Educational establishments can adapt to COVID-19 requirements

With appropriate solutions, schools and other educational establishments can go a long way towards adapting to the special challenges brought about by COVID-19. Outdoor space is the key to the extra surface area, and the Danish design industry is ready with hygiene- and cleaning-friendly solutions.

Even though we are probably past the worst of the COVID-19 crisis here in the UK, an uncompromising effort from the nation’s educational establishments is still needed to prevent a second wave of the pandemic. National authorities are urging social distancing and particular care regarding ‘touch points’, for example, as these are areas with a higher risk of spreading infection. Therefore, frequent cleaning of high-contact surfaces is particularly important.

According to award-winning Danish design company out-sider a/s, good solutions are already available. This is because out-sider has always created its design based on the very challenges the new reality will bring. The company normally designs furniture for urban spaces, but they have also helped institutions and architects around the world to make the most of their indoor and outdoor spaces. And one material in particular offers a whole raft of benefits, making it a popular choice with the Copenhagen design firm.

“Here at out-sider, we favour the tough material HPL or High-Pressure Laminate, which has a surface that can be completely sterilised. This is because, unlike wood, it is not an open material with small cracks. It can be shaped in all kinds of ways, and because it was originally designed for building facades it’s also incredibly durable,” explains Alice Vinkel, Project Manager at the design company.

HPL is made of scrap wood from sawmills across Europe, all of which are FSC approved. Instead of burning this scrap wood, it is turned into sawdust and made into paper. The laminate that out-sider uses comprises 50 sheets of this paper, which are pressed together under high pressure.

Outside is best
Many educational establishments at home and abroad are facing the serious challenge of maintaining recommended distances in the physical space they have available. Schools are not exactly inundated with surplus teaching rooms, nor can they conjure up a new canteen area just because the need has suddenly arisen. The way out-sider sees it, this is precisely why schools and other educational establishments should now start using outdoor spaces in the everyday run of things. After all, fresh air brings all kinds of benefits, as Vinkel explains:

“Research shows that enjoying fresh air during the day improves students’ concentration levels. So bringing some of the teaching, group work or lunch breaks outdoors kills two birds with one stone. It also frees up space inside, thus reducing the risk of infection. So basically, making active use of outdoor areas is the natural thing to do.”

Even if a second wave of COVID-19 doesn’t materialise, out-sider says that hygiene – and therefore also furniture that’s easy to clean – will still be important considerations at educational establishments:
“If nothing else, these strange times have shown us the importance, and indeed the good sense, of investing in even better hygiene. Educational establishments and workplaces alike have reported far less sickness-related absenteeism during the period, and that in itself is a great success,” Vinkel explains. She continues: “To begin with this was obviously because we were all isolating at home and couldn’t pass on infection. But since then the heavy focus on cleaning and hand sanitisation has ensured a better environment with less sickness. Now that we know these measures can improve our educational environments, we should take this lesson with us into the future – also after COVID-19.”