A transition space is a connective space that takes you from one defined area to another. Corridors, staircases, and entryways are transition spaces that optimize the movement of people inside buildings. Adding design elements to these spaces can change a dull and sometimes confusing area into an area that enhances a visitor’s experience.
In children’s environments, every area is an opportunity to create an emotional relationship to a building. Playful transition spaces with attention-getting elements can spark a child’s imagination while reducing the stress and frustration caused by changing activities. Children’s areas that involve the entire environment can create a rich and meaningful experience that takes kids out of the church, the dentist, the gym, wherever they are, and transports them to an exciting space just for them!
Entryways are opportunities to make gateways into other worlds. Hints of a tree suggest the entire forest behind it. A cabin can suggest the campground and trails that lie beyond!
Zach Nienhuser
Entryways
Entryways play an important role in providing the identity of a space. “In these large shared spaces, it can be challenging to transition from a more formal space into a cool kids’ area,” says Zach Nienhuser, Creative Manager at Worlds of Wow. “Entryways are opportunities to make gateways into other worlds. Hints of a tree suggest the entire forest behind it. A cabin can suggest the campground and trails that lie beyond!” says Nienhuser.
Staircases
Stairs are so often forgotten in commercial interior design but can truly transform an area when done well. Moving children from one floor to the next can be an immersive experience that takes kids on an imaginative journey. By adding elements that are safe and engaging, this boring area becomes a joyful space that children love.
Hallways
An intentionally designed hallway can have an enormous impact on children. Adding wayfinding to a hallway informs kids of their surroundings and guides them from point A to point B. Hallway spaces with large graphics or murals used as touchpoints can give children a sense of comfort, familiarity, and emotional response to the organization and its space.
To learn more about hallway design, watch Creating Playful Worlds: Everything You’d Ever Want To Know About Hallways.