By Laurence Holland

For nearly all of The Harvard Crimson’s 150-year history as a student newspaper, it reported news in the same way: through a daily print edition produced in the basement of its headquarters at 14 Plympton Street in Cambridge, Mass. When the COVID-19 pandemic arrived in early 2020, however, it prompted the newspaper to shift its publishing online and ushered in a permanent operational transformation.

As a result, The Crimson’s headquarters no longer sufficiently supported its operations. Most notably, idle printing presses and other dated technologies occupied a significant amount of floor space at the expense of other programmatic needs.

Adapting to A New Culture of Collaboration

In 2024, the Toronto- and Cambridge-based KPMB undertook a renovation to support this new way of working, restart a culture of in-person collaboration and prepare students for the professional world of journalism — the state of which was significantly different when the building was last updated more than 30 years ago.

Fulfilling these ambitions required reconfiguring the building, and the crux of the puzzle was the basement press room. By removing all but one printing press module (which remains as a symbol of the newspaper’s past), the press room has been reimagined as a flexible workspace that relieves pressure on the newsroom during busy production nights. Durable and movable tables and chairs enable it to host large board gatherings and serve as the organization’s event space.

Nearby, a new multimedia suite for video and podcast recording in the basement supports the newspaper’s efforts to keep pace with the industry’s shift towards multimedia journalism, where reporters are increasingly in front of the microphone or camera. Although the recording studio is emblematic of The Crimson’s move to a digital-first publishing model, the space itself is envisioned as flexible infrastructure that can be fitted out and updated according to the organization’s evolving needs.

“Not only does the transformation of a number of previously underutilized spaces allow us to better accommodate a staff of roughly 400 students, but the building supports our work in many ways it could not before,” says President of the newspaper E. Matteo Diaz. “The multimedia suite has already enabled us to relaunch our podcast and develop new video content.”

Futureproofing Through Restraint

For a student-run organization with a limited budget, futureproofing was best achieved through restraint. Rather than creating spaces that risked becoming outdated in the future, the renovation prioritized simplifying layouts and focusing on the basics of technology, such as providing many electrical outlets and TVs with HDMI and casting capabilities, rather than hardwiring technology into the structure. It was crucial that the building be capable of adapting to future and unforeseen needs without reopening the walls.

The ground floor, which houses the main newsroom and supporting spaces, was also renovated to prioritize fluidity. Historically, each section of the newspaper occupied its own office, but the organization’s leadership asked for a less siloed working structure and a greater volume of meeting rooms with improved acoustical privacy. For a news organization, this was not only a matter of concentration, but about the vital importance of preserving the anonymity of sources.

Flexibility and Expansion

Today, the newsroom is ringed by a series of glass-enclosed meeting rooms and small booths scaled for private phone calls, while a mix of formal office furniture and casual seating options support the flexibility afforded by laptop-based work. Overall, the renovation has expanded open work areas by nearly 30% and meeting spaces by 65%.

According to Diaz, replacing small team-specific offices with larger conference rooms has fostered unity across the staff.

The redesign has also improved comfort and wellbeing, creating a more inviting destination for students to work and socialize. The newsroom historically suffered from a lack of natural light. In response, the new meeting rooms feature glass dividing walls to enable daylight to filter into the center of the newsroom. Targeted mechanical upgrades have also allowed for more fine-grained control of building systems for improved occupant comfort.

The most notable piece of new architecture is a 300-square-foot pavilion enclosing a portion of a rooftop terrace, which enables barrier-free access to the second floor and historic ceremonial meeting space, known as the Sanctum, for the first time. While the design team initially explored inserting a second elevator to service the building, doing so would have consumed significant usable floor space. Instead, this new enclosure has enabled a continuous accessible path of travel from the existing elevator into the Sanctum, which has been revived as a place for quiet contemplative work and intimate meetings now that it’s no longer required to serve as the de facto party venue.

