How modern student health centers redefine well-being

On the one hand, they are more empowered and aware of their health and fitness 24/7 thanks to fitness trackers, apps and social media influencers. At the same time, a significant portion of them struggle with mental and physical health challenges at higher rates than previous generations.

To best help this unique generation, and those that will follow, colleges and universities are reimagining their student health centers. Gone are the days where health centers were places to avoid unless students absolutely had to go there due to illness.

Today, student health centers are infused with mental health spaces, demonstration kitchens, access to nature, multipurpose rooms for yoga and relaxation, social zones, cafes and much, much more. They are becoming campus beacons rather than campus backdoors—helping reduce stigma around health and well-being and any associated physical and mental health challenges. Such dynamic spaces make wellness a strong piece of campus DNA and help more students.

Just as no college campus is the same, there is no one way to reimagine a student health center. It is essential each project is calibrated to each institution’s student body and unique culture. That said, there are common themes that cut across leading-edge spaces in this typology. We have outlined five factors for success below:

Unite health and well-being resources

Historically, institutions spread health and well-being resources across numerous buildings. Student counseling here, recreation over there, a health center on the other side of campus. More and more, modern health centers are uniting these resources and departments under one roof to “supercharge” their facility.

By providing a broader range of services and well-being resources in one place, students are more likely to visit, socialize and learn about the services they may not have known about otherwise.

Design to new WELL standards

How can a university claim without a doubt that their student health center is their healthiest building on campus? The WELL Building Standard is the roadmap for creating and certifying spaces that advance health and well-being. Moving beyond the more typical LEED certification, WELL focuses on ten factors that directly address mental and physical health.

Flexibility and adaptability are key

Designing flexible and adaptable spaces for student health is key on every front. The goal for these buildings is to drive value for institutions for 50 years or more. Undoubtedly, trends in student health and wellness will change over that time and a campus’s ability to evolve spaces along with these trends is critical. Creating multipurpose spaces and developing overarching masterplans for multiple possible futures helps make this possible.

And, as the past year has made clear, adaptability is also essential when more dramatic change is required in the face of a public health challenge or other black swan events. It’s incredible the many ways that student health centers have been able to remain resources to students and staff during the pandemic across the country.

Create campus hubs for student health and well-being

Just as student health centers can become beacons on campus, they can also become essential to larger campus well-being strategies. By locating them strategically near other student life buildings, institutions can amplify their impact.

The University of South Florida project is again a great example as it sits immediately next to both the school’s recreation center and one of its campus dining halls. This creates an epicenter for health and well-being on campus.

At its core, this shift in student health and well-being buildings reflects the simple reality that these buildings can be much more than places to visit when students are sick. They can also be beacons for health, spaces for well-being education, mental health counseling, rejuvenation and much more.