Spaces of Connection
Spaces of Connection Have a Meaningful Impact on Mental Health
According to the CDC, connectedness within a community is an important way to support mental health and positive behaviors. Students who feel connected to their school are less likely to engage in negative, high-risk behaviors and more likely to experience academic achievement. Building community in this way has a positive impact for educators as well, at a time when 1 in 4 teachers are leaving the profession in their first four years and there is a deep concern that as many as 55% of teachers could leave the profession in the next two years. Social connection can lower anxiety and depression, help us regulate our emotions, lead to higher self-esteem and empathy, and actually improve our immune systems.
Source: https://www.nbcnews.com/nightly-news/video/surgeon-general-issues-rare-public-health-advisory-over-youth-mental-health-crisis-128141381995; https://www.cnbc.com/2022/11/22/teachers-are-in-the-midst-of-a-burnout-crisis-it-became-intolerable.html; https://cmha.ca/news/the-importance-of-human-connection/#_ftn1
Flooring Contributing to Spaces of Connection
This Chicago high school leadership had past experiences of how the flooring would create student-centered engagement spaces of connection. The design partner added exceptional detail to how the flooring would contribute based on not only acoustics but also the soft color tones.
What is the role of flooring to enhance Spaces of Connection?
Healthy buildings have been found to improve overall well-being, reduce stress, and reduce respiratory disease and other chronic illnesses. Human cognitive load management is also impacted by the built environment. Experiential zones have now become an integral part of a design thinking process to delineate areas to foster an entire learning and teaching ecosystem. Research through the lens of neurodiversity showed that flooring had a strong impact on acoustics, orientation and navigation, pattern, delineation of space or zones, tone, texture, friction and maintenance. School pride represented through beautiful logos and creative brand gestures can bring lifelong memories for students of all ages.
Experiential Zones create spaces of engagement, quiet behavior, empathy and comfort
Wayfinding is a design nudge to subtly reduce anxiety in students
Empathy, Social Experiences, and Cognitive load impacted by Acoustics
Imaginations Custom Floor Design Program
Imaginations program by Tarkett creates an unlimited opportunity to create nudges, branding, wayfinding which enhance the ultimate student experience.