The Impact on Operations

How impactful can a renovation defined by restraint be? Since its completion, the building has seen an increase in daily use, with staff spending more time working and socializing on-site. Newspaper leadership also credits the modernized facility with improving their ability to recruit new members.

“The renovation of 14 Plympton St. has been invaluable for The Crimson,” says Diaz. “In just a few months, we have felt the difference that the renovated building makes, and we are incredibly grateful to have a space that will so well equip the next generation of Crimson editors to meet journalism’s digital-first future.”

Laurence Holland is an associate at KPMB, an architecture and design practice based in Toronto, Ontario and Cambridge, Mass. Prior to becoming an architect, Holland studied philosophy at Harvard College, where he was an editor at The Harvard Crimson for four years.

This article was originally published in the .

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By Evelyn Long

School hallways often resemble rush-hour highways during class changes. Students bottleneck at stairwells and cluster near popular classrooms while other corridors sit empty. Many administrators interpret this congestion as a behavioral problem. However, the root cause often lies in the building’s design. ��

When architectural planning incorporates strategic wayfinding systems, particularly color-based zoning, schools can guide movement patterns naturally and reduce mayhem without��additional��staff intervention.��

From Chaos to Clarity��With��Architectural Wayfinding��

Wayfinding extends far beyond directional arrows and room��number��plaques. It��represents��a comprehensive design discipline focused on creating intuitive spatial navigation. For best results, it should be integrated from the design phase, but retrofitting color zoning can also work.����

The most successful wayfinding becomes invisible to users. When people navigate a space without conscious effort or confusion, the system has achieved its purpose. Teachers and administrators can spend less time directing disoriented students, and children can experience less stressful movement around their school. Effective techniques also streamline visitor flow during events like parent conferences and open houses.��

Designing for Flow��With��the Principles of Color-Based Navigation��

Cognitive research confirms color’s power to act as a navigational tool. Studies��demonstrate��that people in color-coded environments����when��locating��destinations. Color also����and strengthens spatial orientation within complex buildings.��

Age-appropriate color selection matters significantly in school design. Young children are more likely to remember primary colors rather than complex hues like turquoise, which blends blue and green. Clear, distinct colors create stronger mental associations for developing minds.��

Designers can also manipulate spatial��perception��through strategic color application. Painting the shorter end walls of a long corridor in warmer tones creates visual balance and��,��making��the space feel less tunnel-like and more proportional. Students are naturally drawn to the warmer spaces rather than lingering in the blander hallway.��

Specific color applications can address different functional zones throughout a school:��

• Play areas:��Warm,��vibrant��and energetic colors create��appropriate atmospheres��for recreation and physical activity.��
• Year or subject zones:��Distinct color schemes delineate different grade levels or academic departments, helping students quickly��identify��their designated spaces.��
• High-traffic areas:��Lighter colors or neutral tones in busy environments like cafeterias reduce visual overwhelm and create calmer atmospheres.��
• Teaching rooms:��Painting the instructor’s��wall��a deeper shade directs attention forward and creates a natural focal point.��
• Corridors:��Color-coding doors and entryways by their specific zones��helps��students��identify��correct destinations. Painting waiting areas outside classrooms in matching zone colors psychologically discourages lingering for students who belong elsewhere while directing them toward��appropriate locations.��

Enhancing Safety and Ensuring Accessibility��

Clear navigational paths directly��impact��student safety by reducing congestion in high-traffic areas and ensuring efficient egress during emergencies.��

Accessibility compliance adds another critical dimension to wayfinding design. Under the Americans with Disabilities Act, functional elevators����educational facilities. Color zoning around elevators helps students quickly��locate��these essential access points.��

Strategic painting choices can prevent congestion near elevators and other high-traffic areas. Using move-on colors or floor patterns that direct movement away from elevator lobbies prevents clustering. These visual cues guide students naturally without verbal instruction or staff intervention.��

Color Zoning in Action — Two Real-World School Designs��

Two international schools��demonstrate��how color-based wayfinding becomes an��integral part of the architecture��rather than superficial decoration.��

