Supportive school design is shaped by the environments where students explore, learn, and discover. As designers, it’s imperative that we listen closely to feedback from students, educators, staff, and the wider community to better understand how our spaces can foster comfort, connection, and a strong sense of belonging.
A very inclusive way to approach restroom signage, assuming it is a single user or universal restroom, is to simply show a diagram of a toilet as opposed showing diagrams of men/female. The idea being that you’re not indicating who is/isn’t allowed to use a toilet, rather just the function of said room. Also, like Levan Scott, having the full height, private toilet compartments can make students much more comfortable and willing to use the restroom at school.
We typically like to use “school spirit” colors in main, public areas of the a school such as gyms or cafeterias, with more muted, calming colors in classrooms and learning spaces.
We typically don’t help owners with furniture selection, but I know a big trend is furniture that allows for “fidgeting”, which allows kids who may have trouble focusing the ability to fidget which can help them focus. The furniture may allow kids to quietly rock back and forth, or has raised textures on the bottom of the seat for them run their fingers over.
In our classrooms, we like to use changes in floor material/color to help distinguish between quiet learning areas vs collaborative areas. Such as tile in areas of individual learning with desk, and softer carpet in areas for collaboration such as sitting on the floor reading. Plenty of natural light is always great, but another important technique to consider is the ability to change the color temperature of the lights in the room, as well as providing blackout shades. The allows teachers flexibility to adjust the lighting in the room, which certain kids can react positively to.
As Sheriff of Fulton County, Indiana, I was tasked with addressing the same issues that many sheriffs across the country face with aging and inefficient jail facilities. Ours was burdened with a range of infrastructural problems, including plumbing, sewer lines, electrical systems, HVAC complications, inadequate storage space, and overcrowding. Th ...
Informed by over a decade of correctional psychology experience, Dr. Deanna Dwenger shares why the physical environment is central to behavioral health outcomes—and how Elevatus is turning that insight into design that works.
