Libraries, specialist labs, social spaces and offices...
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Challenge #1: Help! How do I measure good use when I can’t just count bums on seats?
This is the age-old challenge. In a classroom, it’s super-easy to come up with a utilisation score, based on that room’s frequency and occupancy - more on that here. But in a specialist space, such as a science or research lab, simply counting the number of people using it becomes a much less effective measure of success. This is because there are other factors that come into play, such as the value of the activity taking place within the space.
For example, a lab may be sparsely used by people carrying out vital research. Or it could be housing a revenue-generating piece of kit.
For example, a lab may be sparsely used by people carrying out vital research. Or it could be housing a revenue-generating piece of kit.
The solution:
… is to think beyond traditional headcounts when it comes to tracking utilisation of your non-teaching spaces. Really think about your metrics – which ones will tell you whether a space is being used to the best of its ability?
For specialist spaces (your research and science labs), anecdotal information can tell you a lot. Talk to the staff that occupy them - your researchers and lab technicians. Are there adjustments that could be made to make the space better meet their needs? Are there challenges or sticking points you could address together?
Data has a key role to play too - for example in assessing any new or additional space demands from researchers and other teaching staff. Data can help to prove whether predicted demand (i.e, the space staff say they will need to carry out an activity) is actually needed, and close the gaps between what is requested, and what actually needs to be supplied, in terms of both the number of rooms and room types.
If you’re not sure where to start with this, or would like help collating, cleaning or analysing the data you have so that you can make clear space planning decisions across your estate, why not chat to us - we’d love to help.
For specialist spaces (your research and science labs), anecdotal information can tell you a lot. Talk to the staff that occupy them - your researchers and lab technicians. Are there adjustments that could be made to make the space better meet their needs? Are there challenges or sticking points you could address together?
Data has a key role to play too - for example in assessing any new or additional space demands from researchers and other teaching staff. Data can help to prove whether predicted demand (i.e, the space staff say they will need to carry out an activity) is actually needed, and close the gaps between what is requested, and what actually needs to be supplied, in terms of both the number of rooms and room types.
If you’re not sure where to start with this, or would like help collating, cleaning or analysing the data you have so that you can make clear space planning decisions across your estate, why not chat to us - we’d love to help.
Other ways to measure effective use of non-teaching space
Often it’s useful to carry out a cost-benefit analysis. Is a space generating a financial return or other type of value you can measure? Does its use meet budget targets and if not, how can this be addressed?
Often it’s useful to carry out a cost-benefit analysis. Is a space generating a financial return or other type of value you can measure? Does its use meet budget targets and if not, how can this be addressed?
Student surveys can also help you to understand how well spaces - beyond those used for traditional teaching activities - meet demand. Kay Green, Head of Strategic Space Management at the University of Sheffield builds on this point by giving an example; “Say you have a small group of students working quietly in a large meeting room, several times a week. From a numbers point of view, that space may look under utlilised. But if you were to ask those students, you’ll find the space is providing value in other ways,” she says.
Challenge #2: Hybrid work and study is changing the way non-teaching space is used. I don’t know where to start!
Your campus is probably quieter than it was pre-pandemic. And your non-teaching spaces may have taken the biggest hit. Quieter campuses mean quieter communal spaces and many of you tell us your staff offices are often less than half full.
To make things even trickier, we’re all still figuring out what the campuses of the future might look like. On one hand, there’s no doubt that keeping shared spaces open helps to encourage the thriving, on-campus communities that existed pre-pandemic. On the other, we’re likely to need to be smarter about the use of non-teaching spaces in the future – so that they fit with more hybrid forms of work and study.
So what, as space planners, should we be thinking strategically about here?
To make things even trickier, we’re all still figuring out what the campuses of the future might look like. On one hand, there’s no doubt that keeping shared spaces open helps to encourage the thriving, on-campus communities that existed pre-pandemic. On the other, we’re likely to need to be smarter about the use of non-teaching spaces in the future – so that they fit with more hybrid forms of work and study.
So what, as space planners, should we be thinking strategically about here?
The solution:
… isn’t an easy one, because we’re all still in a state of flux. But Richard Mann, Senior Space Manager at the University of Edinburgh believes there are new trends that we can start to draw from. “A Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday (on-campus) culture seems to be emerging, but I think it’s something we’ve all got to give a little bit more time,” he says. “The best thing we can do as a sector right now is to share experiences.”
