Lookbook: Learning Spaces WG Design Studio

Impor­tant con­ver­sa­tions are tak­ing place across all indus­tries on how inte­ri­ors can be redesigned to bet­ter pro­tect our health, safe­ty, and wel­fare. For K‑12 schools, col­leges, and uni­ver­si­ties, uncer­tain­ty remains as plans for reopen­ing are being deter­mined. COVID-19 is teach­ing us that design­ing for well-being is a major goal.

High­er Clean­ing Standards:

• Prod­ucts like bleach and oth­er dis­in­fec­tants, which meet the EPA cri­te­ria for use against the coro­n­avirus, will inspire more con­fi­dence in keep­ing stu­dents of all ages safe.
• Antimi­cro­bial fin­ish­es that can weak­en or kill pathogens are in demand for high-touch surfaces.
• Although evi­dence sug­gests that it’s hard­er to catch the virus from a soft sur­face such as fab­ric, rou­tine clean­ing and dis­in­fect­ing is recommended.

Dura­bil­i­ty:

• Design­ing for clean­ing and dis­in­fect­ing by spec­i­fy­ing smooth, easy-to-clean sur­faces will help low­er the risk of infection.
• Clean­ing pro­to­cols, espe­cial­ly for com­mon touch sur­faces, will need to be enhanced and more vis­i­ble to help stu­dents and staff feel more at ease.
• Uphol­stery tex­tiles for com­mu­nal spaces, such as libraries, din­ing halls, and study cen­ters, must be invit­ing and able to with­stand heavy abuse.

Spa­tial Planning:

• Space plan­ning with social dis­tanc­ing in mind may require sound-absorb­ing move­able bar­ri­ers, allow­ing for more flex­i­ble spaces.
• Com­mu­nal set­tings such as libraries and study cen­ters will ben­e­fit from fur­ni­ture that can be eas­i­ly rearranged.