Incorporating Education Inspired Amenities to Enhance Student Experience

University is traditionally a place where students flock to learn and shape their futures, but who says that learning has to stop at the lecture hall? Depending on your course, the time spent in formal university settings can vary greatly. I remember my first year being far less demanding than my labour-intensive third year – so what did I do with that extra time? I explored the city, built lifelong bonds, and had fun – but looking back, there was 100% time for more learning. Also, with student drinking habits steadily declining, we have to ask: what else can fill that time? Learning, you say? Absolutely – but in new, engaging ways. That’s what has inspired me to write about the importance of integrating education-rich amenities into student living spaces to elevate both personal growth and the overall university experience.

Relaxed Social Settings

When creating these education inspired spaces the key is to actually not focus on the normal parameters of educational spaces. It’s more about creating holistic spaces that inspire natural learning and self-development. Today’s students expect more than just a desk and a chair - they seek environments that reflect their outside environment aesthetic – cafes, bars, co working spaces that are flexible, inspiring, and tailored to their unique ways of learning, collaborating, and creating.

Development Spaces

University is the ultimate self-development journey and people often come out equipped to charter the course of life, but whilst students aren’t studying how can we provide interiors that further help and support that development? How can we instil the environment that surrounds them to also include and push the narrative of learning in a more relaxed and nuanced way?

Many students may come to university without knowing basic skills such as cooking and cleaning and that’s ok. So, it’s about creating safe spaces where they can develop their skills without fear of judgment – it’s all about making the activities fun! Think masterclasses that teach essential skills such as… "A Student's Guide to Cooking on a Budget" or "DIY Laundry Hacks 101."

Private dining spaces and theatre kitchens are fantastic additions, encouraging students to bond over cooking while learning practical life skills. These spaces can also become hubs for cross-cultural collaboration – international students teaching peers their favourite dishes, sparking conversations that go far beyond food.

Think also about the demographic of students, what is the breakdown of UK and international students. What barriers may they face when it comes to communicating? Hold language classes where they can converse and learn from one another, rather than just a focus on language, think about colloquiums/slang and different dialects, so that everyone is included and it’s a more rounded, inclusive and beneficial experience.

What do development spaces look like I hear you say? Well, they are simply comfortable, multifunctional spaces where the students want to gravitate to. Interior design is important, but so is function, when these two align you’ll be onto a winner.

Unique and Multifunctional Spaces

With trends forever emerging and changing how do you keep up with them? Well, think out the box and make spaces innovative and adaptive ready for whatever your student’s desire.

Over the last year or so we’ve been asked to design Vlog Rooms and Content Spaces. With many Gen Z students embracing the influencer lifestyle and/or experimenting with content to elevate their personal brand, content spaces are becoming more popular understandably. As designers we always have to think of the next trend however, and how these spaces can be easily adaptable to be future proof. With a lot of these content spaces being acoustically cushioned what else could they double up as, a meeting room for staff, an extra space for student and parents for check in week, a wellness space or prayer room. They way to future proof is by having nothing fixed and furniture being on castors and tables being tilt -top. Thinking about these details when designing allows for flexibility of the space.

Gen Z can also be entrepreneurial in spirit so considering this when designing is key. Think about spaces that can support their growth such as business Pop-Up Spaces – designed for students to showcase their side hustles or projects.

Enhancing Well-being

Creating educational inspired spaces helps to enhance student well-being. When we learn, grow and remain curious we are our best selves. Incorporating educational spaces within student accommodation only further supports academic success and can take the pressure off as they are learning in a more relaxed and conducive environment, boosting productivity.  Well-being is a multifaceted topic that needs to be explored when it comes to designing student accommodation.  Spaces that support and aids a sense of belonging that students crave and expect from their time at university are so important. Think of space provision, different zones and neurodiverse friendly designs that cater to different people, so that everyone has a space that they feel comfortable and can develop in. Although its really important for students to focus on their studies, their student accommodation doesn’t just have cater to this, it can cater to more holistic and wellness focused educational activities such as book clubs, craft clubs and knitting clubs just to name a few. Education and fun can go hand and hand and that’s the best time of learning surely. Fun fact apparently this year’s Love Island cohort only wanted to hold onto their phones for one reason, can you guess? Duolingo, they didn’t want to mess up their streak. Case and point when you make education fun and inspiring people love to learn.

A Nod to nostalgia

In our last meeting as part of the Coventry university Interior Architecture Industry Panel, we discussed, ‘is sketching something students should still be doing?’ The resounding answer was ‘yes!’. It was reassuring to hear that these innate human instincts are still worth celebrating. But outside creative fields, are we losing touch with this hands-on form of learning? I was at an event the other day and the man told everyone to get a pen out to do an exercise - let me tell you pens were sparse! The way we communicate, and learn is changing, but with that, are we losing our uniqueness and our penmanship?

Time to look to the past to enhance our future. If you ask Gen Z and Gen Alpha what their hobbies are a lot will say something technology based. A form of creativity and some basic skills are in fear of being lost, because so many of our youth are attached to their devices. Although technology has many uses, it also isn’t letting parts of us fully evolve and we aren’t stretching our minds like we used to. Remember the A-Z the original map before Google Maps came along. Remember the adventures and mis turns – this was a learning experience, and we were flexing a different part of our brains. Google Maps is amazing, but how can we instil those skills within students to develop that part of their brain and retain these analog experiences, but in a fun way?  Think orienteering clubs, but maybe make them fun and themed, perhaps like the programme ‘Race Across the World’. Explore Escape Room games and puzzle nights to get the brain doing what it likes to do the best… exercise.

Education and fun aren’t opposing forces – they’re two sides of the same coin. University is a time of transformation, bridging the gap between adolescence and adulthood. Student accommodation design is about finding the right balance, creating environments that nurture independence while subtly preparing students for the real world. At university your brain is so receptive, so why not encourage this and provide students with lots of educational experiences and supportive spaces that will benefit their future and growth. Let’s offer students a glimpse of reality – but keep it light, engaging, and unforgettable.

N+LX