For facility managers working at K-12 school districts in cold-weather venues, the idea of indoor-outdoor school spaces may seem ludicrous. After all, do students want to learn math and history when the weather is cold, and conditions don’t dictate it?
But as health and wellness initiatives continue to impact the way building designers approach new buildings and renovations, the desire to add indoor-outdoor flexibility to school designs has grown.
“Greater focus on indoor-outdoor spaces and experiences for students is one of the most significant educational trends in the post-pandemic era,” says Elizabeth Stoel, an architect and education design expert with urban design firm Cooper Robertson. “This interest reflects an evolving awareness of how children learn and thrive, as well as an urgent youth mental health crisis of increased anxiety and loneliness, fueled by both the pandemic and technology, and a related crisis in youth physical health.”
Cooper Robertson is known for designing K-12 schools and campuses in urban settings, and Stoel offers up some benefits of indoor-outdoor environments at schools, and the best practices behind designing them.
“Educators today recognize the importance of getting outside, disconnecting from technology, and engaging in hands-on work as both a physical and mental health benefit,” she says.
Stoel’s team recommends strategies for facility managers when considering new indoor-outdoor designs.
Creating rooftop learning gardens. Designs can be modest or more ambitious in scale. The gardens work best for institutions with smaller buildings that can benefit all students who don’t traditionally have many opportunities to get outside during the school day.
Designing “spill-out” outdoor rooms. This style is effective in warm climates and can also work as a seasonal approach in colder regions by using garage-style doors to allow for easy transitions depending on weather.
Leveraging outdoor space for creative programming. Districts can partner with organizations such as a humane society or other organizations that use animals to provide learning and therapeutic opportunities.
When devising the new spaces, facility managers must also consider ways to keep users more secure and can explore ways to open them to more community-wide use. Stoel offers an interesting aspect to the security aspect of the spaces.
“While it may seem counterintuitive, being more visible to the surrounding community can actually make school populations safer and also increase students’ sense of security,” she says. “Schools that are less fortress-like and more physically connected to their surrounding communities benefit from an eyes-on-the-street approach, where neighbors, students, staff and faculty all know each other, and students know that neighbors can see what’s going on and make sure everything is OK.”
Dave Lubach is executive editor of the facility market.
