Working Wellness into School Facilities: 4 Trends

The above fireplace room at Fay School is designed to be a comfortable area for daily meditations, overnight stays or group counseling.

Wellness features and healthy design offer simpler, more flexible community spaces where students can relax and restore from the increased stresses of everyday life.

By Tracy Herzer

Given the protracted COVID-19 pandemic and already palpable environmental changes from global warming, it’s no wonder that independent schools are increasingly embracing wellness and sustainability on their campuses. Schools are considering programs and spaces that help prepare students for a future that prioritizes a holistic approach to healthy life choices. At SLAM (The S/L/A/M Collaborative), we’ve helped several independent schools address wellness through the lens of architecture that enhances interconnectedness and prepares students for today’s fast-paced world.

Here are four trends that have led the following five schools to reimagine their existing campus structures and enhance wellness:

Standards-Based Renovation

Greenwich Country Day School (GCDS) in Connecticut acquired an existing school building and renovated it using LEED (Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design) standards. The school found that the benefits of sustainability go far beyond construction and efficiency. By encouraging students to make healthy choices, there is more room for connection, integration and learning.

Read more via the online article was published on April 8, 2022 in NetAssets, a publication of the National Business Officers Association (NBOA).

Tracy Herzer, IIDA, LEED AP, NCIDQ, WELL AP