How to Get Ready for a Successful "Renovation Season" at Your School or University
Formaspace builds custom furniture for K-12 schools, colleges, and universities. Contact your Formaspace Design Consultant today to find out how we can support your projects, from ideation to completion.
Many educational institutions are adding makerspaces for student enrichment, with some focused on STEM education and others for younger students, such as at the discovery lab in Tulsa, Oklahoma, shown above.
Read more to find out how to ensure that your classroom, common areas, and school laboratory renovation projects are successful.
A major driving force behind a renovation project is environmental safety, such as removing asbestos contamination in old ceiling tiles or “old school” black laboratory asbestos-based countertops.”
AUSTIN, TEXAS, UNITED STATES, March 30, 2023/EINPresswire.com/ -- The end of the school year is just a couple of months away, so now is the time to press the accelerator pedal to finalize your plans for ‘renovation season,’ the time during the summer break when schools and universities focus on renovating and upgrading existing facilities.— Formaspace
Summer break is the ideal time for many educational renovation projects, given there are typically fewer people and less vehicular traffic on campus; plus, the summer months offer less likelihood of construction delays due to inclement weather.
But renovation season is short, so it’s critical to manage your logistics and project planning carefully to complete projects on time to avoid disruptions when the students and faculty return for the fall academic term.
In this article, we’ll look at some of the key considerations and helpful tips to help you get ready for a successful ‘renovation season.’
Pre-Renovation Planning And Preparation
Experienced facility managers recognize the value of long-range planning.
Pre-Renovation planning for major renovation projects taking place this summer (in 2023) typically started at this time last year (if not earlier), while planning for big renovation projects scheduled for summer 2024 is likely starting now.
The scope of pre-renovation planning and preparation includes:
- Prioritizing renovation projects
- Establishing concrete goals for each project
- Developing a budget and identifying/securing funding sources
- Identifying the project team
- Create a project plan and timeline
- Develop working project budget and cost estimates
- Issue RFPs to select potential contractors
Establish Concrete Goals And Objectives For Your School Renovation Projects
Formaspace works with leading K-12 school systems and over 350 colleges and universities nationwide. Based on our broad experience working with educational institutions, we generally group the key goals and objectives for school renovation projects into the following categories:
1. Renovate Common Areas, Classrooms, And Laboratory Environments To Be Safer, More Ergonomic, And Energy Efficient
Facility age is a key driver of school renovation projects. Many common areas, classrooms, and laboratories have not been updated since they were new and are in serious need of being brought up to modern safety, comfort, and ergonomic standards.
In some cases, a major driving force behind a renovation project is environmental safety, such as removing asbestos contamination found in old ceiling tiles, HVAC ducting insulation, or “old school” black laboratory countertops made from asbestos-based fireproofing material.
Other safety considerations pertain to school laboratories, such as improving inside air quality and upgrading fire protection. In many cases, it’s time to replace old, inefficient lab ventilation systems, such as fume hoods, with safer modern systems, as well as upgrade chemical storage cabinets to meet today’s current safety standards. These steps can help protect students and faculty from unnecessary chemical exposure and reduce the risk of fire or explosions. Other lab safety issues can be addressed at the same time, such as providing sufficient emergency wash stations and proper glass storage and drying racks.
Ergonomics is another important consideration in planning renovations – both for the classroom and the school laboratory. Modern furniture solutions are much more ergonomic than earlier designs, adding features such as tables and lab benches that can adjust to different heights, allowing them to accommodate students of different ages and sizes.
Increasing energy efficiency is another key objective for many school renovation projects. Replacing antiquated HVAC systems, updating old windows with sealed double-glazed units, investing in energy-efficient laboratory fume hoods, installing LED lighting, and adding insulation can reduce energy bills significantly.
2. Support Modern Pedagogic Approaches To Education, Including STEM Programs, Flipped Classrooms, And Project-Based Learning
Many of the school facilities built decades ago lack the flexibility to support modern developments in education pedagogy, such as project-based learning, flipped classrooms, and dedicated STEM education programs.
In response, many educational institutions are renovating classrooms and laboratories to create versatile teaching environments that support students working together in small, group-based projects.
Read more...
Julia Solodovnikova
Formaspace
+1 800-251-1505
mktg@formaspace.com
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