Not only do universities teach students necessary skills and concepts for their future, but they are also responsible for supporting students socially and emotionally throughout their educational journeys. The student of today cares about thoughtfully-designed campuses that make them feel at ease more now than ever. Naturally, when students feel more at home at your university, they'll feel more connected to the culture and look forward to classes. This can increase student enrollment and retention. These are understandings we bring to Higher Education architecture and design.
Approaching the Design of a University Campus
Universities aren't like other institutions, so the approach to their campus design must be unique. One key difference when compared to community colleges is that many university students live on-campus full-time. When planning the university campus design, architects have to think about details that full-time, live-in students value. This is extremely important to understand and get right! A study conducted recently uncovered that the further the distance that students moved away from their families to attend school, the more likely they are to drop out within the first year. This is often because they lacked a sense of community. University campus design has the potential to address this, not only causing students to feel happier, but even perform better academically! However, these positive effects are not only experienced by students living on-campus. Students off campus will also experience many benefits. When you provide more areas for students to connect with peers or relax outside of class, they're more likely to stay on campus all day rather than go home. When university facilities are thoughtfully designed in a way that supports the needs of students, the university campus design will make a lasting impact on the student body.
Designing The Student Experience
Many people underestimate how great of an effect an architect can have on a student's college experience. A successful university education depends heavily on a combination of academic productivity and healthy social connection. If a space isn't functional in facilitating these activities, students will have a very hard time getting work done and their education will suffer the consequences. This also goes for social connection. If your campus design isn't encouraging connection by means of comfortable seating areas to relax and meet up, students can get burnt out and struggle to connect with other students. Architects have a greater impact on the college experience than many people realize. A quality university education depends on a mix of academic productivity and healthy social bonds. If a space isn’t functional, then students will struggle to get their work done and their education will suffer as a result.
Architects Have a Vital Responsibility to University Students
Students need to feel supported, and architecture and design is a means of doing this. Universities are important, teaching students skills that will allow them to make a stronger and more meaningful impact on the world. But this is only possible if they receive the support they need from day one and throughout their educational journey. CMBA brings a
students-first approach to design, and sometimes that's what makes the difference between a good educational experience and truly extraordinary one.