��in Greenland assigns each building a unique color paired with an animal theme drawn from Greenlandic fauna. This dual-coding system creates strong identity markers that young students recognize easily. Red linoleum flooring unifies all��common areas��throughout the campus,��establishing��visual continuity while individual building colors��maintain��distinct identities. The combination allows students to understand both their specific location and their position within the larger campus structure.��

��in Moscow��faced a different challenge when integrating new construction with existing buildings. Designers created a color-coded address system that assigned unique hues to different blocks, effectively unifying��the space��across old and new architecture. This system transformed what could have been a confusing maze into a legible campus where classroom locations become intuitive.����

Many schools can��identify��where overcrowding occurs and even��understand��why bottlenecks form. However, implementation strategies often��remain��unclear. Some institutions recognize potential solutions, such as��,��but lack methods to encourage behavioral change. Color zoning provides��the��concrete implementation tool that bridges the gap between problem identification and practical��solution.��

Building the Future of Intuitive School Design��

Research-backed color zoning strategies demonstrate that architects and designers can create environments where movement flows naturally without constant supervision. Functional color can shape behavior, support accessibility and improve the daily experience for everyone who navigates the building. When educational facilities incorporate color zoning and wayfinding principles from the initial planning stages, they can create more efficient and welcoming spaces.

Evelyn Long is a commercial interior design writer with specialized��expertise��in accessible, ADA-friendly spaces and designing environments that support mental health and��inclusivity.��

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As the saying goes, children are our future. It is essential that we recognize the impact of early experiences on their growth, intelligence, and emotional well-being. Their minds are like sponges, absorbing and remembering even the smallest details of their environments. The experiences they have during their formative years shape the individuals they become as they grow older. As a society, we are realizing the importance of paying attention to these experiences. Parenting groups, caregivers, and educators are becoming more aware of the impact they have on children’s development.

Interior design can play a crucial role in creating environments that support child growth, development, and overall well-being. By embracing children’s differences and being thoughtful about the ways they interact with and learn from their surroundings, designers can curate nurturing spaces that cater to their specific needs and interests.

Flexibility and Adaptability

Child-centric design provides spaces that are flexible and adaptable. By incorporating movable furniture, such as rolling chairs or adjustable desks, educators are encouraged to modify their teaching spaces to accommodate different learning activities. Providing wiggle chairs and other alternative seating options allows children to move and be active with their environments. Offering easels and whiteboards allows children to freely express their creativity.

Recognizing that children have different learning styles and interests, it is important to create diverse learning environments. Spaces should be designed with different zones, pods, or tables that cater to various activities, including hands-on activities, technology-based learning, and quiet/focus opportunities. This variety allows children to engage with subjects and topics they are passionate about in a way that works best for them.

Cultivating Community

In order to create classrooms and learning environments that foster interaction, socialization, and a sense of community among children, child-centric design should promote collaboration and teamwork. Collaborative workstations or project spaces enable children to work together on assignments or engage in group activities. By contrast, they should also have the option of comfortable seating nooks or more private spaces, allowing them to have moments of respite or solitude when needed.

Comfort and Color

For children who occasionally or frequently experience stress and anxiety, integrating comfort into design is paramount. Striking a balance between energizing and comforting elements is essential. By incorporating visually energetic colors, such as sunny yellows and oranges, interior designers can create an uplifting atmosphere. Mixing these bold colors with large graphics injects vibrancy into the space, captures attention, and fosters active participation. However, it is important to balance these design elements with calming colors like blues and greens to promote a sense of tranquility. Texture also plays a significant role in creating comfort, and should be considered when conceptualizing the foundation of an interior space. Additionally, kid-sized spaces and furniture that are scaled down to their smaller frames help children feel comfortable by providing a sense of ownership and safety.

Creativity and Individuality

Child-centric design should celebrate creativity and individuality. By allowing children to personalize their spaces, such as displaying their artwork or crafts, designers can create a sense of ownership and pride. Providing dedicated areas for different activities, such as reading corners, art stations, or imaginative play zones, allows children to explore their interests and discover their passions. Incorporating storage solutions that are easily accessible also encourages children to keep their space organized, promoting a sense of responsibility and independence.

