Trends in Higher Education: Higher education spaces must be highly adaptable – May 2024

By Jessica Chevalier

The student population of today varies dramatically, and the modern university must meet these learners where they are, providing spaces that facilitate education rather than complicate it. As such, higher education spaces must utilize flooring materials that provide benefits to the students and staff learning and working atop them: accessible by individuals of all physical abilities and intuitive to individuals of all learning styles.

In addition, universities must provide spaces outfitted with materials that support human health and wellbeing. This encompasses mental and physical health, students and staff. Thirdly, the higher education space must physically evolve to support the needs of its community. Adaptability is key. Covid was a reminder that space needs can change-and quickly. Staid, single-use spaces simply don’t offer enough bang for the higher-ed buck. Flexibility is a means of stretching not only what is done in a space but how it is done, which may mean emptying a classroom to establish a makeshift vaccine clinic or pushing desks aside for a hands-on learning opportunity.

In support of each of these goals, flooring must be a facilitator, not simply existing as an object of function and style but aiding these goals for the decade to two it is in place. Andy Kirch, design director at Gensler, points out that, unlike many other vertical sectors, higher education institutions own rather than lease their buildings, so they are generally invested for the long term and, therefore, take a big picture view with regard to material specification, investing in high-quality and durable finishes.

However, it’s key to remember, says Andrea Reay Wahl, associate and senior interior designer at Stantec, that higher education design is not one-size-fits-all; campuses operate and think differently from one another. A one-off campus will likely have a different perspective on interiors than one that’s part of a large system, as a newer college’s priorities may vary from those of an older, more established school. And key to a successful design is understanding the values of each institution and building out a design that honors those values.

SUPPORTING NEURODIVERSITY
Neurodiversity is a hot topic today and with good reason. Experts believe that 15% to 20% of the population is neurodiverse, which includes autistic, dyslexic and ADHD thinkers. People with these brains process information differently, and, while they are very much accustomed to living in a neurotypical world, higher education interior designers are today seeking to support their strengths through space design.

“We have been going to a lot of institutions and speaking to them about the importance of designing for the neurodiverse,” says Carol Stolt, design principal at FGM Architects. “We need to fold the neurodiverse in with design and make sure we are accommodating them. Many neurodiverse individuals don’t respond well to written signage, so if we can reinforce wayfinding with color, texture and pattern, that’s ideal. Classrooms might have one pattern, labs might have another, and yet another for meeting rooms. We try to reinforce wayfinding cues in several different ways.” In this effort, designers seek portfolios of flooring products that coordinate, but with enough variation to effectively communicate wayfinding across each space.

Another consideration supporting neurodiverse thinkers is through mitigation of distracting noise-both within and outside the classroom-and flooring plays an obviously important role in this effort, with soft surface flooring often utilized in classrooms and auditoriums to create an acoustically pleasing environment. And for spaces like corridors where soft surface may not be the prudent choice due to wear and tear, hard surface products with acoustic backing or inherent noise mitigation are frequently utilized; FGM Architects’ design team has utilized Zandur’s cork rubber, for instance, to good effect.

“We are designing spaces that are institutions without making them feel institutional,” says Suzanne Lefebvre, interior design practice leader at CannonDesign. “Some students, such as the neurodiverse, don’t want high energy all the time and need pockets to go to-small, thoughtful areas where they can get away.”

Lefebvre believes it’s important to create these “moments” without adding square footage or overdesigning. “Finding those spaces is key,” the designer says. “Giving a teacher or student a place where they can get a moment of reprieve in spaces that are easy to access, not off by themselves somewhere. There is a lot of anxiety in higher education. Users need spaces of comfort at close hand.”

For higher education specification, Lefebvre loves Bolon’s recycled woven vinyl flooring. In addition, “Matter Surfaces has a great non-vinyl, and I love linoleum-the softness underfoot and the matte finish,” the designer says. “I hope linoleum makes a comeback. Rubber is also fantastic. It is a good utilitarian product for spaces like labs, but it’s cool when used in an unexpected way. I haven’t yet used liquid linoleum, such as Duracryl’s, but I think it’s pretty cool.”

SUPPORTING HEALTH & WELLNESS
As most of us spend the vast majority of our time indoors, it only makes sense that the spaces in which we reside support our health and wellbeing.

Stolt points out that lighting choices in a classroom, for instance, can have a significant impact on whether a student in a night class heads home amped up and too wired to rest or able to wind down easily in preparation for the next day. These sorts of calculations are key in higher education design and require a good deal of research.

