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From school dunnies to Stanford University. Well, this was not on my bingo card for 2024! Back in 2019 I launched a world-first social initiative, The School Toilet Project. It all started after I read a newspaper report about a young person in despair who had harmed themselves in their school toilets. I felt an overwhelming sense of sadness. What if there had been contact numbers on the toilet door for Kids Helpline, I wondered, or an inspiring quote that spoke of hope? Might these simple things have made a difference? Ask any teacher and they’ll tell you that whenever they go into the school bathrooms, they find at least one child crying in there, or being comforted by friends. It is telling that in the Harry Potter series Moaning Myrtle haunts the toilets wailing! We decorate our school counsellors’ offices in ways which we know will help elevate mood, yet we give no consideration to the one place we know upset students naturally gravitate to – the school toilets. At the moment, most school toilets are either sterile, or covered in filth. And beyond being places where young people seek solace, why is it that we seem to accept school toilets are often so utterly miserable and filthy (as most are)? I thought someone should do something about this; someone should encourage young people to redesign their toilets so they feel more welcoming and nurturing. In doing so, teens would also be gaining incredible insights into how they can best self-soothe, and learning more about how design and the environment effects their mood. It might also support the many students who tell me their toilets are so disgusting they avoid going, this impacts not just on their mental health, but on their physical wellbeing. So I decided to be that someone! It was never my goal to work with schools to redesign their toilets ( I have a very busy career, this is just a labour of love and I've not monetized it in any way). Rather, I wanted to launch inspiration and resources and encourage schools to undertake the revamp process alongside students so they would feel a sense of ownership over the facilities. We launched a Facebook Page to help schools from around the world share ideas, tips and their final school toilet reveals! I had NO idea this simple initiative would resonate so strongly, globally. Our School Toilet Facebook group boasts members from around the world - the United States, England, Malaysia, Russia... it's amazing! An email just in did surprise me though. An Assistant Professor at Stanford University (a pediatric urologist) wants to interview me about the project and have me review the guidelines she and her colleagues are developing for school bathrooms in elementary schools in the U.S. From little things, big things grow!

Providing modern solutions is especially important within campus rec and anyone working with younger generations. Figuring out how to best serve students through your physical spaces creates a wellness-focused environment they want to be a part of. Read about how colleges around the country are navigating facility development projects here: https://hubs.la/Q02QDyvy0

Something was buzzing on Basing View this morning and it wasn't just the bees tending to the registered park and gardens that hug Mountbatten House - now known as PLANT. South Coast CPS, Basingstoke and Deane Business and PLANT hosted a pre networking event for the South Coast CPS conference in November. Beautifully catered by locals The Yard, who will be taking up residence in the stunning reception area cafe when the doors open. Seeing people excited by creative spaces might be my new favourite thing. Architecture, interiors, environmental creds, green space and landscaping plus a very special staircase. PLANT is going to be an exciting and inspiring place to do business. A bit of a poster child for the ambitions of investment and business in Basingstoke. Cllr Paul Harvey spoke, alongside colleagues from BDBC about how the town is performing - and the numbers speak for themselves. With 7,385 businesses calling Basingstoke home, it's now the 8th most levelled-up place in the UK. The presentation showcased exciting developments across the borough, including: ✔️ Progress with the Manydown development (as announced last week) with work looking to start on 3500 new homes & 250 acre country park. ✔️A modern, efficient new Leisure Centre with Leisure Waters, recently approved by the council. ✔️ An ambitious Town Centre Masterplan with development opportunities across 8 key areas. ✔️The Winklebury VIVID development, bringing 203 new homes (134 net gain) with over 60% affordable housing, plus retail units, pre-school, health and community facilities If you want to be part of the conversation about inward investment, development and place making in the region, here are some dates for your diary: South Coast CPS conference Thursday 14th November | 9:00 – 17:00 | St Mary's Stadium in Southampton 🎟️ https://lnkd.in/eQxZiady Invest in happiness placemaking summit Wednesday 26th February 2025 | 11:00 - 5:00 | Haymarket Theatre, Basingstoke 🎟️ https://lnkd.in/espfKHXZ Great to speak with Nella Pang MRICS, Andrew Dowling, Andrew Reynolds, Marelize de Beurs, Hugo Denée & Naomi Sadler MIEnvSc what a great attendance! #Basingstoke #BusinessGrowth #Investment #Regeneration #Placemaking

Experts agree that incorporating natural elements into design—like daylight, greenery, and fresh air—positively affects student concentration and reduces stress. 🌱 Natural spaces foster well-being and help students stay engaged throughout the day. #JenniferNelsonLLC #LearningOutcomes #WellBeingInEducation #EducationalSpace

Emma Greenland had an intensive and insightful two days at the Education Estates® Exhibition | Conference | Awards earlier this month. 🏫✨ At the Department for Education stand, she explored an exhibit of the Building Bulletins, dating back to BB No. 1 from 1949.  📚 It’s fascinating to see how many of these bulletins remain relevant to school design today. As we look ahead to the next 75 years of school design, it’s crucial to remember the lessons from the past. 🕰️ Many of us in the Education Estates sector are eagerly awaiting the upcoming spending review announcements. These will reveal: >How capital investment in our school estates will shape generations of future learners. 📈 >How our schools will accommodate more nursery and early years places to meet childcare demands. 🧒🏽👶🏾 >How we can begin to improve and regulate environmental conditions in these settings. 🌱 With themes such as Carbon Zero, Biophilic Design, Access to Nature indoors and out, Standardisation, and Universal Inclusion, there’s a lot of exciting work ahead. 🌍🌿 As a member of the Education Estates Leaders Network, Emma Greenland will ensure Anderson Acoustics plays a key role. It was great to catch up with many of our contacts and make new connections with others attending the event including with Ridge and Partners LLP I Kier Construction I Haverstock I Morgan Sindall Construction & Infrastructure I ABW Architects I Baldwin Boxall I Department for Education I Soames Inscker I Fiona Dryburgh I Oliver Marsh I Christopher Leese I to name but a few. #EducationEstates #SchoolDesign #BuildingBulletin #CapitalInvestment #UniversalDesign #AcousticDesign #BiophilicDesign #Nursery #EarlyYearsEducation

