October 28-30, 2026 |
Kansas City, MO

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Wed Oct 28•2:30 PM – 3:30 PM

Small Environmental Features, Big Impacts on Teacher Collaboration Networks

EDsession (60 minutes in classrooms)TRACK 5: Building for Safety & Well-Being—from Construction to Completion

This session presents new evidence showing how micro‑level workspace conditions — specifically natural light, views, and task lighting — relate to teachers’ positions within organizational communication networks. Using full‑population sociometric analysis and spatial perception data from a K–6 school, the study demonstrates that workspace affordances significantly predict closeness centrality in advice‑seeking and social networks. Findings highlight how small environmental features influence collaboration, knowledge flow, and organizational resilience, offering a systems‑level model for evidence‑based educational design.

Speakers

Jeremy Dwyer
Jeremy DwyerCannonDesign
Felix Kabo
Felix KaboCannonDesign
Sarah Holton
Sarah HoltonCannonDesign
Sean McCarty
Sean McCartySeneca Valley School District

More Information

Tags:Group B
Allow Registration:No
Capacity Unlimited:No
Indicate how the topic is applicable to Health, Safety, Welfare (HSW) Design credits.:N/A
Learner Engagement:This session is intentionally designed around adult learning principles that prioritize relevance, participation, reflection, and application. Rather than a traditional lecture, the 60 minutes will be structured as a series of short content segments paired with interactive engagement, allowing participants to actively interpret evidence and connect it to their own professional contexts. [EDspaces 2...sentations | Word] We will begin with a brief framing presentation (10–12 minutes) introducing the research question, methods, and key findings linking micro‑level workspace conditions—such as natural light, views, and task lighting—to teachers’ positions within organizational communication networks. This establishes a shared foundation while respecting adult learners’ preference for concise, purposeful content. The session then shifts to interactive evidence exploration. Working in small groups, participants will review simplified network diagrams, spatial perception visuals, and key metrics from the study. Guided prompts—such as “Where do you see space shaping collaboration in your own schools or projects?”—encourage peer‑to‑peer learning and leverage participants’ existing expertise. [EDspaces 2...sentations | Word] Midway through the session, we will facilitate a whole‑group discussion to synthesize insights across groups and explore implications for design, operations, and policy. Rather than presenting conclusions as fixed answers, participants will collectively interpret patterns and surface real‑world constraints. The session concludes with application and reflection, asking participants to identify a current or upcoming project or decision and consider how micro‑environmental affordances could intentionally support collaboration, knowledge flow, or resilience. Select participants will share takeaways, reinforcing learning through reflection and dialogue. Throughout, engagement is sustained through short presentations, visual artifacts, small‑group discussion, and direct application—modeling how evidence‑based design thinking operates within the broader learning ecosystem
Learning Objective 1:Explain how micro environmental workspace features influence organizational communication networks and why these relationships matter for collaboration, wellbeing, and school performance.

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Wed Oct 28•8:00 AM – 9:00 AM

Operating in the Grey: Campus Safety, De-escalation, and Technology

Campus safety shouldn’t be a one-size-fits-all approach. This session …Campus safety shouldn’t be a one-size-fits-all approach. This session explores a “grey” approach — promoting wellbeing, supporting neurodiversity, and integrating physical safety so people feel secure, supported, and able to perform at their best. Us…Campus safety shouldn’t be a one-size-fits-all approach. This session explores a “grey” approach — promoting wellbeing, supporting neurodiversity, and integrating physical safety so people feel secure, supported, and able to perform at their best. Using real-life examples spanning K-12, higher education, and healthcare, attendees will learn layered strategies — passive design, intuitive planning, and scalable systems — that support inclusivity, e…Campus safety shouldn’t be a one-size-fits-all approach. This session explores a “grey” approach — promoting wellbeing, supporting neurodiversity, and integrating physical safety so people feel secure, supported, and able to perform at their best. Using real-life examples spanning K-12, higher education, and healthcare, attendees will learn layered strategies — passive design, intuitive planning, and scalable systems — that support inclusivity, engagement, and outcomes, while addressing evolving threats in order to transform safety into a proactive asset.Show MoreClick the title to see all detailsShow More

