Contact Careers

Douron

inspiration at work

Tips/Tricks

Sound Decisions

If you’re sitting or standing at your desk in the office right now, look up. Chances are pretty strong that what you’ll see is a standard ‘drop’ ceiling … metal tracks supporting square or rectangular white tiles. Also called acoustical ceilings, these are the sensible shoes of office design … functional but very bland.

And if you’ve ever been in a conference room with one of these ceilings, drywall walls and more than a few people, you’ve learned that these ‘acoustical’ ceilings aren’t really all that good at deadening sound. It’s hard to accomplish much with all that noise bouncing off of every surface.

So much focus in office design is on the visual side of things that it’s easy to forget to take our ears into account as well as our eyes. Improper acoustics can turn an office, and especially a large open space, into an auditory nightmare that makes it difficult to get work done. Designing spaces to control sound reverberation is an absolute must.

The good news is that deadening the sound in your office space doesn’t have to mean deadening the appearance as well. Consider suspended acoustic modules as a better way to go. The name may not sound much different from those old-school ceilings, but there are significant differences:

Function: The open ceilings and concrete floors in many modern workplaces are great for an urban vibe, but not so much for deadening noise. Acoustic modules make these or any other large or shared spaces more functional by absorbing unwanted sound.

Suspended Sound Absorption

Appearance: This is where suspended acoustic modules really shine, adding a unique visual dimension to a space. The design choices are nearly endless, from a simple grid to patterns that suggest ocean waves to any number of other geometric choices. The modules can be a subtle white or gray, or add bright pops of color for even more visual interest.

If the existing ceiling complements the room well but isn’t acoustically appropriate (as in many of those urban-style offices mentioned above), acoustic modules can allow it to show through. Some styles even allow for lighting placed above the modules for a more subtle look, a big improvement over those fluorescent fixtures bolted onto a drop ceiling.

Flexibility: A large space may not need acoustical improvement from wall to wall. Perhaps there’s a dedicated conversation area where quiet is called for. Acoustical modules can be placed strategically for just such a purpose.

Mastering the sound in your workplace doesn’t mean settling for bland and boring. Look into the nearly endless varieties of suspended acoustic modules and see and hear what you’ve been missing.

Questions about acoustic modules or other sound control in the workplace? Contact Douron.

Interconnectivity and Versatility in Classroom Design

It goes without saying that a well-designed classroom can greatly impact student engagement, learning outcomes, and overall school experience. That overall experience is perhaps more important than ever as teachers and students continue to recover from the unprecedented disruptions of the COVID-19 pandemic.

Here we’ll take a look at two vital components in classroom design: interconnectivity and versatility.

Versatility in classroom design is no longer a wish-list item; it’s a necessity. The times of students spending entire days sitting at forward-facing desks in neat rows are behind us, and with good reason. Learning takes many forms and so must the classroom, adapting from configurations for private study to form factors that encourage collaboration and creativity (and yes, forward-facing seating for teacher presentations).

Versatility in the Classroom

It’s worth noting that the flexible classroom accommodates not only different styles of education but different styles of learning. Students receive and process information in varied ways, and a learning space that can adapt will give them a better chance at success.

A versatile classroom design can be achieved through a range of elements, including modular furniture, adjustable lighting, and even acoustics. Lighting is especially important (and often overlooked). Ample natural light is conducive to better learning, but there should be a means for darkening a room as well, for group viewing of video or other presentations.

Interconnectivity refers to the integration of technology and communication in a classroom. This can range from Wi-Fi access and interactive displays to online collaboration tools and video conferencing. Interconnectivity allows for seamless communication and collaboration among students, teachers, and even remote participants. Students can access information and resources in real-time, participate in virtual field trips, and collaborate with peers from other schools.

 

Versatility in the Classroom

An interconnected and versatile classroom benefits both students and educators. Students are able to explore and learn at their own pace and can collaborate with peers, both in and outside of the classroom, on projects and assignments. Technology also helps to break down barriers, allowing students to engage with diverse perspectives and experiences.

Teachers can use technology and flexible classroom design to personalize learning for their students. With the ability to adjust teaching styles to meet the needs of their students, they can better engage and motivate their students to learn. Technology can also shorten the feedback loop for teachers, offering real-time assessments and data analysis, allowing them to more quickly identify areas where their students need additional support.

