Interior Design for Education

Spaces that truly stand the test of time have to go beyond aesthetics. Often when people think of interior design, they mentally replace “design” with “decorating” and focus only on “the look”. While the look and feel of a space are key factors in eliciting an emotional response, there are many more equally as impactful factors that have been considered such as flow, function and flexibility.

“The more functions a single space can provide, the greater the value both monetarily and intrinsically.”

Current trends in campus design are seeking to provide open spaces for increased social interaction and collaboration. They often bridge to the more formal learning spaces and provide natural light, a variety of furnishings, charging stations and food service. These spaces encourage students to remain on campus between classes and engage with their peers socially and academically. These spaces provide opportunities for students to meet more organically and the end result shows greater cohesiveness and better mental health.

“...providing an approach of multi-use and timeless permanent features combined with on-trend adaptable transitory features creates spaces with endless possibilities.”

Another key consideration is flexibility. Never more than now has the ability to adapt and flex been more critical. The more functions a single space can provide, the greater the value both monetarily and intrinsically. Quite often, especially with smaller colleges, when a space is created or renovated it will not be revisited for upgrades or modifications for many years and perhaps even decades. To this end, at Novus we believe that providing an approach of multi-use and timeless permanent features combined with on-trend adaptable transitory features creates spaces with endless possibilities.