Building Series #2: A Comfortable & Cozy Space

We actually used the word cozy to help guide our design process for our new building! Not only was this guidance valid from the anecdotal level – it literally is what our students feel – but the approach is also validated by architectural research. In the spring 2013 issue of The Growing Mind, Karen Sumner wrote about the concept of “place attachment” as being the "overall psychological and emotional connectedness that a person experiences in relation to their environment.” The associated research tells us that students learn best when physical spaces are safe, well organized and comfortable. Indeed, some studies demonstrate that there is 5-17 percentile point difference between the achievement of students in poorly maintained or designed buildings and students in well-kept and well-designed structures.

At present, we don’t have purposefully designed spaces to eat together as a community. Furthermore, the Senior School lacks spaces and nooks for informal gatherings, small group work and individual reflection outside of the classroom. Our new building will add a much more pleasing aesthetic both in our wood-laden Dining Hall and through numerous, light-filled and inviting informal student spaces. We have done everything possible to design spaces that are comfortable and cozy.

Next week, we will focus our attention on how the new building makes use of natural light and connections to the outdoors.