FEATURE: BUILDINGS, MAINTENANCE & REFURBISHMENT
teaching aids such as white boards at a higher level for teachers and lower levels for primary school children to use.
• Durability and longevity - All furniture has to be durable to stand the test of time. Samples should be checked and the warranty package designed for longevity. Warranties for school furniture are typically for five years but can be extended up to 20 years for secondary school seating, for example. Here, developing productive, long-term supply chain partnerships are important.
• Flexible furniture solutions - Room layouts should be carefully planned with lightweight, movable and multi-function furniture. Irregular layouts mean reconfiguring furniture can be difficult. Can power or data supplies be safely accessed in the required locations?
In many secondary schools, each child is equipped with a tablet and the majority of learning materials are digital which reduces the need for physical storage. Modular workstations allow students to mirror screens, casting their digital work onto teaching walls, encouraging discussion and interaction.
Furniture needs to integrate with the latest technology and accommodate future developments – such as the transition from desktop computers to tablets, but also projectors and digital recording equipment. Considerations that impact on furniture specification include docking stations, decluttering, space saving, disability access and device sharing.
Bringing nature into the learning environment
Nature has a calming effect and children’s cognitive performance can improve in naturalistic environments.
Research has shown the benefits of biophilic design for schools and we are now seeing more projects extending this theme beyond primary to secondary schools.
Biophilic is an interior style that recreates nature and incorporates nature-inspired features. Examples include the use of muted colours such as greens and blues replacing bright primary colours, wood finishes, soft seating, carpets rather than hard floors, and high levels of natural light.
Making school design more personal People are more invested in the environments they can influence. In schools, if you give students the opportunity to change their learning space, engagement is enhanced. This means increased choice and variation in furniture types, different seating arrangements and finishes within the learning environment.
Collaborative spaces allow students to learn alongside and from each other. A quieter space for thinking or reading can improve concentration simply by making it easier. The flexibility of seating and desk or table arrangements allows students to create personalised learning spaces for the groups they are learning with – or for individual study.
In classrooms, students tend to choose the
same desk every time which restricts social interaction and the opportunity for shared learning. Removing desk barriers, for example with modular furniture, can bring a class together to enhance discussion and collaboration. Lightweight chairs, soft seating, tables of different heights and moveable walls can transform alcoves into quiet reading spaces or to suit small group learning or instruction.
Early engagement for a successful school project
A typical new build school will be fully designed before the furniture specification is developed at a much later stage. The issue here is the M&E services are often installed before the furniture specification has been finalised – and the services may not then work with the furniture. This means an excellent building cannot be used to its full potential.
By bringing the team together at pre- construction stage – users, architect, contractor, M&E consultant, furniture and fit out specialist – every aspect is fully co-ordinated, leading to a much more successful project.
Cost planning is then more accurate and there are fewer design changes to the furniture, improving cost efficiency. Services should be located around the precise layout of the furniture – not vice versa.
Here are some tips for specifying furniture, fittings and equipment for high quality learning environments:
• Early engagement - The furniture and fit out specialist should be willing to engage with the design team and user group at the outset of a project to provide support and expertise in product and specification. An extensive product range is also important to meet the differing educational needs – from nursery and primary schools to secondary education, SEN, colleges and universities.
• Appropriate furniture sizing - Well-designed furniture should be appropriately sized for different ages of children – with sufficient adult-sized furniture where needed. For example, we are now being asked to provide
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www.education-today.co.uk July/August 2024
• Good ergonomic seating - This is vital as discomfort wreaks attention and concentration so seating should be comfortable for longer, more focused learning sessions.
• Writable surfaces - These are increasingly being specified in secondary as well as primary schools to give children the opportunity to express ideas through sketching. This has been proven to facilitate learning and enable memory recall.
• Sample rooms - These allow user groups to assess the look and feel of the interior layout at the initial design stages. This helps to avoid the cost of late design changes.
• Handover support - We advise bringing in equipment specialists at handover to show the teaching staff how equipment works in areas such as science, SEN, craft design and technology and home economics.
The specification of high quality, adaptable furniture for schools emphasises the value placed on learning by children, teachers and the community.
Well designed and robust furniture and fittings can promote high levels of positive interaction to help achieve education excellence.
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