman, Wash., according to university news. The facility measures 66,288 square feet, and its completion marks the first milestone in a larger university effort to modernize the engineering and design district.

  • Phoenix High School Completes First Phase of Campus Renovations

    Metro Tech High School, part of the Phoenix Union High School District (PXU) in Phoenix, Ariz., recently announced the completion of the first stage of a campus renovation project, according to a news release. The school reopened a series of public-facing business operations spaces including credit union, daycare, floral, cosmetology, and culinary services. It also includes new CTE learning spaces for the school’s nursing assistant, pharmacy, and sports medicine programs.

  • Houston-Area High School Receives Best Project Award from ENR

    Tomball West High School near Houston, Texas, recently received a K–12 Education Best Project Award in Engineering News-Record’s 2026 Texas & Southeast Best Projects Awards, according to a press release. The new facility was completed in May and opened its doors to students for the fall 2026 semester.