Ultimately, successful outcomes depend on the educator and the curriculum combining to engage and challenge students. Those positive outcomes are far more likely when teacher and curriculum are supported by the right technological tools in a flexible learning environment.

Questions about how you can integrate interconnectivity and versatility in the classroom? Contact Douron.

Supporting Mental Health with Classroom Design

To say that the past few years have been a challenge for our students would be a great understatement. Most have experienced some combination of learning from home and physical distancing on site, both of which have not only made learning more difficult but have limited the growth of the social skills necessary for success. All of that has taken a collective toll on mental health.

The answers for these challenges vary from curricula to individual educators, but classroom design is among the factors that can support better mental health for our students. Let’s take a look:

Flexible furniture. Engaged students are more likely to learn, and in fact one study reports that the choice of classroom furniture alone can increase student participation significantly.

We have addressed the value of flexible furniture in classroom settings many times here, and it’s more important than ever. While the traditional desks-in-a-row classroom arrangement is suitable for one-to -many learning, collaborative work may call for chairs around larger tables, and a semicircle arrangement of chairs allows for better eye contact and interaction. The bottom line is that classroom furniture that can adapt to different activities will result in better engagement and better outcomes.

Flexible Classroom Furniture

Get the light right. With the caveat that this may not always be controllable, classrooms should obviously have lighting adequate to the task at hand. Natural light is directly related to well-being for students (and all of us), so take care not to block windows with bookcases or other furniture. Greenery can also help contribute to better performance, whether that takes the form of plants in the classroom, the view outside the windows or both.

It is possible to have too much of a good thing, though. Large, overly bright windows without shades or blinds can create distracting glare and make it difficult to view videos, slideshows or other presentations. As with furniture, classroom lighting that can adapt to the task at hand is a worthy goal.

Start with a plan. The ideal classroom design may be very different from one educator to another. A good plan begins with a review of the curriculum, giving thought to the ideal arrangement of lighting and furniture for each component. While some of these items may not be within the control of teachers or administrators, there may be room for creative solutions. Windows that let in too much light, for example, might be partially covered with student art projects, a simple, no-cost fix.

Finally, let the students chime in. At any age, we like to feel we have a voice in what happens around us. Soliciting feedback on things like seating arrangements will make students feel valued and that their voices are important, both vital components of engagement.

Questions about how you can support your students’ mental health? Contact Douron.

Putting the “Welcome” in “Welcome Back”

As we continue to work our way back from the pandemic and transition to being back in the office, companies find themselves in an interesting situation. Commercial spaces are diminishing in size, due in part to the work-from-home (WFH) factor, but at the same time organizations want to welcome back their employees to be in the office as much as possible. Exactly how that will look remains to be seen, and will vary for each company, but here are some ideas:

There’s no doubt that we work better together when we’re face to face. Communication, collaboration and team-building all are hampered when we put Zoom or MS Teams between us. But WFH is not going away. Employees have realized that they can get much of their work done without enduring a commute to the office every single day, and higher fuel prices have them digging in their heels even more. Others have simply gotten used to being in their WFH bubbles and are reluctant to change.

So how does an organization put its best foot forward to create a welcoming environment that encourages employees to be there in person? It starts with communication. Some have been working remotely for so long that they may have forgotten the benefits of being together in the same space. Leadership should make the point that everyone is better – as individuals and as a team – when they’re working together. This messaging needs to be repeated again and again.

Welcoming Bistro

In terms of office design, consider refocusing on accommodations that encourage collaboration and even fun: Add or upgrade breakrooms, a café or bistro, or comfortable lounge areas that encourage face-to-face interaction. Those may sound frivolous, but the benefits are very real: Employees in the office will naturally interact more, and those at home or on a hybrid plan will be inclined to spend more time there.

This doesn’t necessarily mean more space; it might involve repurposing existing square footage or even reducing the overall office footprint. A Harvard Business Review article notes that Salesforce reduced its desk area by 40% in favor of spaces that can foster both individual and collaborative work.