Outdoor Exploration

Child-centric design encourages recreation and physical activity. Classrooms and outdoor spaces, like playgrounds, should be designed to promote play, providing ample space for movement and exploration. Even in indoor environments, it is essential to ensure access to natural light and incorporate interactive elements that allow children to use their entire bodies and actively engage with their surroundings.

When designing spaces that keep children vibrant, active, and connected to their surroundings, designers should bring the outdoors in by maximizing access to daylight and implementing a natural color palette with a variety of textures, including wood grains, woven fabrics, and other visually textured elements instantly adds warmth and visual interest.

The Big Picture

Child-centric interior design acknowledges the importance of childhood experiences in shaping the growth, development, and emotional well-being of children. By embracing their differences, providing flexible and adaptable spaces, promoting interaction with their surroundings, and integrating comfort, designers can create environments where children can thrive, learn, and connect with the world around them. Child-centric design in schools is essential for nurturing children’s curiosity, imagination, and sense of belonging. By prioritizing their needs, interests, and well-being, we can create spaces that inspire and support them on their journey to becoming confident, well-rounded individuals who contribute positively to society.

As a Partner and Interior Designer at Bockus Payne, Taylor Starr’s responsibilities include working on projects at every phase of design, from programming to construction administration.

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Interior design is constantly evolving with the development of new teaching methods. There are three key design trends you will see more of in 2018: open, welcoming and secure entrances; flexible spaces; and decorative themes that create a sense of ownership and belonging. It goes without saying that safety and security are also at the forefront of interior design.

Open, Welcoming & Secure Entrances

Have you ever arrived at a school and wondered where the main entrance was? After entering the school, have you wondered where to go next? Schools designed in 2018 will surely negate those experiences by providing a clear, open, safe and welcoming entrance — not only into the building, but also upon approach to the site.

It all begins in the parking lot with signage for vehicles, busses and visitors, followed by appropriately placed signage to guide visitors to the school’s main entrance. Upon entry into the school, visitors should receive that same warm welcome. This can be achieved with controlled access via a buzzer and an open, airy, well-lit and comfortably furnished space that displays the school colors by way of paint or banners. Adding student artwork to the space creates a sense of ownership.

The warm welcome can be extended into the facility through the use of safety glass and skylights that convey a sense of visibility and security. It is imperative that this space can be seen from other parts of the facility, including the second floor, and vice versa.

Flexible Spaces

The types and sizes of spaces within a school facility must be flexible — it’s that simple. This includes a typical classroom, which is approximately 900 square feet, as well as large, open spaces such as extended-learning areas, lecture halls and commons, and small, intimate spaces for teamwork and collaboration. Since play is a key part of student development, each of these spaces should be designed with work and play in mind.

Informal spaces must be flexible as well. Examples of informal spaces include hallways and stairwells. In addition to serving as circulation spaces, they can serve as gathering and presentation areas. For that reason, hallways and stairwells should be wide enough to accommodate seating.

A final flexibility factor to keep in mind is being able to serve different grade levels over time. While a facility might be designed for 750 middle school students initially, it should be able to accommodate elementary or high school students in the future.

Decorative Themes

While nearly every square foot of public schools must be practical, useful and functional from a taxpayer’s point of view, today’s facilities should also create a sense of �� beauty, ownership and belonging. There are several examples of this throughout the country. The Dan Dipert Career + Technical Center in Arlington, Texas, introduces geometric design and school colors at the main entrance and continues them throughout the facility. The walls and furnishings mimic the entrance by incorporating angles, curves, and a gray and red color palette. Inspirational quotes cover several walls.

Another example is Old Donation School in Virginia Beach, Va. The school’s interior reflects the exterior by using natural colors such as blue to represent water, green to represent vegetation and brown to mimic trees. The use of glass in the center of the facility allows the natural daylight to stream in and infuses the area with sunshine. Indeed, glass brings the outdoors in.

