It’s back-to-school time in New Jersey. If you are a parent, you’ve probably made a thorough list to get your kids ready. You shopped for school supplies, purchased new clothes and ensured your children were registered for their after-school activities. This fall, you’ve done everything possible to figure out the perfect carpool schedules so little Johnny isn’t late for soccer practice and Debby is on time for gymnastics. It’s not easy getting the kids back into their routines now that it’s September.
On the other hand, if you are a teacher, daycare or school administrator, you’ve been spending the last few weeks preparing the classrooms. You may also have purchased arts and crafts supplies as well as supervised enhancements to the school building before the kids arrived. You’ve done all the renovations and are now ready to welcome the children with open arms.
When preparing for school, there’s lots to do to ensure nothing falls through the cracks. Your back-to-school prep is thorough, but is it perfect? And it’s probably a lot less complicated than a design and construction project for a school in New Jersey.
Being thorough in architecture addresses details comprehensively, focusing on safety, functionality and compliance. In contrast, striving for perfection seeks aesthetically flawless design, often leading to increased costs and delays.
Here are 3 reasons why you want a designer to be thorough (and how that differs from perfection):
How will you feel in the space?
As a professional designer specializing in school design, I create spaces mindfully. I’m thoughtful about how the children will feel in the classrooms. Younger children are particularly responsive to their environment, and natural light improves their memory, attention, and comprehension. Serene, natural lighting can contribute to calmer, more focused behavior. And as adults, sunlight boosts our moods and increases our productivity.
By thoroughly verifying window sizes and designs and by building correctly, you ensure enough light flows into the classrooms — energizing the teachers and students alike.
The materials chosen in a space also influence how you feel. Wood has a warm and cozy ambiance and connects you with nature. Metals can be more durable but feel cooler or more modern. Soft fabrics and low-pile rugs can create comfortable areas for the children to enjoy and feel nurtured. Using consistent brick colors and shapes will create a harmonious feeling for your school.
Taking time to plan and design each room in the school carefully inspires the children and stimulates their learning growth.
Making changes on paper is easier and less expensive
In addition to designing how you feel in the space, a professional designer will thoroughly scrutinize all the drawing plans. In the same way you repeatedly reviewed your back-to-school lists, the designer checks and rechecks all the documentation. From reviewing the layout to verifying the finishings, you’ll want a professional who understands all the information.
If something is off or not aligned, it’s essential to have your expert designer step up, take responsibility and correct the issue sooner rather than later. Making changes during the design phase is much easier than tearing down walls during construction.
It takes time to thoroughly review the documentation, just like figuring out the optimal schedule for your kids' after-school activities is time-consuming. Your professional designer is not necessarily seeking aesthetic perfection but rather being thorough and paying attention to details to ensure nothing is overlooked.
Managing dynamically with moving parts
Your professional designer reviews the documentation and identifies any gaps. She can also supervise construction, so your project runs smoothly. Your designer wants to be thorough and address the details comprehensively to ensure safety and compliance. Avoiding anything lost in the shuffle is essential with so many moving parts.
With electrical, plumbing, mechanical and interior designs, your designer coordinates the contractors as a parent coordinates the back-to-school process for multiple children. Your experienced designer has a step-by-step process, knowing you can’t put on the roof before the walls and build walls if you have no floor. Even the artwork installation needs to be coordinated. Should it all be on-site when the school year starts so the children will have more to look at than blank walls, or can staggering the installation be acceptable for your project?
If you are installing a kitchenette with a sink, you need to verify that there is plumbing. To keep papers in desk drawers, you need to design the drawers wide enough to accommodate the different sizes. When planning to store arts and crafts supplies, be sure to check the height you need for the shelves.
A professional designer understands the step-by-step process of designing your school and keeps the project on track thoroughly and efficiently.
Designing your school in New Jersey
You may wonder why your school design project takes time to complete. It’s important for your designer to be thorough and design for optimal functionality in a safe environment. Just like back-to-school preparations take time to find the right clothes and school supplies, the designer mindfully ensures how you will feel in the space.
By thoroughly reviewing the documentation and drawings, you’ll be able to correct issues that could be costly during construction. Coordinating with vendors and contractors keeps your project progressing with all the dynamically moving parts.
If you are ready to thoroughly and thoughtfully design your school in New Jersey as smoothly as going back to school can be, contact us at +1 908 451 5357 or book a one-on-one FREE 30-minute here.