These new or modified spaces need to be featured in company communications as well. Just as leadership should repeatedly share the benefits of working together in person, they should communicate the efforts being made to encourage in-person attendance. Give those new spaces descriptive names and show your team members using them, having fun and being productive.

The return-to-work path will be different for each organization, and for each individual, and prying some of those individuals away from their home office will be a challenge. But by creating more inviting and collaborative spaces and communicating the benefits of using them, you can increase your chances of having a team that works together face to face.

Texture Talks – Fabric and Feel

Fabric and Feel in Commercial Design

When we begin to imagine reinventing a commercial space, we tend to let our eyes – and our mind’s eye – take over. As a starting point, we visualize certain furniture pieces, room layouts and especially color combinations. But vision, as important as it is, is only one of our senses. The touch and feel of the finishes in a space are key to a successful design also, and have their own impact on its appearance as well.

Textures in commercial design vary widely, and that’s perhaps the most important point: Employing a variety of textures adds both visual and tactile interest to a finished space. Just as you probably wouldn’t finish an entire room in the same exact color, you should look to vary the textures as well. And just as with colors, the right combinations can both balance a space and add variety, quite literally changing the feel of a space.

There are multiple ways to incorporate textures in commercial design, including wall and ceiling finishes. For our purposes, though, we’ll focus on fabrics. Texture is determined by every single step in the production of a fabric, and manifests itself not only in how rough or smooth a given material is, but in how firm or supple, how sheer or substantial the finished product is.

Textured Fabric

In planning textures, the first consideration might be practical rather than aesthetic. For example, you probably wouldn’t choose a gauzy, delicate fabric for chairs in a preschool classroom. The weight and durability of any material should be compatible with its intended use.

Having made those determinations, textures can be planned in ways that are very similar to choosing color schemes. Just as you might choose a main color for a space, with brighter colors or patterns as accents, so it is with textures. Most of the furnishings might have a common texture with a few accent pieces that offer variations on that texture, or contrasting textures.

And while we’ve largely focused on furniture here, a typical commercial space offers other opportunities to incorporate variations fabric textures, from divider walls to acoustical panels for walls or ceilings. The possibilities are literally endless.

Interestingly, the term ‘run of the mill,’ which now refers to anything common or ordinary, has its origin in weaving mills and the mass-produced fabrics they began to turn out in the early 20th century. A little attention paid to not only color selections but texture variations will help make sure you don’t end up with a run-of-the-mill interior space.

Questions about textured fabrics for successful design? Contact Douron.

Healthy Movement in the Classroom

If you’re of a certain age, chances are that you have a memory of a teacher telling you to sit still, stop fidgeting or something similar. After all, if you were moving around in your chair you must not have been paying attention, right? Wrong. Healthy movement in the classroom can be a good thing.

Research has confirmed that a moderate amount of movement actually helps to improve concentration and focus in the classroom. Looking at it from the other direction, sitting still does not mean paying attention … when we’re forced to be still we tend to wander mentally, become drowsy or both. This is true both in school and in professional settings, but it’s especially challenging for young people to keep still.

Children’s brains are still developing, and movement helps to refine the motor skills that lead to better coordination, which is directly linked to learning ability. Healthy movement encourages that development and helps keep kids more active and more alert, even if that movement happens while they’re seated.

Healthy Movement

So while part of the solution is to design a curriculum that allows for movement while out of their chairs, like getting out for walks or taking other breaks for physical activity, classroom design is increasingly allowing for movement while learning is happening, not as a separate activity.

This doesn’t necessarily mean having everyone rolling around on wheeled chairs (although rolling chairs are a great addition to a flexible classroom environment). Solutions can be as simple as providing seating with a footrest so kids can adjust their leg position. Chairs with adjustable height allow for changes in posture (and again are conducive to flexible classrooms). Other offerings include chairs that rock or bounce, or both, allowing a limited amount of movement but not enough to create a distraction from learning. Standing desks are another great option for healthy movement.

There’s no longer any doubt that movement helps learning rather than hindering it, so with any luck the days of those uncomfortable desk-bolted-to-the-chair classrooms are behind us.

Questions about classroom design for better learning? Contact Douron.

© Copyright 2023 Douron, Inc. All Rights Reserved.