69传媒

Student Well-Being

5 Tips for Designing School Spaces That Support 69传媒鈥 Mental Health

By Libby Stanford & Laura Baker 鈥 April 06, 2023 3 min read
Student Well-Being

5 Tips for Designing School Spaces That Support 69传媒鈥 Mental Health

By Libby Stanford & Laura Baker 鈥 April 06, 2023 3 min read
A large tree offers shade over the picnic tables in the Senior Courtyard at George C. Marshall High School in Falls Church, Va., on March 1, 2023. 69传媒 often use the outdoor space to eat lunch on sunny days.
  • Save to favorites
  • Print
Email Copy URL

As more students struggle with depression, anxiety, and stress more than three years into the COVID-19 pandemic, schools are prioritizing mental health support. But as schools make investments in counselors and social-emotional learning, small improvements to the physical environment can also make a difference.

Claire Latan茅, a landscape architecture and environmental design professor at Cal Poly Pomona, has dedicated her career to helping school districts design buildings with a focus on student mental health and well-being.

In 2021, Latan茅 published her book 69传媒 That Heal: Design with Mental Health in Mind, which provides a comprehensive look at how schools can improve their environments to support student well-being.

鈥淭he school environment is so often ignored in terms of how it makes students and teachers and the community feel,鈥 Latan茅 said in an interview with Education Week. 鈥淔or the last 40 years, they鈥檝e really been designed to look like and feel like prisons, often by the same architects that design prisons.鈥

Studies have shown that views of nature, outdoor spaces, and places to gather can improve mental health and well-being. Here are five tips schools can use to transform their buildings into more positive environments. Yes, some apply to the design of new or renovated spaces, but schools can incorporate others without undertaking new construction.


Windows

A student walks past a wall of windows overlooking the Five Star Courtyard at George C. Marshall High School in Falls Church, Va., on March 1, 2023. One of three courtyards, it鈥檚 surrounded by classrooms with large windows looking over the space.

Spaces with lots of windows and ample light have a positive impact on student and staff well-being, particularly if the windows capture a view of nature.

A school that supports mental health 鈥渞eally takes advantage of natural ventilation and sunlight but also provides big windows so that students, teachers, and staff can see trees and gardens,鈥 Latan茅 said.


Outdoor spaces

Freshmen at George C. Marshall High School in Falls Church, Va., eat lunch outside in the Senior Courtyard on March 1, 2023. The high school has three courtyards where students can access the outdoors during the day.

69传媒 are often happier when they have access to nature. That鈥檚 why outdoor spaces can be a great way to improve students鈥 mental health and well-being.

Although it may seem like school yards where teachers can have a view of every student make the most sense, wide open spaces actually correlate with more disorderly conduct among students and crime, Latan茅 said.

鈥淚t鈥檚 the smaller spaces and more variety of spaces that correlate with better pro-social behavior, less bullying, and less crime,鈥 Latan茅 said. 鈥淪ometimes we need a small space to go away from other people and restore our sense of calm.鈥


Cozy common areas

Image of a lounge area at school.

Natural materials, soft fabrics, and comfortable seating all help students feel calmer in the school environment. Enhancing a space鈥檚 sense of calm can be as simple as adding a few couches to common areas or decorating classrooms with curtains, soft lighting, and varied places to sit.

鈥淥ften, we don鈥檛 have the budget, we don鈥檛 have the time, but there are some small things you can do,鈥 Latan茅 said. 鈥淪tarting with really looking at the school and each classroom and figuring out how to make them feel homier.鈥


Classroom Pets

Kalani greets Madeleine, the guinea pig in Jessica Heath's 2nd grade class at Morris Elementary School in Morris, Okla., on Jan. 17, 2023.

Pets, such as goldfish, hamsters, or even visiting dogs, are a great way to help students feel happier and more connected to the school environment.

Teachers who can鈥檛 have classroom pets can add plants to the classroom. The goal is to bring life into the room and help students feel connected to the environment around them, Latan茅 said.


Quiet Zones

Image of measuring decibel level.

Loud noises, such as HVAC, street construction, or alarms, can be distracting and potentially trigger stress or trauma.

69传媒 can help offset some of those noises by giving students access to quiet spaces where they can relax and restore their sense of calm, Latan茅 said.

鈥淢aking sure spaces are quiet and students aren鈥檛 interrupted by loud, jarring, or irritating noise is really important, especially for students and teachers experiencing or recovering from trauma,鈥 she said.

Related Story

Freshmen at George C. Marshall High School in Falls Church, Va., eat lunch outside in the Senior Courtyard on March 1, 2023. The high school has three courtyards where students can access the outdoors during the day.
Freshmen at George C. Marshall High School in Falls Church, Va., eat lunch outside in the Senior Courtyard on March 1, 2023. The high school was highlighted in Claire Latan茅's book <i>69传媒 That Heal: Design with Mental Health in Mind</i> for its abundance of outdoor spaces.
Jaclyn Borowski/Education Week

Events

School & District Management Webinar Crafting Outcomes-Based Contracts That Work for Everyone
Discover the power of outcomes-based contracts and how they can drive student achievement.
This content is provided by our sponsor. It is not written by and does not necessarily reflect the views of Education Week's editorial staff.
Sponsor
School & District Management Webinar
Harnessing AI to Address Chronic Absenteeism in 69传媒
Learn how AI can help your district improve student attendance and boost academic outcomes.
Content provided by 
School & District Management Webinar EdMarketer Quick Hit: What鈥檚 Trending among K-12 Leaders?
What issues are keeping K-12 leaders up at night? Join us for EdMarketer Quick Hit: What鈥檚 Trending among K-12 Leaders?

EdWeek Top School Jobs

Teacher Jobs
Search over ten thousand teaching jobs nationwide 鈥 elementary, middle, high school and more.
Principal Jobs
Find hundreds of jobs for principals, assistant principals, and other school leadership roles.
Administrator Jobs
Over a thousand district-level jobs: superintendents, directors, more.
Support Staff Jobs
Search thousands of jobs, from paraprofessionals to counselors and more.

Read Next

Student Well-Being Download Traumatic Brain Injuries Are More Common Than You Think. Here's What to Know
Here's how educators can make sure injured students don't fall behind as they recover.
1 min read
Illustration of a female student sitting at her desk and holding hands against her temples while swirls of pencils, papers, question marks, stars, and exclamation marks swirl around her head.
iStock/Getty
Student Well-Being How Teachers Can Help LGBTQ+ 69传媒 With Post-Election Anxiety
LGBTQ+ crisis prevention hotlines have seen a spike in calls from youth and their families.
6 min read
Photo of distraught teen girl.
Preeti M / Getty
Student Well-Being 69传媒 Are Eerily Quiet About the Election Results, Educators Say
Teachers say students' reactions to Trump's win are much more muted than in 2016.
6 min read
Republican presidential nominee former President Donald Trump greets Republican vice presidential nominee Sen. JD Vance, R-Ohio, at an election night watch party at the Palm Beach Convention Center on Nov. 6, 2024, in West Palm Beach, Fla.
Republican presidential nominee former President Donald Trump greets Republican vice presidential nominee Sen. JD Vance, R-Ohio, at an election night watch party at the Palm Beach Convention Center on Nov. 6, 2024, in West Palm Beach, Fla.
Evan Vucci/AP
Student Well-Being Student Journalists Want to Cover Politics. Not Everyone Agrees They Should
Student journalists are grappling with controversial topics鈥攁 lesson in democracy that's becoming increasingly at risk for pushback.
7 min read
Illustration of a paper airplane made from a newspaper.
DigitalVision Vectors