Schools In Focus: Centering Student Health and Wellness In Design

Schools In Focus is a podcast dedicated to the design, planning and management of educational facilities and campuses. Listen in as senior editor Yvonne Marquez chats with industry experts, facility managers, architects, security and safety professionals, and other thought leaders. Catch up on previous episodes here.

Today's episode is on supporting student health and wellness on campus through design.

Schools In Focus, Episode 8: Centering Student Health & Wellness in Design

Schools In Focus Podcast logo and headshots Turan Duda and Jeff Paine.

Over the last several decades, universities and colleges have made an effort to address student needs as a whole person. We’re seeing more and more health and wellness centers on campus that not only provide physical health and mental health services for students but are also a place to relax, study and socialize with their peers.

In this episode of Schools In Focus, Turan Duda and Jeff Paine, founding principals of Duda|Paine Architects, discuss how architectural design is shifting to better address the mental and physical health needs of students.

“There’s a new sense of awareness on college campuses that these issues of physical health, mental health, emotional health, need to be addressed with these young people,” Paine said. “We’re very excited to be designing buildings that really have that motive behind them, to really help take some of the pressure off of students today so they can be successful in college and university.”

We talk about destigmatizing health centers, creating a welcoming, comfortable space with choice, the use of natural materials, and the importance of prevention in student health and wellness. Tune in to hear more!

Where to Listen

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

  • Photo courtesy of Kraus-Anderson

    Minnesota District Completes $49.7M Addition, Renovation Project

    St. Paul Public Schools in St. Paul, Minn., recently announced the completion of a $49.7-million addition and remodeling project at two district schools, according to a news release.

  • Philadelphia Middle School Facility Earns LEED Gold Certification

    The Alternative Middle Years (AMY) at James Martin Middle School in Philadelphia, Penn., recently received a LEED Gold certification from the U.S. Green Building Council, according to a news release. The School District of Pennsylvania partnered with KSS Architects on the project.

  • 144-Year-Old High-School Campus Debuts New Academic Facility

    San Diego High School (SDHS) in San Diego, Calif., recently held a ribbon-cutting ceremony for a new student services and classroom building; the project is part of a larger SDHS Whole Site Modernization project that began in 2022.

  • Cal Poly Humboldt Starts Construction on Healthcare Education Hub

    California State Polytechnic University, Humboldt in Arcata, Calif., recently announced that work has begun on a renovation project that will turn the Stewart Building into a new Healthcare Education Hub, according to a news release. The university is partnering with Sundt Construction Inc. for construction services.