One London institution we work with is experimenting with shutting down spaces on its least busy day – Fridays – which is naturally pushing greater use on the days they are available. Utilisation goes up, and some of the costs associated with running those spaces comes down.
Others are using emerging data sources to try and understand the bigger picture. Monash University in Australia, for example, uses swipe card data, heat sensors and WiFi connection data to determine the busiest times across campus.
“We carried out a full year data analysis and discovered that Tuesdays are our busiest days during the semester – that’s a figure we can report to management and use when we’re trying to figure out [what to do with spaces in the future],” says Cameron Pettiona, Manager of Campus Operations for the Faculty of Education.
… isn’t an easy one, because we’re all still in a state of flux. But Richard Mann, Senior Space Manager at the University of Edinburgh believes there are new trends that we can start to draw from. “A Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday (on-campus) culture seems to be emerging, but I think it’s something we’ve all got to give a little bit more time,” he says. “The best thing we can do as a sector right now is to share experiences.”
One London institution we work with is experimenting with shutting down spaces on its least busy day – Fridays – which is naturally pushing greater use on the days they are available. Utilisation goes up, and some of the costs associated with running those spaces comes down.
Others are using emerging data sources to try and understand the bigger picture. Monash University in Australia, for example, uses swipe card data, heat sensors and WiFi connection data to determine the busiest times across campus.
“We carried out a full year data analysis and discovered that Tuesdays are our busiest days during the semester – that’s a figure we can report to management and use when we’re trying to figure out [what to do with spaces in the future],” says Cameron Pettiona, Manager of Campus Operations for the Faculty of Education.
Challenge #3: We’ve started making changes to adapt to hybrid ways of working. But our academics are less than happy about it.
Sticking with solving the non-teaching space challenges of the future, there’s often another common hurdle to overcome, and that’s resistance to change from your academics and other teaching staff.
It’s understandable – a department may have “owned” a block of offices or research lab for decades, and have a deep sense of emotional attachment to that space. A move towards more collaborative spaces can feel like a loss, made even trickier because it's hard to imagine what collaborative working will actually look like. For an academic, losing a private office, even if they're only there for a few hours a week, can feel like losing something they worked very hard to get.
“I think this is why we [as space planners] experience so much heat when trying to introduce more agile methods of management,” says David Reanny, Senior Manager, Space Management & Planning at Deakin University in Australia.
So how can we, as space planners, navigate this issue?
It’s understandable – a department may have “owned” a block of offices or research lab for decades, and have a deep sense of emotional attachment to that space. A move towards more collaborative spaces can feel like a loss, made even trickier because it's hard to imagine what collaborative working will actually look like. For an academic, losing a private office, even if they're only there for a few hours a week, can feel like losing something they worked very hard to get.
“I think this is why we [as space planners] experience so much heat when trying to introduce more agile methods of management,” says David Reanny, Senior Manager, Space Management & Planning at Deakin University in Australia.
So how can we, as space planners, navigate this issue?
The solution:
… is to think about ways to bring about cultural change. Some ideas to think about might include:
… is to think about ways to bring about cultural change. Some ideas to think about might include:
- Asking key leaders – such as VPs and deans – to show their support for change and encourage the same from others.
- Involving teaching staff in initial decision-making to ease resistance later on. You might, for example, have regular meetings where space planners, teaching staff and leaders can come together and discuss needs and challenges openly.
- Thinking about how change is communicated – the more positive the angle, the more likely people are to get on board. If you’re making changes that are linked to sustainability, for example, or creating a better overall experience on campus, then talk about these to help others understand the ‘why’ and feel positive too.
Still struggling to get to grips with your non-teaching space?
Don’t panic. As we said at the start, there’s rarely one (simple) way to fix any non-teaching space challenge.
But there is one thing you can do to get the ball rolling.
Come and chat to us and we’ll help you get to grips with whatever you’re scratching your head over. We carry out space surveys for breakfast, crunch data for kicks and live for solving hybrid headaches.
We’ve got decades of space management experience too.
But there is one thing you can do to get the ball rolling.
Come and chat to us and we’ll help you get to grips with whatever you’re scratching your head over. We carry out space surveys for breakfast, crunch data for kicks and live for solving hybrid headaches.
We’ve got decades of space management experience too.
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