Problem

Private offices and discrete or enclosed rooms remove staff (or students) from the ongoing experiences and activities surrounding their workspace. Some necessarily private parts of a school like a counseling office or principal’s office can be stigmatized due to the formal structure and design of private work environments.

Solution

Create an inviting, less formal environment in close proximity to more formal or private spaces. This welcoming ‘Front Porch’ can help create a gradient of informal to formal space that is more accessible, cultivates stronger interpersonal interactions, and can shift student or staff the perceptions about how and when to engage counselors, principals, or other users who can be stationed or working in the ‘Front Porch’ environment. Administrators can also use a welcoming entry as their own ‘Front Porch’ to engage with students.

Related Patterns Welcoming Entry