Designing for Student Safety: An Architect's Role

We were outside a college's student center capturing input on housing experiences for their residential comprehensive plan. It began by asking two innocent questions:

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1. WHERE ARE YOU THE MOST COMFORTABLE ON CAMPUS?

Put a green dot.

2. WHERE ARE YOU THE LEAST COMFORTABLE ON CAMPUS?

Put a red dot.

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Green dots were placed in the expected places — library, student center, campus quad, and many existing residential spaces. Red dots collected near train tracks, perimeter of campus, and areas that weren’t well lit at night.

One woman, however, slowly walked up to the large campus map and put a red dot on a specific residential building. When asked “why?”, she reticently shared she was sexually assaulted there.

As architects, we weren’t initially prepared to handle the answer. We’ve been thinking about it ever since, however, and it continues to prompt discussion about our roles as designers, the role of the campus, and how we can take responsibility for protecting students from a similar experience.

According to the American Psychological Association, campus sexual assault (CSA) makes up the greatest proportion (43%) of total on-campus crimes in the United States, resulting in approximately eight forcible sex offenses per 10,000 students.

The book, Sexual Citizens: Sex, Power, and Assault on Campus by Jennifer S. Hirsch and Shamus Khan has addressed the issue head-on. Organized around central themes, the authors illustrate why sexual assaults occur not only on campus but in general around the formative years of a typical college student.

The first is Sexual Projects. Around this age, many individuals begin to explore who they are as humans. It is an intensely personal journey, and centers on the critical moral questions about how partners fit into our understanding of self. These projects are formed by young people’s experiences, but also shaped by messages from family and community.

The next theme, and a main area of focus, is Sexual Geographies — the physical spaces, furniture and contexts that are prevalent on campuses — from the macro of the library, classrooms and student centers, down to the micro — the intimacy of a student’s individual bedroom. As seasoned professionals, we know budgets are tight and we typically design rooms to accommodate clothing storage, a desk for studying, and a bed to sleep in — no more.

When a student wants privacy to get to know a potential partner, it may seem harmless to suggest “we can go to my room” where the most logical place to sit is on the bed. This situation may too easily imply consent— possibly precipitating the Sexual Project faster than intended or wanted.

We Can Do Better

What if, in addition to community areas standard to residential projects, we incorporate secondary semi-private areas that can be used by students for group study, as well as interacting with a potential partner?

These “third-place” spaces offer safe environments for social interactions as students learn about themselves and their connection to others.

As architects, interior designers, and campus planners, we have a responsibility to create environments that not only facilitate learning and community but also prioritize safety and personal agency. Semi-private areas offer a comfortable and safe place for social interactions, helping to mitigate unnecessary pressure and unwelcome encounters.

By addressing both the physical and cultural dimensions of sexual citizenship and geography, we can contribute to the well-being and growth of students, ensuring campuses are places where everyone feels comfortable and secure.

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References:

"Campus Sexual Assault: Fact Sheet from an Intersectional Lens.” American Psychological Association.

Hirsch, Jennifer S., and Shamus Khan. Sexual Citizens: Sex, Power, and Assault on Campus. W.W. Norton & Company, 2021.

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