A Space for Student Well-being: Redesigning the Clara Benson Pool Gallery
Students want spaces to study and connect. In the National Survey of Student Engagement (NSSE), 35 percent of respondents from the Faculty of Kinesiology and Physical Education (KPE) wanted more student-friendly places. Students have also said the same in surveys, Town Halls, and meetings. Thus, as part of the Clara Benson and Warren Stevens Building renovations, KPE is redesigning the Benson pool gallery into an accessible student space.
Fall/Winter 2019-2020
How can the Benson Pool Gallery be redesigned to be multi-use?
Students often spend long hours on campus. Classes eat up big chunks of time, but in the spaces between, students look for comfortable places to relax or be productive. To provide more student-friendly spaces on campus, the Innovation Hub partnered with the Faculty of Kinesiology and Physical Education (KPE) to turn the Gallery into an accessible student space.
KEY FINDINGS
We found that central to the space is student well-being, which comes together in four themes:
- Being Alone Together
- Room to Connect
- A Home Away from Home
- One-Stop Shop
These themes contribute to students having solitary strength, community and support, comfort and security, and finally, access and accommodation. All of these elements are further discussed in the final report, along with journey maps and design principles to empower communities to design spaces that meet student needs.
One-Stop Shop: Students spend long hours on campus. Many have multiple—and long—gaps between classes, and different students have different needs at different times. Some want a relaxing space to lie down and nap; others a place to hang out; and still others a space to study and work. To accommodate all these needs throughout the day, students find themselves migrating around campus: going to the library to study, moving to the food court to eat, then walking to the lounge to hang out. This inconvenient wandering costs students precious time and energy.
A Home Away from Home: Students want to feel the comforts of home on campus. Given the long hours they spend at university, it is effectively their second home, and they want it to feel as relaxing as the term would suggest. Through décor, ambiance, and a sense of welcome, spaces create an atmosphere of “hominess.”
Room to Connect: UofT is the size of a small city. Lost within the population, students sometimes feel like mere numbers. They follow their schedules from one place to another, leaving little time to make connections. Many students report a sense of isolation and loneliness and feel like they do not belong. To build a support network, students need opportunities to talk and hang out with peers. Stronger relationships will help them maintain their mental health.
Being Alone Together: Students want to be an active part of a group, but they also want to be alone without feeling isolated. Even when they are studying or sitting by themselves, they get a sense of comfort from knowing that other students share similar experiences. This quiet connection normalizes their experiences. Rather than feeling like their challenges are individual shortcomings, they see them as part of how it feels to be a student.