On the flooring front, CannonDesign doesn’t select a flooring, then hope it meets requirements around health and wellness, but instead begins with the portfolio of products meeting the firm’s health and wellness standards, assembled by its sustainability team, and makes specifications from there. CannonDesign prefers products with claims that are third-party verified, and Lefebvre notes the design team leans into the the sustainability team’s expertise by asking, “Is there a healthier option?”

Lefebvre points to Mindful Materials as another helpful resource in selecting products that promote healthful interiors.

SUPPORTING FLEXIBILITY
“Higher education came out of Covid looking for spaces that are flexible and adaptable-spaces that can be changed on a dime-understanding that it can’t have spaces that sit idle 60% of the time,” says Stolt. “Function will drive decisions about each project. We just finished a space serving auto and aeronautics learning that is a meeting room, a classroom, a place where they will hold vendor talks. We knew we needed hard surface and looked at several different things. Ultimately, we went with Zandur’s cork rubber. It’s dense enough that a vehicle can drive over it. It doesn’t scratch easily, so we don’t have to worry about equipment being rolled in. It’s the best solution for that situation.”

Kirch believes that the Covid experience underscored the value of the physical campus and, further, pushed these institutions to shift their focus toward providing “great spaces that promote socializing and collaboration, in addition to teaching and research spaces.”

CHECKING BOXES ON A BUDGET
Higher education flooring is often in place ten to 20 years, but that timeline can be doubled in some situations, designers report.

“The higher education sector has long prioritized durable, quality materials that hold up in high traffic environments, and that simultaneously provide comfort and acoustics,” explains Kirch, who reports that among his favorite flooring products for higher education specification are carpet tile, highly durable bio-based and rubber tiles, which come in a variety of finish options, and terrazzo for its timeless beauty and durability.

Stolt’s go-to floorcovering materials for higher education specification are LVT, carpet tile, and porcelain for major traffic and bathroom spaces. She also utilizes ERF, a spray epoxy for corridors and lab spaces, noting, “It can take on the look of terrazzo but is much cheaper and can be hosed down.” When the budget allows, she does like terrazzo for major throughfares, appreciating its timeless aesthetic and durability.

The new generation of bio-based resilients hitting the market excite Stolt. “Shaw’s new bio-based collection is promising, and I’ve seen several others, as well,” she says. “For a while, bio-based products didn’t hold up well. We are always weighing sustainability against maintenance and durability. It’s a fine balance. LVT is not perfect because of the vinyl component.”

Stolt is hoping that bio-based offerings will both proliferate and stand the test of time. “We would love to get away from vinyl altogether,” she adds. “I do think flooring manufacturers have embraced health and wellness ideas and biophilic design, and are doing well with that.”

There is a comfort level, Wahl reports, with utilizing materials that have performed well on past projects. If she does utilize something with which she doesn’t have experience, she makes sure to have an extensive conversation with the flooring manufacturer representative, both to determine if the product is time-tested in other installations and to inquire as to how the manufacturer will stand behind the product, should it fail.

Often, says Wahl, renovations move in phases, so there are also conversations to be had with flooring manufacturers on whether a product will be available in two or five or ten years, when the next phase is ready to install. “Sometimes, they will honor the pattern,” says Wahl. “If they can’t promise that, at least we can plan for it.”

Kirch believes that the flooring industry is doing well with regard to selection and cost. “The variety of finish and colors for flooring across product types has grown exponentially,” he notes. “You can always find a product that will work in terms of durability, sustainability and aesthetics. And the premium on sustainable products has started to level off. As the industry collectively moves in the direction of greater sustainability, we are seeing competition driving down costs.

Of course, looks always matter, especially in environments as competitive as higher education. A campus that looks good attracts students and staff. Regarding pattern, Wahl feels that manufacturers go through phases-stripey, blocky, fabric looks-but sometimes don’t hit the nail on the head.

GREEN GROUNDS
The design firms with which we spoke often encourage their higher education clients to utilize LEED and WELL standards in their designs, even if they don’t intend to apply for certification. Stolt reports that her team works with one client who seeks LEED certification for large projects but not for small ones; however, the client may still construct small projects to the same sustainability standards.

FGM begins client conversations with a sustainability checklist to determine which priorities are nearest and dearest to the client’s values. “We always create a health and wellness narrative that they can share with students and staff. Students are asking for this,” says Stolt, who reports that over 90% of her higher education business is with repeat clients. “We have been working with a couple of our clients for over 20 years,” she adds. FGM has seven offices around the country, along the East Coast and as far west as Texas.

