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Renovating College Campuses to Improve Mental Health

By Quinn O’Heeney, PE

August 5, 2024
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Incorporating simple design elements into college campuses can help support mental health and position students for academic success.

It’s no secret that levels of stress, anxiety and depression on college campuses can be high due to academic demands, work schedules and social obligations. Combining that with increased numbers of Americans reporting a mental illness, including young adults, it puts campus leaders in a unique position to enhance student well-being and foster a supportive environment.

These four design strategies can be implemented on campus to help combat mental health issues among students by creating a sense of connectivity and belonging, which has been proven to boost retention and student success.

Inclusivity

Designing spaces where all people feel welcome helps reduce feelings of isolation or insignificance and helps them feel seen and that they are welcome and belong on campus.

While these features are targeted to serve certain groups, the entire campus community benefits more broadly.

– Tactile ribbons in sidewalks aid people with visual impairments to navigate campus with a cane but also helps with wayfinding for any visitor.

– ADA ramps allow those with physical disabilities access to spaces but also make it easier and safer for everyone.

– Family restrooms with benches or adult changing tables give people with mobility issues privacy and dignity.

– Sensory-friendly gardens provide a reprieve to those with a heightened sensitivity to noise and highly activated spaces. They also can offer those with hearing loss a quiet place to conduct a conversation amid the bustling campus or provide a place to be in nature in a crowded community.
Tactile ribbon in sidewalk
Tactile ribbon in sidewalk
Two people sitting in college lounge

                   Mental Respite

Neutral zones, also called third places, create comfortable, public spaces for people to go outside of their home or dorm that encourage social connection and provide a place of respite.

Coffee shops, restaurants and bars are often seen as this third place, but colleges and universities have an opportunity to create neutral zones on campus at a variety of scales. This includes:

– Student unions or campus centers

– Lounges in academic buildings

– Study rooms in dorms

These neutral zones contribute to overall mental health by encouraging interaction and increasing the potential for chance encounters and social connection by pulling students out of private, isolated spaces.
Two people sitting in college lounge

Social Connectivity

The US Surgeon General has noted social connectivity as the prescription to the mental health crisis. How do we limit isolation and increase engagement on campus?

1) Activate public spaces and circulation paths to draw students to areas in     passing

2) Provide flexible multiuse spaces to encourage collaboration

3) Incorporate spaces for recreation to foster common interests

4) Link to home and cultures by utilizing local art and cultural décor

5) Create engaging outdoor spaces to cultivate connection
College students sitting in front of fireplace
College students sitting in front of fireplace
Stained glass windows in open foyer

                   Nature/Biophilia

Views of nature can have a tremendous impact on mental health. Usually access to nature is achieved through views of a forested area, lawn, green space or nice landscaping, but there are other creative design strategies that can be incorporated on a college campus.

1) Open up spaces within a building to create new views and opportunities for light to flow throughout the space

2) Take advantage of natural light and the need to rely on artificial lighting

3) Bring plants inside with planter boxes and green walls

4) Use natural materials, such as water, wood and stone

5) Include outdoor congregation spaces into a building design or renovation
Stained glass windows in open foyer

Good campus design can have a positive impact on the mental health of those that utilize the facilities and buildings. Creating a sense of belonging helps combat loneliness and isolation and reduces the number of college students in a mental health crisis.

Interested in learning more? Check out our Projects to see some of the work we’ve done to help our college and university clients create positive, engaging and supportive campuses for their students.

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