Enhanced Safety & Security
The safety of students and teachers is a top priority when designing schools. As such, consideration must be given to enhancing visibility and determining how people will access the building. Low-profile storage solutions like Spacesaver’s Day Use Lockers and Flexible Shelving units give teachers, librarians, and other staff members clear sight lines. Additionally, to support the work of resource officers in K-12 schools, secure gun lockers make temporary handgun storage safe and convenient for law enforcement to ensure the safety of those inside the building.
Sustainable and Holistic Designs
Across K-12 schools a greater focus is being placed on sustainability and student wellness when designing their facilities. Modernized spaces help create welcoming environments that meet learning, social, and emotional needs. Daylight and views of nature can improve mood, mental performance, brain activity, and mental health as well decrease depression. Good air quality can increase student and staff wellness and lead to better performance. Integrating Spacesaver’s customizable solutions is one way to promote natural light in school buildings as they can be efficiently configured to fit in available spaces without blocking windows or skylights.
Because school leaders are thinking about health and well-being in a holistic way, sourcing sustainably manufactured products like Spacesaver’s storage solutions made with recycled steel is also attractive to schools looking to be greener.
Technology Integration
When designing K-12 facilities, integrating technology is a must. Modern learning environments are critical to building tomorrow’s skilled labor workforce.
Present-day classrooms with an eye on the future should be designed to accommodate a variety of tools and technologies that can facilitate Career and Technical Education (CTE) and Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics (STEM) programs. With STEM and CTE facilities on the rise – many high schools are adding or upgrading labs for robotics, coding, biotech, advanced manufacturing, etc. Secure storage cabinets like Spacesaver’s 920 Series: Preservation Cabinet keep valuable materials secure and accessible so staff can keep accurate tabs on inventory. With a reconfigurable interior and modular frame, the 920 Series: Preservation Cabinet is a lasting investment, offering flexibility with adjustable shelves and trays to accommodate today’s needs and future requirements.
Collaborate on Designs
While flexibility, sustainability, safety, and technology are top of mind when designing K-12 schools, collaboration is crucial to ensure each school’s individual needs are met.
Engaging school administration, teachers, and students in the design process is a best practice for architects and designers. By collaborating with users to understand their needs and goals, designers can better specify storage solutions that enable the long-term goals of K-12 school districts.
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