EDsession (60 minutes in classrooms)Session TypeTRACK 5: Building for Safety & Well-Being—from Construction to CompletionSession Track
Ric Everett
Jennifer McKeel
Kristen Ambrose
Ric Everett
Ric EverettSenior Security Consultant, IMEG
Jennifer McKeel
Jennifer McKeelVice President and Senior Designer in Health Science + Interprofessional Education, HKS, Inc.
Kristen Ambrose
Kristen AmbrosePrincipal and Practice Leader, Education & Planning, HKS, Inc.
Ric Everett
Ric EverettSenior Security Consultant, IMEG
Jennifer McKeel
Jennifer McKeelVice President and Senior Designer in Health Science + Interprofessional Education, HKS, Inc.
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Kristen AmbrosePrincipal and Practice Leader, Education & Planning, HKS, Inc.
Tags:Group B
Allow Registration:No
Capacity Unlimited:No
Indicate how the topic is applicable to Health, Safety, Welfare (HSW) Design credits.:This session addresses how the planning and design of campus environments directly impact occupant wellbeing, health and safety. Attendees will explore human-centered, layered security strategies, including passive design, intuitive planning, and integrated technology systems—that support inclusion and create a welcoming atmosphere while mitigating risk, supporting de-escalation, and responding to evolving threats. Through real-world case studies across K-12, higher education, and healthcare settings, the session demonstrates how design decisions can promote inclusivity and neurodiversity, enhance physical safety, and improve overall user outcomes in the built environment.
Learner Engagement:This session is structured to connect content to real-world challenges and leverage participant experience. Using case study examples from K-12, higher education, and healthcare environments, attendees will be prompted to evaluate and compare layered safety strategies—such as passive design, intuitive planning, and integrated technology—against their own project contexts. Interactive discussion will be incorporated throughout, encouraging participants to share perspectives on balancing inclusivity, safety, and operational constraints. Scenario-based prompts will invite attendees to consider how de-escalation strategies and security systems can be applied in different campus settings, reinforcing practical application and peer-to-peer learning beyond a lecture-style format.
Learning Objective 1:Identify practical approaches for balancing inclusivity, user experience, safety, and operational constraints in new and existing campus projects.
Wed Oct 28•1:00 PM – 2:00 PM

Building Momentum: Leveraging Phase 1 Success to Ignite a Multi-Phase Campus Evolution

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EDsession (60 minutes in classrooms)Session TypeTRACK 5: Building for Safety & Well-Being—from Construction to CompletionSession Track
Jamie Sartory
Rebecca Sibley
Eric Lombardi
Jamie Sartory
Jamie SartorySenior Associate, Lake Flato Architects
Rebecca Sibley
Rebecca SibleySenior Associate, Lake Flato Architects
Eric Lombardi
Eric LombardiHead of School, Fort Worth Country Day
Jamie Sartory
Jamie SartorySenior Associate, Lake Flato Architects
Rebecca Sibley
Rebecca SibleySenior Associate, Lake Flato Architects
Eric Lombardi
Eric LombardiHead of School, Fort Worth Country Day
Tags:Group B
Allow Registration:No
Capacity Unlimited:No
Indicate how the topic is applicable to Health, Safety, Welfare (HSW) Design credits.:This session meets AIA HSW guidelines under Environmental Health and Social Welfare. It details how to improve daylighting, connections to nature, acoustics, indoor air quality and thermal comfort through biophilic design and passive systems in both new construction and reuse/renovation. It addresses safety and welfare by analyzing how inclusive, "loose-fit" programming supports the social and emotional wellness of neurally diverse student populations
Learner Engagement:To engage attendees, we will utilize live digital polling to understand their experience with master planning (i.e. Who has developed or completed a campus master plan in the past three years?) We will then benchmark the audience by inviting them to choose from four primary drivers behind that effort: growth and enrollment, campus identity and experience, deferred maintenance/renewal, or other. Then ask a few volunteers to briefly share their experiences—what shaped the plan, what challenges emerged, and how it has (or hasn’t yet) translated into implementation and momentum.
Learning Objective 1:Describe key strategies for designing a holistic process in a master plan that prioritized renovation over new construction
Wed Oct 28•4:00 PM – 5:00 PM

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EDsession (60 minutes in classrooms)Session TypeTRACK 5: Building for Safety & Well-Being—from Construction to CompletionSession Track
Eric Risinger
Steve Moore
Laura Gabel
Eric Risinger
Eric RisingerManaging Partner; Principal; Strategic Programming Lead, Holabird & Root
Steve Moore
Steve MooreAssistant Superintendent, Wadsworth City Schools
Laura Gabel
Laura GabelAssociate; Specialist in Planning + Data Integration, Holabird & Root
Eric Risinger
Eric RisingerManaging Partner; Principal; Strategic Programming Lead, Holabird & Root
Steve Moore
Steve MooreAssistant Superintendent, Wadsworth City Schools
Laura Gabel
Laura GabelAssociate; Specialist in Planning + Data Integration, Holabird & Root
Tags:Group B
Allow Registration:No
Capacity Unlimited:No
Indicate how the topic is applicable to Health, Safety, Welfare (HSW) Design credits.:not applicable
Learner Engagement:The active-learning techniques we plan to incorporate in this presentation include peer-to-peer discussion, audience polling, a media clip, and potentially a small activity.
Learning Objective 1:Begin assembling the information, resources, and team members you’ll need for the school design & construction planning process and launch that process with the appropriate professionals and scope.