Experts agree that incorporating natural elements into design—like daylight, greenery, and fresh air—positively affects student concentration and reduces stress. 🌱 Natural spaces foster well-being and help students stay engaged throughout the day. #JenniferNelsonLLC #LearningOutcomes #WellBeingInEducation #EducationalSpace

Happy Wednesday!!😀 WHATS UP WITH THE SANDRA MOON 🌛PROJECT? Author | C. Knighten Source | Bigpicturehuntsville.com Our community here in Huntsville, is growing by leaps and bounds....literally. As we grow it is important that we keep in mind how old or abandoned buildings and complexes effect both the spirit and appearance of each unique community. When Grissom High School relocated to their new campus off South Parkway in 2017, the left behind a huge campus that had a been a focal point of activity on Bailey Cove Road. Because it was such and integral part of that community, a plan was in place to repurpose that location into a 'town center'! The city decided to leverage the existing assets......location, land, theatre, recreation facilities....and to incorporate additional improvements to create an amazing complex that benefits the entire community. The new South Huntsville Public Library which serves as a multifunctional facility featuring its own coffee ☕shop called the Hatch Cafe', a makerspace studio and teen gaming🎮 center are big hits in the community. Additional upgrades will include, more green space and a new playground, parking upgrades, and bike🚴♀️ and ped connections to promote healthy lifestyles. The 2nd Phase has turned the community center into a thriving Performance Arts Center with Arts Huntsville at its head! Their plan is to pull together outstanding performance arts groups from across the city to make this new center their home! The 3rd Phase is just around the corner and includes a new playground and additional parking. This phase will go out for bid by the end of the year. Between ranking in the Top 10 as One of the Best Cities to live in and being home to the #1 Chocolate shop in the entire United States.....why would you want to live anywhere else?? THAT....is the question!😎 #deancommercialrealestate #commercialrealestate #propertymanagement #investors #retail #medicaloffices #leases #propertyinvestors #warehouses #huntsville #madison #athens

We designers need sociologists to actually make spaces functionally accepted and beneficial - we don't actually live in magazine photos. So often we LOVE the looks, then we try to use it and live in it, and it sucks, and we can't pinpoint why, it just doesn't work... and the only thing we give enough time and energy to calling out is that it's been some years since updating, so it must just be old... call it old and that's why we think it sucks so, then we basically do the same thing, again and again, but with new fixtures and the trendy colors and materials of the year, and we all love the LOOK again, and then it gets trashed because it doesn't actually work for what people need to DO in the spaces. Living system designs is what campuses need, not just furniture layouts. Frequently the people praising the updated looks never actually use the space nor hear a word from those transients who depend on these spaces. <3

Dublin School Plans Major Transformation: A Taste of the Future in Fairview Here's an exciting piece of news for Dubliners! St. Joseph’s CBS Secondary School, under the Edmund Rice Schools Trust, is taking a big leap into the future. More classrooms, modern facilities, and even a sensory garden are part of the blueprint for this major refurbishment project. The school, located in the heart of Fairview, is set to gain three general classrooms, a home economics room, a multimedia room, and improved toilet facilities. Locker space and an electrical room are also part of the plan. And for those concerned with accessibility, a universal access toilet is on the cards too. St. Joseph’s isn’t just thinking about the here and now. The project also includes the refurbishment and reconfiguration of existing rooms to make way for a four-classroom SEN base with a multi-activity room. But the cherry on top? A 200 m2 hard and soft play area and a 100 m2 sensory garden, adding an extra touch of nature and tranquillity to the school environment. Now, for the numbers: the upgraded school will have a main floor area of 527.5 m2 and a gross floor area, including circulation and internal walls, of 598.0m2. While all this sounds impressive, the project will also involve knocking down the existing covered shelter of 210m2. In its place, the school promises to offer students state-of-the-art amenities that will make their learning experience more engaging and enjoyable. 🚧 Will the refurbishment cause any disruption to the current students? 🌿 How does the school plan to maintain the sensory garden? 🏰 Isn't it about time other schools followed suit and created more inclusive learning environments? #SchoolTransformation #EducationInnovation #Tender #PublicProcurement If you would like to see more detail on this particular tender, please click: https://lnkd.in/gUA8ruyV

Top Three Strategies for School Districts: Natural Light, Outdoor Connection, and More Discover the top three things that school districts can do to enhance learning environments from our guest Mary Ruppenthal. From embracing natural daylight to creating a strong connection to the outdoors, these strategies have proven to be impactful. Join us as we explore how these design elements can benefit students and teachers alike. Alli Privitt, M.A. Peter Hostrawser #SchoolDistrictStrategies #NaturalLighting #OutdoorConnection #LearningEnvironments #DesignElements #EnhancingEducation #StudentWellbeing #TeacherProductivity #EducationImprovement #EducationalFacilities