Since students often learn through self-exploration and discovery, it’s our job to give them welcoming, flexible and beautiful spaces to spark their interest and creativity while keeping them safe and secure.��

To read the entire article, check out the March/April issue of .

Kerrianne Wolf, REFP, is the educational specifications specialist for Cooperative Strategies, a national company that assists educational agencies in providing quality facilities to students.

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The physical education addition is a 9,750-square-foot, multipurpose space adjacent to the school’s original gymnasium. The new space connects to the old gym via its first-floor and mezzanine levels. Inside are a training room and a concessions area. The weight room has been relocated to the mezzanine, and its previous location has been transformed into the locus of the school’s wrestling program (Go Huskies!). Likewise, a new canopy was created and presides over the addition’s south side and the original gym entry.

The alterations to the school’s main entry were a bit more intense. KAI’s designers moved the administrative and counseling offices to a new area and adjusted the orientation of the school’s commons to integrate with the re-envisioning. What was once office spaces are now classrooms. Moreover, the main entryway now boasts a “beacon,” according to KAI’s , which serves as a “visible marker” from the street level and nearby school parking lots. The design also accommodates a “ceremonial circular staircase” as well as a secure vestibule that vouchsafes student and staff security.

Throughout, Charles Vrana & Son Construction Co., of Omaha, was the general contractor on the project. The school was initially built in 1971 and, at 45 years old, is the is the newest of the Omaha Public Schools district’s seven high schools. The school serves grades nine through 12, and its current enrollment hovers around 1,650 students.

Once considered an underdog in the Omaha Public Schools district, Northwest High Magnet School has been in the midst of a dramatic turnaround in recent years, with enrollment surging by a couple-hundred students per year. The magnet school focuses on law, government and international diplomacy.

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The judging criteria for the Student Portfolio Competition, now in its third year, was predicated on “conceptual thought, content of work submitted and the student’s record of achievement,” according to ASID’s .

“ASID is dedicated to supporting and recognizing the outstanding achievements of interior design students,” said ASID CEO Randy Fiser, Hon. FASID, in a statement. “The top student portfolios exhibited a depth in concept that was carried throughout the design solutions from sketch to space to detail. Strong communicators both visually and verbally, the SPC finalists were required to interview with members of the judging panel as part of the internship award process, a strong differentiator between the SPC and other student design competitions.”

Twenty-two portfolio competition finalists interviewed with judges to score one of eight internships with Benjamin Moore, Gensler, HKS Architects, HOK, Humanscale, ICRAVE, Perkins+Will or Studio O+A as well as a $2,100 scholarship from the Benjamin Moore & Co. Foundation.

And the American Society of Interior Designers SPA Winners Are…

Xingying Du of the Pratt Institute won an internship with Benjamin Moore; Fei Liu of the New York School of Interior Design will intern with Gensler;  Minkyoo Chung from the New York School of Interior Design will intern with HKS; Luke McLindon, Savannah College of Art and Design will go to HOK; Humanscale claimed Khadeine Ali of Savannah College of Art and Design; Briana Guin of Auburn University will go to ICRAVE; Perkins+Will will take Rachael Snow also of Auburn University; and Kaylen Parker of the University of Texas at Austin will intern at Studio O+A.

This year’s SPC panel of judges included Priscilla Ghaznavi, director, Color and Design, Benjamin Moore; Peggy Lee, NCIDQ, CID, associate, Interior Design, Gensler; Jennifer Kostad, ASID, Assoc. AIA, LEED AP BD+C, vice president, director of Interior Architecture, HKS Architects; Clay Pendergrast, AIA, LEED AP BD+C, director of Interior Design, HOK; Jon Harrington, A&D manager California, Humanscale; Elizabeth Von Lehe, Allied ASID, director, ICRAVE; Kate Magee, ASID, LEED Green Associate, Interior Project designer, Perkins+Will; and Dan Kretchmer, director of Projects, Studio O+A.

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