College Furniture Solutions for 21st Century Challenges

While most discussion around students returning to college campuses centers around online learning versus in-class instruction, there is also concern regarding how to keep students safe on campus in general — in college lounge areas, cafeterias, and dormitories.

College and institutions of higher learning will rely on federal and state guidelines to determine best practices for public health, they will need designers to help them change shared spaces and common areas to focus on less dense use.

Innovative, flexible common spaces

Educational facilities will need flexibility in design as they prepare for reopening their campuses to returning students this fall semester (and semesters to follow). Fun, customized furniture for universities should provide lively, welcoming settings that encourage study but also helps them gain a sense of home away from home.

Commercial lounge seating options such as the Queue Orion and Queue Tetris are modular seating systems ideal for college lobbies, student centers, community halls where there will be the need to implement social distancing in spaces designed for group gatherings.

Modular furniture for universities enables designers to easily create groupings in common areas. Designers should consider “fluid” instead of “fixed” when it comes to creating indoor and outdoor spaces for colleges and higher education settings. Furniture groups and layouts that can easily be reconfigured depending on the level of social distancing and privacy.

There is a critical need for multipurpose furnishings that can adapt. The Queue Collection by Beaufurn provides designers with unlimited flexibility in creating seating solutions that can address indoor and outdoor applications. Future-proof furniture like the Queue Collection can play a huge role in transforming common use areas into safer spaces at universities, as well as hospitals, hotels, and other industries.

Changing the geometry of the furniture will help facilities to successfully transition spaces to increase safety. Style and comfort meet the advantage of reconfiguration in the Queue collection products.

Furnishings for universities should also convey fun. After all, students are embarking on one of life’s best adventures when they pursue higher learning on campus. With options like the Queue Matisse, Queue Flower, Queue Pebble, and more, designers will find plenty of inspiration for creating the ideal common spaces in higher ed environments. Queue modular furniture for colleges is constructed of structural, commercial grade foam and available in various fabrics (including the customer’s own material).

In addition to furniture that can be easily reconfigured or moved to accommodate different types of events, design elements also should be easily sanitized and withstand multiple cleanings.

Outside the Classroom

Merging digital with physical is another “win” when it comes to reimagined design for higher learning facilities. Electronic devices are part of every student’s lifestyle, from laptop to smartphone. Because they are so mobile, today’s college students expect Wi-Fi connectivity and the ability to recharge devices at a moment’s notice. Queue “Pie Tables,” for example, provide charging stations for added functionality to comfortable, modular seating that will welcome students to relax and also encourage them to study.

College furniture like the Queue Collection provides students welcoming seating areas that enable them to focus on their studies yet still gather in public spaces to offer a sense of community that’s so crucial to college environments.

Again, physical barriers, such as Beaufurn’s plastic flexible screens, placed between bathroom sinks, dormitory beds, and other commercial dormitory furniture can be especially helpful when students cannot be at least 6 feet apart. Yet common spaces and dormitories need to stimulate and engage students without appearing super hygienic. That’s where Beaufurn’s Queue Collection shines, blending unlimited design with performance.

Digital Showrooms for Designers

Beaufurn has joined many other brands in realizing that our customers are shifting to digital for product exploration. We recently revealed our virtual Chicago showroom as well as our NeoCon2020 video to display our unique furniture products for today’s design challenges.  Designers can visit our beautiful showroom at their convenience, as often as they wish, and zoom in on some of our exciting new products. We’ve also assembled college furniture onto one site for ease of browsing and encourage you to contact us with any questions.