by Paul Wuennenberg
I
t has been said that sitting is the new smoking. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, a significant portion of premature deaths in the U.S. can be attributed to inadequate levels of physical activity. A sedentary lifestyle can lead to an increased risk of diabetes and cardiovascular events like a heart attack or stroke. The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services offers current physical activity guidelines in their publication Physical Activity Guidelines for Americans and recommends that adults participate in at least 150 minutes per week of moderate-intensity-equivalent aerobic physical activity to achieve substantial health benefits. Our devices have certainly got the message as they count our steps as well as beep, buzz, and vibrate to remind wearers to get up and move around.
Residence halls have gotten the message as well, with updated designs that encourage healthier habits among students. Providing a direct avenue for exercise, more residence halls are being designed with fitness areas. Often this is not directed by the administration but rather by students in focus groups. Accessibility to fitness areas is very important to students. Even though most campuses have invested in large recreation centers, students have said they often want to work out later at night when those centers are closed or feel too far away during inclement weather. Other comments from students relate to the intimidation they may feel at the larger, crowded campus complexes. Many have stated they want to have more privacy so they are less self-conscious about working out.
Fitness rooms with equipment like a treadmill, stair master, or exercise bike have become residence hall mainstays that provide the easy, private access to exercise that students seek. These rooms often avoid having free weights as they can increase liability concerns and generate too much noise for a residential setting. Recent renovations at Southern Illinois University Edwardsville reduced the size of some of its residence hall computer labs in order to convert them into fitness spaces. Meanwhile, in North Hall at Indiana University-Purdue University Indianapolis (IUPUI), an open fitness room is integrated with the floor in a way that not only blends with the social functions of that community but also takes advantage of expansive views of downtown Indianapolis. The design and location of the room also allow other floor residents to go to the top floor and get exercise in a relatively private manner.
In addition to fitness rooms and other overt amenities like sand volleyball courts and bike storage spaces, campuses also subtly promote the physical and mental well-being of the student body by building residence halls and facilities according to Active Design Guidelines. Published in 2010 by various New York City departments in partnership with the American Institute of Architects (AIA) New York Chapter, the program provides architects and urban designers with a manual of strategies for creating healthier buildings, streets, and urban spaces based on academic research and best practices in the field.
The guidelines contain strategies that can be used for site planning, as well as the design of the exterior and interior of a building to promote exercise. For example, a design checklist recommends designing “stair use for travel between adjacent floors, so that elevators are used primarily for vertical travel of four floors or more” and providing “multiple entries and maximum transparency along the street to help enliven the pedestrian environment.” These considerations are especially important in the context of a mini-city such as a university campus where means of transportation include bicycles, skateboards, and electric scooters, in addition to the traditional campus bus systems. The opportunities to create an active campus are vast, but it requires the shared vision of all stakeholders.
Campus residence halls, in particular, can promote student physical activity through their indoor design considerations. For example, including a prominently located, wide, and welcoming main staircase (commonly called the community stair) with abundant natural light gives students a place to socialize. It encourages them to use the stairs, typically to reach at least the first three floors. Another often-utilized strategy is to locate the elevators behind the staircase. Placing them in a secondary location encourages students to make the stairs their first choice. It may not seem like much, but data from Active Living Research showed that men who climb at least 20 floors per week could reduce by 20% their risk of stroke and death from all causes. Special consideration, however, must be taken not to segregate students who are in wheelchairs or are visually impaired.
At California State Polytechnic University, Pomona, residence halls include large communal stairway lounges on the first three floors of the building. Lounges on these high-traffic floors make the stairs an attractive option for students, as well as providing spaces for them to interact and relax between classes.
The intent of these design initiatives is not necessarily for students to start exercising in the building but rather to make the users more active in their daily routines by using what behavioral economists call nudging, or small pushes toward changing behavior.
Communication through signage and interior design can also be a valuable asset in fighting student stagnation. Integrated building signage can be used not only as a wayfinding tool but also as a means to provide motivation and information about healthy habits. For example, signage can inform students how many calories they burn by climbing one flight of stairs, while small signs can provide mile markers on campus walks. This interrelates with promoting healthy habits. In addition, research shows that creating additional vistas to the landscape and active spaces motivates people to move.
Community wellness at the University of Colorado Boulder’s Williams Village East residence hall is promoted through the building’s unique wayfinding graphics that highlight local nature destinations. Each destination is also mapped out on a full-scale wall map in the first-floor game room to encourage students to get active and seek out the featured destinations. The intent of these design initiatives is not necessarily for students to start exercising in the building but rather to make the users more active in their daily routines by using what behavioral economists call nudging, or small pushes toward changing behavior.
Color and lighting are also essential in setting the mood of the building. Lively colors induce movement, together with living walls thriving with vegetation. Students are under tremendous stress academically and socially, while trying to adapt to a new environment on their own. Their personal rooms should be a respite from this stress. Colors can influence student anxiety. Using subdued colors, like greens and blues, can have a calming effect harkening back to the pleasing colors of nature.
Biophilia, as defined by Edward O. Wilson in his book Biophilia, is “the innate tendency [of humans] to focus on life and lifelike processes” in order to find deep connections with the natural world. It is a growing movement in higher education interior design, since connecting students to the outdoor environment can improve their overall mental well-being and encourages activity. Many of these connections are hard-wired into the human subconscious; for example, the sound of running water has a soothing effect because of its innate meaning as a cue to fresh water. Views of trees and plants also have similar reparative responses. There is even a trend of health care professionals prescribing time in nature as a restorative practice.
Integral to the higher education built environment and student well-being is furniture selection. Variations in the furniture, tables, chairs, and soft seating in small meeting rooms, study rooms, lounges, and other common spaces help to create a more dynamic and active residence hall. Having easily movable furniture encourages students to clear space for activities and games, as well as to move furniture together for studying and socializing.
Whether it is a small fitness room, movable furniture, or strategically placed staircases, residence halls that encourage and provide exercise opportunities for students will always be a move in the right direction.
Paul Wuennenberg is a principal architect with KWK Architects. He received the ACUHO-I S. Earl Thompson Award in 2011 and the Corporate Friend Award in 2023.