In addition to its designs for call center furniture, Interior Concepts has begun producing innovative furniture designs for the Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics (STEM) classroom.
Interaction, collaboration and experimentation are the hallmarks of STEM education. Instead of creating rows of individual desks, Interior Concepts furnishes classrooms by designing workstations and tables that promote cooperative learning.
Table heights are specifically designed according to the age of the student. For example, one elementary school STEM classroom designed by Interior Concepts featured standing workstations at a 32” height. Seated workstations for middle school students are 27” high, while workstations for high school students are 29” high.
Tables in a classroom offer more flexibility than desks. The number of tables and their layouts can be customized according to the number of students, and layouts can be easily changed to accommodate different learning situations.
According to Interior Concepts, stool-height tables are increasingly popular in STEM laboratories. Another popular choice is the flip-top table. This design allows tabletops to be folded down so that tables can be moved to the perimeter of the classroom, creating open floor space for experiments such as vehicle construction or robotics.
Another trend in STEM classroom furniture is the emergence of soft seating. Soft seating, as opposed to plastic or wooden chairs, creates a more comfortable environment to promote collaboration and brainstorming.
In addition to tables and soft seating, Interior Concepts creates a variety of computer workstations. Some classroom feature a traditional computer lab setup, while other classrooms incorporate computer workstations designed for one to four students. Workstations, as opposed to horizontal rows of computers and tables, create more of a real-world working environment.
Interior Concepts offers a free whitepaper entitled “Planning a STEM Classroom” for school districts that want to begin designing the classrooms of the future. Since no single formula fits every situation, Interior Concepts offers flexible furniture selections that can adapt to any environment.
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Edited by Amanda Ciccatelli