“Increasingly, there is a strong focus on sustainability and wellness, including student wellbeing,” notes Kirch. “Health and sustainable building materials play an important role in achieving healthier environments on campus. To help our clients meet their commitments to reduce carbon emissions and create healthier spaces, we recently launched the Gensler Product Sustainability Standards, which establish performance criteria for the top 12 most commonly used, high-impact building product categories selected for architecture and interior projects. Included are carpet tile and resilient flooring, and we are actively partnering with flooring manufacturers on opportunities to reduce the carbon footprint of their products while improving health and wellbeing performance.”

Kirch believes that higher education is ahead of the curve with regard to sustainable design. “Most institutions have ambitious sustainability goals, and material selections play a large role in achieving these goals, particularly in interiors projects.” He notes that resources like Red List and Mindful Materials both guide informed materials selection and influence the materials industry to be more conscientious about producing materials that are not harmful to humans.

Wahl believes that large manufacturers are proactive with regard to sustainability and transparency, and adds that their representatives are generally both helpful and well-informed about the higher education market. While large manufacturers often have their sustainable documentation ducks in a row, smaller organizations may have less manpower and funding to put toward such efforts, and that can keep them from being used, even if their products offer strong sustainability benefits.

Stolt would love to see the flooring industry develop a more robust recycling program wherein manufacturers take responsibility for picking up waste flooring from the worksite. “Too many manufacturers put the onus on the institutions to send the flooring back for recycling, and they don’t have the resources to do that,” says Stolt. “If they did, those programs would be really well used.”

“I don’t like the thinking, ‘Don’t worry; they will refresh it in five years,’” says Lefebvre. “Rubber will withstand for a long time. The lifecycle of products is one of our main selection criteria. Does it need a high level of maintenance? How long will it last? It’s a huge piece of our decision making. I tend toward classics in flooring, so that the material isn’t getting ripped out time and again.”

Kirch is looking for greater transparency from flooring manufacturers with regard to carbon footprint. “This information is key to evaluating products against each other and to providing our clients with the best sustainable flooring options they are looking for,” he explains.

MARKET ACTIVITY
Covid put a hold on some large higher education sector projects. However, Wahl reports that others continued-albeit at a slower pace-because they were funded by bonds and, therefore, accountable to particular timelines.

Due to pent-up demand, coming out of Covid there was a lot of remodel work on the higher education designer’s table, and, at this point, some of the higher education projects put on hold are coming online.

“Today,” reports Stolt, “some higher education institutions are studying the viability of repurposing old buildings versus tearing them down,” reports Stolt. “Those that were put up in the 1960s, for example, can present some challenges with low ceilings and lack of energy efficiency, but I think it’s an exciting prospect to not have everything going to the landfill. If we can repurpose something, let’s do it.”

“It is an evolving time in higher education, with institutions challenged by higher operational and construction costs and lower enrollment,” says Kirch. “Master planning efforts are focused on being more strategic about building new. At the same time, there is a shift toward sustainability and reducing emissions. Regardless of renovation or new construction, a commitment to sustainability continues to be central to all projects.”

KASKASKIA COLLEGE
When FGM Architects was awarded the Kaskaskia College project in Centralia, Illinois, it was tasked with creating the most forward-looking institution that the budget would allow. Started amid Covid, the project is currently two-thirds finished, as the design team moves building by building reinvigorating the campus. The redesign encompasses the classroom spaces, the bookstore and all of the student service spaces, such as enrollment, counseling and financial aid.

FGM decided early that it wanted to use universal design principles, which go beyond ADA standards to ensure the space is usable, flexible and inclusive for the wider population, not just the standard mean, empowering the users with choice, flexibility and variety. “We had lots of fun with that,” recalls Stolt. “With flooring, we wanted to reinforce wayfinding cues to help students navigate the space. A certain percentage of the population responds better to visual cues than written cues, so we used flooring as a navigation tool. But we also knew the acoustics needed to be right, especially in classrooms. The flooring needed to have an acoustic quality that contributed to the space as well as being cleanable, maintainable, durable and also sustainable.” While the project was not seeking LEED certification, FGM wanted it to meet as many LEED standards as possible. Ultimately, the design team decided on an LVT product with a cork backing to meet these many and varied criteria. FGM reports that many of the flooring materials installed will be in place for 20 years, so specifying correctly up front is crucial.

