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Writer's pictureTracy Marquis

Re-opening academic campuses in the midst of COVID-19


While campus re-opening recommendations from the government remain undefined, the direction has been clear that a variety of strategies will be beneficial, including the following:

Minimize touch surfaces

  • Touch surfaces, where they do exist, should be durable and cleanable

Limit proximity to others where possible.

  • Smaller groups in larger spaces

Limit diverse interactions

  • Can students be kept within a limited group? (i.e. live together/learn together)

  • Minimize space changes for as many people as possible.

These strategies can be implemented at a variety of extremes. At this time, many schools are initiating campus modifications to accommodate these strategies, including:

Touchless Technology

  • Primary building entrances

  • Select secondary building entrances to minimize traffic jams at primary entries

  • Bathroom doors

  • Plumbing fixtures

Minimize self-serve where ever possible

  • Dining Halls (are service station modifications necessary to support this)

Technology modifications

  • Expand on classroom collaboration technology (facilitate students ability to share their screens wirelessly to shared resources)

  • Extend remote learning infrastructure (add connectivity, display panels, cameras, and speakers to classrooms)

  • Outfit ancillary spaces with technology to support remote learning

  • Create temporary classrooms in order to support smaller class sizes. 

Hand sanitizer stations

  • Near entrances

  • Strategically placed in corridors

We at Marquis Architecture are well versed in high tech classroom spaces, temporary spaces and existing building renovations, and are looking forward to being a part of the solution to help academia return to the campus environment.

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