Some of the most recent trends in campus design are helping colleges showcase their values. By remaining very intentional and thoughtful about the interior design of each space on campus, you can attract prospective students and create a more positive environment for your students. Keep reading to learn about the latest design trends on campus!
Better Social Spaces
Obviously, the purpose of college is to teach students. But they're also places where people socialize! It is important that a balance is maintained between quiet study rooms and casual lounge areas on a college campus. When students have more opportunities to meet organically as they go about their days, they’ll build larger support groups and maintain better mental health.
One college campus design trend that architects use frequently is community interior spaces. These areas are placed between classrooms, residence halls or other major locations on campus where students gather. There’s often a great deal of empty space between individual rooms, especially on large college campuses. Designing spaces in-between these rooms encourage students to slow down and spend more time in the building.
Reflecting Values
When prospective students visit college campuses for the first time, they like to see their own values mirrored in the building. This is what attracts them to the school and makes the campus memorable. For example, students who care about the environment seek out environmentally conscious colleges. Sustainable interior spaces that look more natural or have plenty of daylight will win over these types of students.
While students are the primary focus of campus design, a college also needs to appeal to their parents. Parents and guardians need to feel confident and comfortable that their child is thriving in a new, unfamiliar community over the next few years.
To reflect community values and make students and parents comfortable, consider these trends:
Open Interior Spaces:
Floor-to-ceiling windows, skylights and light pillars bring daylight into every room, even those located at the center of the building. This is attractive to students because it makes these rooms feel brighter and more welcoming. They’ll look forward to studying in these spaces.
Branding with Color:
To instill a strong sense of school pride, use the college’s colors or logo in the interior design. This should be subtle. You could upholster the chairs in the college’s colors or paint an abstract version of the logo on one of the interior walls.
When students feel a greater connection to campus, they are more likely to treat each other with respect and get involved in the college community.
Creating Open Social Spaces
While colleges exist to teach students, they’re also places where people socialize. It’s important to maintain a balance of quiet study rooms and casual lounge areas on a college campus. When students have more opportunities to meet organically as they go about their days, they’ll build larger support groups and maintain better mental health.
One college campus design trend that architects use frequently is community spaces. These areas are placed between classrooms, residence halls or other major locations on campus where students gather. There’s often a great deal of empty space between individual rooms, especially on large college campuses. Designing spaces in-between these rooms encourage students to slow down and spend more time in the building.
Designing Flexible Classrooms
College campus design trends are moving away from structured classrooms and leaning into flexible interior design. So, rather than having separate rooms for lecture halls, individual study zones, conference rooms or workshops, some college administrators are blurring the lines between these spaces.
The benefit of opening up these rooms and making them multi-use is that students have more options. They don’t have to walk across campus to the library if they want a quiet space to read. They can make their own quiet space by pushing a comfortable chair to a cozy corner.
Another benefit of flexible rooms is that it makes better use of the space outside of normal class hours!
How to Incorporate These College Campus Design Trends
Whether you want to revamp a college campus or create one from scratch, an architectural firm will help you incorporate the most important college campus design trends into the space. Architects will help you identify the values you want your students to remember and will find unique and innovative design elements that evoke that feeling or theme.
Ready to take the first design step toward having a space like this? Click to learn more about CMBA Architects!