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PART FOUR: More Skinny on the School Office
In our series so far, we've shared lots of practical tips on how to lay out, manage, and equip the school office, as well as touching on a few peripheral topics like running a "greener" office (more environmentally friendly, not a brighter mix of blue and yellow!). This week, we'll share a few more ideas and look forward to the final three weeks of the series, where we'll hear from school administrators about some of the things they've found effective in running "the bridge of the ship."
Lights! Action!
Let's face it, most school lighting follows a style we could call "early interrogation room." Especially in rooms where private conferences are held, during which, as you know, the emotional and not just the intellectual side of life comes to the fore, you might consider setting up a somewhat friendlier visual environment. In addition to the common-sense aesthetics, one practical note is that amber lighting can provide "warmth" in the winter months, while iridescent blue bulbs can "cool" a space in hotter climates.
Color Me a Wall
Grey is the only color that doesn't leave an "after image" on our retinas, and so a soft grey can be a great color for a contemplative space. Warm, tan colors can effectively set off pictures of landscapes or seascapes and can also help generate a sense of contemplation, while silver blues and other more vibrant shades can lend energy to a room. Textured paints, glazing, etc., can help walls "recede" and give a small space a little more of an expansive feel.
Safe and Sound
With all the electronics in the modern school office, make sure wiring is tucked away, preferably under baseboard stripping, both for aesthetic and safety reasons. Also, make sure that you consider when making over the school office the effect various layouts, furniture, and equipment will have on the sonic environment.
Naturally
In the 21st century "information age," it can be easy to forget a basic truth about humans: we are, after all, animals, and we exist best when we share our space with plants. Plants help oxygenate enclosed spaces and provide visual and thus psychological relief from the manufactured environment and all of our artificial appurtenances. Not only that: having plenty of plants around the school office and around the school in general can help reinforce the message with students that everything relates to learning – keep the little tags that identify plants, or make it a science project to have students identify and tag plants with little informational cards.
Air Apparent
Actually, air, being transparent is not all that apparent, so we can forget that, in older school buildings especially, the flow of air, both within the building and between the inside and outside of the building, is not optimal. This can often be the case where partitions have been erected to make two spaces from one, for example.
Ergo What?
Here's a pretty cool page on ergonomics as applied to office spaces – of course, they're focused on commercial offices, not school offices, but many of the same principles apply. The page is full of links and, yes, ads and product options, so, enjoy! http://websitetips.com/business/office/
Next: The three final parts of the series will feature input from administrators on this "nuts and bolts" topic. See you then!
