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For decades, the conversation about how to provide the best possible education for our children has focused on many areas: budgets, testing, teacher salaries and standards to keep American students competitive in an ever-evolving world of technology. Add to that what to do about our aging and outdated school facilities so that kids can make the most of these critical years of development. The year 2020 pushed that last point firmly to the forefront.

Even before stay-at-home orders rebooted what 鈥渟chool鈥� looked like, we understood the need to make vast improvements to the buildings in which education primarily occurs. But none of us could have predicted how quickly we would need to consider overhauling or building new facilities to accommodate much more flexible and adaptable learning environments.

In listening to educators and students, we know the future of educational facilities lies in more flexible school and classroom designs where students and educators can thrive in a variety of situations.

What can we do today?

Build new or make old better? That鈥檚 an age-old question. Either way, it equates to spending money on bricks and mortar. It will take years before new concepts are designed, funded and built. Must we spend money now, particularly when school budgets are at a low point?

Mortenson recently supported Portland Public Schools by putting physical distancing protocols in place for students when they return. This included the installation of plexiglass barriers, signage separation tape and clear cleaning protocols. Establishing these types of safety precautions is a critical first step to getting kids back in school. What more can we do with the spaces we have now to prepare for tomorrow?

To further address the immediate need of providing students with the best education possible, in the safest environment possible, let鈥檚 unpack and prioritize what is needed. Obviously, we can鈥檛 just mothball every school out there and start over. It would make more sense to adapt and maximize the facilities we already have without going through wholesale renovations. We may need to break down the existing paradigms of how our facilities operate and serve our educators and students. It goes way beyond just ensuring proper physical distancing and starts to look at long-term needs. Could the answer be minor renovations with more investment in technology?

Adapt for distance when needed

Before 2020, classroom sizes of 30 kids or more were becoming the norm in many schools. Now that we are presented with physical distancing requirements, we see the need for getting creative in how we effectively accommodate potential reductions in classroom capacity moving forward.

When schools reopen, it鈥檚 anticipated there will be a natural accommodation for some students to continue to learn virtually. With a blend of home school and virtual learning, the hybrid education model will require that teachers continue to adapt their teaching style and that spaces support teachers鈥� needs. It could mean fewer people in classrooms and more reliance on the proper technology to straddle the two approaches of the physical classroom and virtual learning.

Maximize space

As we plan for the future, it is important to broaden our view of how school facilities are used and optimize their potential for being a central gathering place for neighborhoods. Well-planned buildings and surrounding property can support community amenities like arts and cultural programs, public health centers, local parks and recreation activities, and community and senior centers. School facilities can also be designed to serve as learning centers during the summer months, as well as food banks and meal distribution centers throughout the year.

A healthy breath of fresh air

HVAC systems in many cases will benefit from upgrades and/or higher-grade filters. Additional outside air exchangers are also important. Over the years, school windows have been restricted in how much they open, if at all, due to safety concerns. Modern design adjustments can allow schools to shift back to having operable windows providing fresh air. Such air will freely flow, and temperature and humidity control systems will monitor, balance and maintain comfortable settings. Mortenson is putting this approach to work today, having been selected to oversee renovations at the University of Oregon鈥檚 Huestis Hall in Eugene 鈥� a project initiated before the challenges of 2020.

Flexibility is the future

At Mortenson, we are helping drive a trend in which new school facilities are being built for flexibility. The solution can be found in creating environments that are equally adaptable and can serve a multitude of needs 鈥� movable walls, more fenestration (doors/windows), rooms that can serve various class types, wireless services and digital integration, and access management tools for various programs and schedules. This translates to larger spaces with fewer fixed walls, wider hallways, and classrooms with more spacing between desks. Classroom furniture will likely be designed to be more easily cleaned, as well.

We were proud to lead the design-build team for the Portland Community College Oregon Manufacturing Innovation Center, which is set to open this month. PCC serendipitously concluded partway through the design phase that it couldn鈥檛 anticipate education standards in the decades ahead, so the building design shifted to become a more adaptable space with adjustable walls and flexible mechanical and electrical equipment connection points.

There will likely be new standards in restroom and locker room design and construction, too. We鈥檒l have more individual toilet stalls, and individual bathrooms, plus more space allocated to washing facilities. Antimicrobial surfaces may become a standard design function to keep learning environments more hygienic.

Learning for the future

The year 2020 taught us many things when it comes to the role of facilities in education. Primarily, tried-and-true building designs can be improved and reconsidered for when things don鈥檛 go as planned or as needs change. By breaking down education paradigms and understanding how to get the most use of our facilities, focusing on the needs of teachers and students, and rethinking what tomorrow鈥檚 ideal classroom looks like, we鈥檒l be able to help teachers and administrators step into a whole new world of educating our children.

Dan Mehls is the vice president and general manager of Mortenson鈥檚 Portland office. Contact him at 971-202-4113.

The opinions, beliefs and viewpoints expressed in the preceding commentary are those of the author and do not necessarily reflect the opinions, beliefs and viewpoints of the Daily Journal of Commerce or its editors. Neither the author nor the 91视频 guarantees the accuracy or completeness of any information published herein.