• Question: How would you desigin our classroom to be Covid safe?

    Asked by Elsie O`C on 28 Mar 2021.
    • Photo: Alessandra Mileo

      Alessandra Mileo answered on 4 Mar 2021:

      I would design it as if it was a math problem: there is a certain space, a certain number of students, a certain dimension for each desk. Each student needs a desk. Each student needs min 1mt, max 2mt distance from any another student. How many students can fit at any given time? Then there is the routing problem: I need hand dispensers (how many based on the number of students) and I need a (safe) path for each student to go to the closest dispenser/leave the room/enter the room. Where do I put the dispensers? Also the teacher desk occupies a given space you need to subtract from the available space for desks, and it needs to be in a given area… It is a math problem with a lot of equations, variables and constraints. But it can be solved (if a solution exists!)

    • Photo: Darragh Rogan

      Darragh Rogan answered on 5 Mar 2021:

      In engineering, we often times design new things, and often times we adapt existing designs to work for us. Adapting existing designs is good, because we can learn from the lessons the original designers had to learn, and not repeat their mistakes.
      The World Health Organisation has given advice to people around the world on what modifications we need to make to our lives to live with and overcome Covid.
      Maybe have a look yourself at their advice, and see what you would do?:
      https://www.who.int/news-room/q-a-detail/coronavirus-disease-covid-19-ventilation-and-air-conditioning-in-public-spaces-and-buildings
      And also, what changes does the WHO’s advice make to the standard room layout Department of Education like?:
      https://www.education.ie/en/School-Design/Design-Guidance/

    • Photo: Miray Yasar

      Miray Yasar answered on 5 Mar 2021:

      I would separate you group by group with transparent separators to reduce interactions.

    • Photo: Jun Lin

      Jun Lin answered on 7 Mar 2021:

      Well for now physical separation is only a temporary solution and looks like the only way to reduce the virus spread. I do believe vaccine for all (if possible for all age groups) is the ultimate solution.

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