The Benefits of Tiered Seating in Teaching Spaces
Whether you’re a small college or a big university, ensuring your teaching rooms are engaging places is vitally important. If students are to be effective learners, it goes without saying that they need to clearly see and hear the teacher or lecturer and be able to sit comfortably without distraction.
ďƒ˜ Whilst tiered seating is often found in large lecture theatres where it wouldn’t be practical to have hundreds of students sat on one level, it can also be used in much smaller spaces.
Better Sightlines Help Improve Focus And Reduce Distraction
On a tiered floor each row of seating is higher than the one in front, providing students with a much clearer view towards the front of the room where the teacher or lecturer will stand.
Whilst this may not seem necessary in smaller spaces, you have to consider that someone sat only a few rows from the front on a level floor may struggle to see if there are taller people sat in front of them – this immediately causes distraction which can result in loss of focus.
Tiered seating improves sightlines, allowing students to clearly see the teacher and any information being presented to them.
It means they don’t need to shuffle around to get a good view and don’t miss out on important details.
It also helps improve audibility for students.
Maximise Capacity Without Reducing Individual Workspace
ďƒ˜ If you’re tight on space to accommodate the required number of students, seating in uniform rows allows you to maximise capacity whereas individual chairs positioned around tables take up significantly more space.
Tiered seating can be supplied with rows of fixed desks which provide students with ample workspace for learning materials and tech. This option is also best for collaboration when students may need to work together or share information. An alternative to this are individual writing tablets which fold away into the chair arms. These are best for simple note taking and for spaces where a desktop is not always required.
Teaching Spaces Remain Presentable And Organized
ďƒ˜ Another benefit of tiered seating which is fixed to the floor is that the room remains presentable at all times. Seats and desks cannot be moved around by students so the space will always remain tidy and rows will remain clear and accessible for cleaning.
Tiered Structures Can Be Custom Made For Any Space Whatever the size of your room and whether you want seats positioned in straight, curved or angled rows, a tiered structure can be custom made to accommodate your requirements.
Tiers don’t have to incorporate huge steps as even a small increase in height on each row makes a big difference to sightlines and acoustics.
For larger spaces with high ceilings where tiers can be deeper, intersteps will be fitted for safety so that each row of tiering has several steps up to it (as can be seen below right), rather than one very tall step.
ďƒ˜ Tiered structures can accommodate all underfloor services and include ventilation and cable management for power and data. Tiered structures in the UK should comply with British Standards codes of practice.
Fixed Lecture Theatre Seating Is Strong And Durable ďƒ˜ Seats that are specially designed for lecture theatres are manufactured to be hard-wearing and durable, and to withstand the daily demands of education environments. ďƒ˜ Good quality fixed lecture seating is usually manufactured with a steel frame for strength and stability, and deeply cushioned seats and backs for comfort.