What to consider when designing schools for the 21st century?

When planning the reconstruction or construction of new buildings for education, it is essential to consider the well-being of their future users, namely the students and staff of schools, kindergartens, or universities.

Architects and designers face a challenging task when designing educational institutions that meet the trends of the 21st century. Modern schools, kindergartens, or universities are not just places for one-way transmission of information, but especially environments that shape the future of their users. When constructing or renovating these institutions, we should primarily consider the well-being of students and staff, who spend most of their time there. The goal should be to create an environment that stimulates concentration, free from any negative impacts on physical or mental health, while also making sensible economic demands for construction, operation, and maintenance.

We have selected 5 factors for you that ensure that a newly constructed or renovated educational institution meets all the requirements mentioned above. We have also prepared a Guide to Planning Educational Buildings, which you can download from this link or at the end of this article.

Acoustic Comfort

Acoustic comfort in educational institutions can be improved with the use of suspended or seamless StoSilent systems. They reduce unpleasant and harmful noise in open areas while also enhancing the educational process by improving the quality of spoken word transmission in the classroom.

In our regions, the acoustic comfort of rooms in schools, kindergartens, or universities is a greatly neglected factor. Excessive noise in classrooms and public spaces of schools is not merely a minor disruptive element, but a serious factor that affects the overall health and well-being of students and staff. Unpleasant echoes and high levels of reverberation can cause decreased concentration and increased stress not only among students but also among teachers. Long-term exposure to excessive noise can have very negative effects on the mental health of teachers and administrative staff. Therefore, when designing schools, it is necessary to pay due attention to acoustic solutions and to consider that properly set acoustic environments contribute to increasing the effectiveness of the entire educational process.

Hygiene and Surface Cleanliness

In the elementary school in Banská Štiavnica, all walls in the corridors, classrooms, and sanitary facilities were treated with StoColor Puran Satin or StoPox WL 100 coatings, which are durable, easy to clean, and resistant to strong disinfectants.

The choice of suitable finishes in environments frequented by children is not only an aesthetic issue but also considers important hygiene aspects. It is thus essential for the surfaces of walls and floors to be not only attractive but also easily cleanable and resistant to various types of contamination to maintain high hygiene standards. Resistance to aggressive disinfectants and cleaning agents should therefore be another key criterion when selecting materials or coatings for interior finishes. For instance, did you know that the sustainability or ease of cleaning the walls indoors is also influenced by the gloss level of the finish used?

Sustainability

One way to contribute to the long-term sustainability of school buildings is to choose a cast floor like StoFloor Comfort over linoleum or tiles. It is much more durable and in case of damage, it does not require dismantling, but simply a repair of the surface layer.

Sustainability is another area that we should pay attention to when designing a school or kindergarten. The façades and interiors of schools must withstand demanding conditions daily. From the impact of tennis balls to extreme weather conditions and the movement of large numbers of people through their corridors. By using durable materials, maintenance costs can be minimized while contributing to environmental protection and combating the climate crisis. Solutions like durable insulation systems, self-cleaning façade renders, or easily maintainable interior wall finishes reduce the need for future repairs, along with associated production and installation of construction materials.

Temperature and Energy Efficiency

The energy efficiency of educational institutions goes hand in hand with the aesthetic appearance of their exteriors. With façade solutions from Sto, you will achieve perfect thermal insulation results while making an impression on all passersby. The façade of the educational institution will act like a magnet, attracting students and staff to come closer and look inside.

Regulating the temperature in spaces where students and staff spend long hours is also one of the crucial areas that we must consider in the comprehensive design of buildings for education. Too high or too low temperatures can lead to decreased concentration and consequently worse academic performance. Besides the heating technology itself, passive forms of temperature regulation also play a very important role through appropriately chosen insulation systems or ways of mounting exterior shading into the façade. However, this is not only related to the quality of the indoor environment but also to increasing the energy efficiency of educational institutions.

Air Quality

An example of a material that can be used in the spaces of a school or kindergarten is the interior coating StoColor Sil Premium. It is completely non-toxic, highly durable, free from preservatives, and even has anti-mold properties.

The quality of air in classrooms is a factor that affects not only the physical but also the cognitive abilities of students. In addition to emission-free materials and quality ventilation systems, it is also important to consider the levels of CO2, humidity, and odors in the room. Elevated CO2 levels can lead to decreased concentration ability and reduce educational effectiveness. Humidity control is also important because air that is too dry or too humid can negatively impact the health and well-being of students and teachers. Additionally, the presence of unpleasant odors can create disturbances and affect air quality. Fortunately, there are now innovative solutions, such as interior coating StoColor Climasan, which actively cleans the air in the room even under artificial lighting.

Guide to Planning Educational Buildings

The Guide to Planning Educational Buildings is a great tool for everyone involved in preparing a project for new construction or renovation of buildings for education, such as schools, kindergartens, universities, or libraries.

However, the requirements for school buildings are much more numerous, and we have looked at only a few of them. They can differ, for example, in individual functional zones – different criteria must be met by a lecture hall at a university compared to a school cafeteria.

As a navigational aid for planning the construction or renovation of any building intended for education, we have therefore prepared a Guide to Planning Educational Buildings, which will guide you through solutions for each functional zone of educational buildings, taking into account all 5 factors mentioned in this article. You will also find examples of inspiring solutions from schools, kindergartens, universities, or libraries from domestic and European contexts. You can download the Guide to Planning Educational Buildings completely free from this link.