SCHOOL CAFETERIA – Collectivity

SCHOOL CAFETERIA

Furnishing a school cafeteria requires carefully considered choices that, before considering any other feature, have functionality as their main objective.

The discussion of school cafeterias is a bit generic, given that they are all intended for different age groups, sometimes smaller and sometimes larger buildings; or again, we must say that often school cafeterias can even function as multipurpose rooms.

For example, the cafeteria of a small and intimate school can never be the same as that of a large one, with very large refectory rooms; the chairs and tables of the nursery school cannot have the same dimensions as those of the middle school and so on.

Based on these and other parameters, we will therefore try to give you some advice on what needs to be evaluated in order to create functional furniture for a school cafeteria.

Type of school.

As already mentioned, if the supplies are intended for a nursery or primary school, it must be taken into account that the children who attend those classes are very small and, assigning tall and heavy chairs and tables to their use, is neither practical nor safe. Children must be able to move their chairs by themselves when it is time to get up from the table, and they must be able to touch the floor with their feet to eat their meals in total comfort. Even the tables, like all the furniture in general, must be proportionate to the height of the children.

Furthermore, before purchasing furniture, it is necessary to be clear about the dimensions of the rooms or classrooms for which they are intended. In fact, there are buildings with very large classrooms that allow for the arrangement of several separate tables and structures that, instead, have more limited dimensions and it is necessary to optimize the available spaces. To overcome space problems, Gruppo Smau also offers stackable chairs (but not foldable ones, which is better excluded for safety reasons) that, after their use, can be conveniently stored in a corner.

Practicality and hygiene.

Cleaning is essential, especially when it comes to environments where meals are consumed! This is even more true if we consider that children are the ones who use these spaces.

For this reason, in fact, it is always advisable to buy chairs and tables that are easy to clean, without fabric or materials that are difficult to wash and non-linear, that is, without indentations in which food residues could deposit (in addition to the fact that any protrusions or recesses could prove dangerous). To facilitate cleaning of the environment, furthermore, it is also necessary to pay attention to the arrangement of everything inside the classrooms.

Safety.

We all know how unpredictable children are and furnishing environments intended for their use requires particular attention. If we are talking about primary schools, therefore, it would be advisable to avoid choosing tables that are joined at a later time, unless this is necessary for reasons of space, so as not to expose children to risks (for example, they could accidentally put their hands in the joints).

Furthermore, the edges must never be sharp, better rounded or linear, so as not to be an obstacle or danger. To overcome these and other hypothesized problems, Gruppo SMAU offers in its assortment only school canteen furniture that is fully compliant with current regulations.

Design.

Compared to the other characteristics, design is perhaps the least important thing, but it must still be given the right weight, taken into due consideration. School environments, and obviously also the canteen, must be welcoming and make the students’ stay pleasant.

However, the design must also be adapted to the type of school. In fact, it is usual to prefer very colorful supplies for kindergartens and a little more sober for middle or high schools.

Although when talking about school canteens the focus is always on tables and chairs, we must not forget that there are also other furnishing elements useful in this type of environment.

Gruppo SMAU, in fact, also deals with supplying shelving, lockers, coat racks and any other component that is necessary to install to make the canteen perfectly usable and well-organized.

Available on MEPA›