Today’s students are growing up in conditions unlike any previous generation. Rising anxiety, fragmented attention, reduced independence, and digitally mediated social interaction are changing how children learn, connect, and develop.
In the first installment of our four-part Designing Spaces for the Anxious Generation series, we explore the cultural and developmental shifts shaping contemporary childhood, the neurobiological pathways through which those shifts affect student wellbeing, and the role architecture can play in response. This paper also introduces HCM’s Embodied Learning Environments (ELE) framework, a research-based approach for evaluating how physical space can support attention, competence, and belonging.
Meet The Authors
Adele Willson is Managing Principal of HCM’s office in Denver, Colorado, and is the Studio Leader for the firm’s PK-12 practice. During her 35+ years of experience, she has worked with nearly 500 different schools in all aspects of the architectural practice, most notably educational planning and programming.
Erika Ashauer brings deep expertise at the intersection of cognitive science, design research, and PK-12 educational environments. She has spent her career embedding research directly into design workflows, translating insights into actionable strategies.
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