By Jennette La Quire, AIA, LEED AP ID+C听

Across all grade levels,听hands-on learning is听gaining renewed momentum. As teachers and administrators听increasingly embrace experiential approaches, education is transforming into a more active,听collaborative听and dynamic process听for students. This shift is fueling a demand to听creatively and effectively听connect theoretical knowledge and practical听application听鈥� and is听set to define 2026 and beyond.听听

Nurturing Wellbeing with (and without) Technology听

Safety is the priority for all school design stakeholders. Creating a single point-of-entry, while allowing for emergency egress from various parts of the campus, is a strategic way to enhance security without installing overbearing fencing. Windows enable passive supervision and enhance the overall atmosphere. While light and healthy learning spaces are ideal, they must also be designed with potential threats in mind. Aside from window treatments, interior locks, places to duck-and-cover, and screening via shrubbery, schools are starting to install call buttons (also known as panic buttons), which can instantly alert the entire campus to an emergency. This style of broadcast system is an听additional听tool to make students feel safe without making them feel confined.

High-resolution听security cameras听are becoming increasingly common, and not just on the听exterior. High schools are experiencing an uptick of students vaping in bathrooms, setting off smoke detectors, and flushing vapes down the toilet, often leading to plumbing issues. One trending solution involves placing a high-resolution camera at the bathroom鈥檚 exterior entrance听as a deterrent,听since听they鈥檒l听be seen entering or exiting the restroom where these incidents occur.听

Adapting to Pre-K (or TK) Inclusion听

At the elementary level, school districts are听following听funding听and policy听shifts to incorporate听transitional kindergarten (TK),听also known as pre-K,听into听both听new and听existing听buildings. The听challenge听for planners and designers is that state听policies听often require preschools to听meet听lower teacher-to-student ratios than the rest of the school,听along with听in-class restrooms听that are easy to supervise.

In听HED鈥檚听听across听the听San Francisco Bay Area, cost-effective use of existing infrastructure has been central to successful modernization efforts.For new construction, districts that have not yet received funding or mandates are proactively planning for future TK integration by including听stubbing in听plumbing and听allocating听additional听classroom space.听

Fine-Tuning Food Service听

For school districts in California (and elsewhere), the free-lunch policy instituted during the COVID-19听era has听continued.听As a result, the number of students taking advantage of accessible food has ballooned. To adapt to the听increased strain on the cafeteria space and staff, food service is shifting away from long queues of counter service to 鈥渟peed lines.鈥澨鼳t听Palo Alto鈥檚 Gunn High School,听HED听instituted lines that move along both sides of grab-and-go, center islands. Minimal staff听members听are听required to听scan items at the end of the two lines, ensuring each student receives a well-rounded听meal听and the food service director can track the volume of items听consumed.听The trend to听streamline food service听helps听minimize听queues,听allowing听more time for children to eat,听and听measures听the impact on kitchen capacity.听

Reimagining CTE听

Career Technical Education (CTE) spaces have become听drivers听for design innovation. Gone are the days of tucking woodshop or auto mechanics in a back room. Practical, hands-on learning environments are taking center stage alongside technology, math,听science听and art instruction.听

In some cases, schools are proactively linking the contemplative and kinetic aspects of CTE,听facilitating听connectivity through all aspects of a particular career pathway. HED鈥檚 project at Santana High School听in听San Diego County, Calif.,听involved converting a formerly HVAC equipment-filled mezzanine into a viewing corridor linking the computer lab to the fabrication lab. Given this easy connection, students can work on architectural and engineering project calculations and drawings; then, they can easily move to the neighboring auto shop, fabrication lab, or electronics lab to bring their creation to life. Incorporating both the technical and hands-on aspects of that learning experience helps students get a feel for different careers, such as engineering versus construction, and gain insight into potential pathways after graduation.

Embracing the 鈥渋f you can see it, you can be it鈥� philosophy, the Grossmont Union High School District integrated a听into its campus. The facility delivers professional training and certifications for in-demand careers, such as dental assistant, vet tech, phlebotomist, EMT and nursing assistant. For younger students, it creates a sense of access and possibility.听

Read more about听CTE spaces, and听how adaptable spaces and听new technologies听can also support flexibility and sustainability,听in the听November/December Technology edition of 糖心少女.听

Jennette La Quire, AIA, LEED AP ID+C, is the听Pre-K-12 Sector Leader听at HED and a member of the 糖心少女 Editorial Advisory Board.听

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By Megan Marsh

As education methods and types of spaces evolve, CO Architects is continually exploring emerging trends shaping the future of interiors in higher education. Our challenge as architects and interior designers is to create university environments that foster community, places that support collaboration, encourage interactions among people with varying points of view and forge human bonds. These key trends are important design elements shaping the future of higher education.

1. Flexibility

In an era where everyone must do more with less, flexible design solutions ensure that universities utilize spaces to their full potential. Flexible spaces and furniture that adapt to the future of education are a growing trend. Clients are also increasingly requesting agile spaces that are equipped to respond to various technologies and experiential needs. Many of our projects include movable partitions that allow classrooms to expand as well as large gathering areas that can be reconfigured to host various event types and group sizes, such as lectures, graduation ceremonies and TED Talks.

Designers are now combining business, education, and leisure in blended-use spaces instead of programming them separately for work or gathering. Co-mingling increases occupancy through varying uses throughout the day. Movable, versatile furniture is a vital aspect of space flexibility. Foldable and stackable furniture with integrated storage allows for quick reconfiguration for different activities.

2. Tech-Enabled Spaces

A corollary of flexible design is integrating current technology into campuses for both new buildings and modernizations of older ones to ensure longevity and relevancy. Examples include integrating Augmented Reality (AR) and Virtual Reality (VR) to enrich students鈥� campus and education experiences. The evolution of higher education design to focus on technology-driven learning environments as technology-enhanced spaces like AR and VR labs help make complex concepts easier to understand.

Other features routinely included are interactive smartboards, video-conferencing tools and other collaborative software as well as podcast rooms and recording studios for professors to professionally record lectures for hybrid learning, meeting current teaching needs but also accelerating new teaching methodologies.

3. Neurodiversity

Recognizing that students learn in a wide variety of ways, universities are becoming more accommodating to a range of cognitive and sensory preferences. Designs ensure that a choice of sensory environments is provided, in order to cater to diverse learning styles and needs. This can include a variety of study, learning and meeting environments, providing dimmable lighting and a range of color palettes. Collaboration areas vary from brighter rooms with plenty of natural light, to darker rooms with soft lighting as well as a range of visual and acoustical privacy elements. A mix of furniture types adds additional choices, allowing students to choose based on how they鈥檙e feeling at any given time.

4. Community-Fostering

The overall square footage in the education sector has remained relatively stable. However, space allocation has shifted toward slightly smaller private offices for faculty and an increase in flexible, shared workspaces or hybrid work models for faculty and staff.

This decrease in private workspaces is offset by a significant increase in public and community-life spaces, such as larger common areas, student lounges, collaboration zones and wellness facilities. Spaces that prioritize social interaction, support student well-being, and enhance campus life reflect a shift toward more communal, multi-functional environments within educational buildings.

5. Local Outreach

Higher education design increasingly considers and embraces the neighboring community. Multi-modal lecture spaces are often designed to also host community events, drawing residents onto campuses. Design details regularly embrace local influences and neighborhood history. Art installations often draw inspiration from the site surroundings and sometimes showcase the work of local artisans.

Visit the to see how wellness, outdoor learning spaces and sustainability are also shaping the future of higher education.

Megan Marsh is a senior interior designer and senior associate in the Los Angeles office of CO Architects.

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