Tips for Designing a Modern School Cafeteria, Canteen, or Lunchroom
Whether you call it a lunch room, a canteen, or a cafeteria, any modern school dining area should be about more than just filling up students with food. It should be a positive, nurturing space – somewhere to refuel their spirits as much as their stomachs. Lunch is a focal point of the school day and it’s important that children can enjoy the social aspects of eating with their classmates, as well as the nutritional benefits.
In this article, we’re going to look at some key design tips that can make your school dining area a more enjoyable and productive place.
Colour and light
Colour has a tremendous impact on peoples’ behaviours. Indeed, there have been entire articles dedicated to the subconscious effect of colour and light. Some we already know about – red creates feelings of anger, yellow creates feelings of happiness, and so one. Others are fairly understandable – pastel shades are calming, brighter hues are engaging, and the like.
From a visual perspective, light colours can make a small canteen look bigger and more welcoming, while a darker colours can be employed to make a large dining area appear smaller and more intimate. At Versa Design, our various canteen benches and tables (including our popular Benchmark table range are available in wide variety of colours and patterns, allowing you to tailor the feel of your cafeteria.
Larger space, smaller groups
If you’re lucky enough to have a large dining area, the temptation can be to use larger canteen tables to accommodate more students. While this might be an effective use of space, you miss out on the chance for your pupils to create smaller, intimate groups, where they can interact with their closest peers in a more relaxed manner. Cluster tables, such as our Hallmark table range, are particularly good for providing this opportunity for interpersonal growth.
A flexible dining area
A great way to improve your dining area is by choosing the right furniture to go in it. A wall mounted dining table and benches (such as our popular WallPocket system, allows you to empty your cafeteria space in minutes, transforming it into a multi-functional space that can be used for sports, drama, presentations, and all other kinds of academic needs.
If you want to make the most of your dining space and create a special place for your students to gather at lunch time, get in touch with Versa Design today. We will walk you through your various options and provide you with a free, no obligation quote.