FGM partnered with a core group of stakeholders throughout the renovation process. These included the construction project manager, maintenance staff, and equity and inclusion personnel, so that each of these experts could provide feedback. Further, FGM worked with the maintenance staff to optimize their maintenance program and thereby maximize the life of the floor.

Shaw, Patcraft and Tandus (Tarkett) products were all utilized within the Kaskaskia design. The cork-backed LVT product, featured in two neutrals and a more colorful version, has a fabric look. “We used color to draw students into the spaces, and it worked very well,” says Stolt. “Manufacturers have been doing well offering patterning other than concrete and wood.”

UNITY HALL AT WORCESTER POLYTECHNIC INSTITUTE
Gensler recently designed Unity Hall, an academic research building focused on computational-based technologies at Worcester Polytechnic Institute in Worcester, Massachusetts. A major goal for Unity Hall was to centralize various departments under one roof, in the hopes of increasing collaboration between academic disciplines. To achieve this, the building provides a mix of spaces: labs, faculty and administrative offices, active learning classrooms, meeting and support rooms, and, importantly, collaboration and social spaces.

As with most higher education projects, durability, sustainability and aesthetics were key factors in selecting flooring. Given Unity Hall’s variety of spaces, the project provided an opportunity to incorporate a range of flooring products, contributing to both the function and aesthetics. As both a hard-wearing and attractive product, terrazzo was selected for the stairs and high-traffic areas, including main entryways and corridors. In the robotics and computer labs, the design team used Forbo’s Marmoleum modular. Static dissipative floors were specified in server rooms and labs with sensitive electronics to prevent the buildup of static. In collaborative zones and other active areas where the team wanted to control the acoustics, it specified carpet tile for its ease of replacement if damaged.

Cleanability is also an important factor for high-traffic spaces. At another project with Worcester Polytechnic Institute, the Innovation Studio, the Gensler design team used a high-tech washable textile floorcovering with the slip resistance and acoustic properties of carpet, specifically for high durability and ease of cleaning.

D’YOUVILLE UNIVERSITY
CannonDesign was hired to design D’Youville University’s new osteopathic medicine facility in downtown Buffalo, New York. Borrowing from osteopathy’s approach to mind-body healthcare, the mass timber building is mind-to-body focused, following the eight principles of perceived sensory dimensions: serene (e.g. silent and calm), nature (e.g. wild and untouched), rich in species (e.g. many animals and plants), space (e.g. spacious and free), prospect (e.g. flat and well-cut lawns with scattered trees), refuge (e.g. an enclosed and safe place), social (e.g. entertainment and exhibition) and culture (e.g. decorated with fountains and ornamental plants), according to “Application of the Eight Perceived Sensory Dimensions as a Tool for Urban Green Space Assessment and Planning in China.”

This, says Lefebvre, is similar to designing for neurodiversity. The interior of the building, for which ground has now been broken, is very constrained in materiality and color. There is no vinyl flooring in the space at all. Instead, the project utilizes resinous flooring, rubber, linoleum, carpet tile, terrazzo and decorative concrete. Products by Nora, Tarkett, Interface and Mohawk were specified.

UNIVERSITY OF TEXAS AT DALLAS
Anchoring the campus’ science quad, the University of Texas at Dallas Sciences Building, designed by Stantec, contains classrooms, laboratories, offices and support space primarily for physics and space sciences. The building features lecture halls and an open courtyard with green space and seating areas. The L-shaped design allows passerby to see science in action as they pass several different research labs. This area contains the student commons space, where students and faculty can collaborate, study or socialize with colleagues.

Designing with sustainability in mind, the dynamic glass allows comfortable collaboration space without the need for window shades. Several studies were implemented that include everything from renewable construction and interior materials, smart heating, ventilation and air conditioning parameters to providing bike racks, collection of rainwater, and recycling of construction debris to achieve LEED Gold status.

A simple yet refined palette of raw materials-wood, concrete, steel and glass-are combined with playful use of saturated color. A playful integration of astrophysics in the design, lighting, ceilings, and finishes creates a “speed of light” visual as you move through the building.

Wayfinding was achieved throughout with dedicated colors at each level with materials and furniture. Flooring used in the Sciences Building include Nydree Wood flooring on the learning stairs, Mohawk and Milliken carpet tile, and polished concrete.

Copyright 2024 Floor Focus 

Related Topics:The International Surface Event (TISE), Tarkett, RD Weis, Interface, Mohawk Industries, Shaw Industries Group, Inc.