Using an outline format accompanied by numerous photographs and sketches, this brochure explores the relationship of "school" to people's conceptions, actions, and physical surroundings, highlighting changes over the past 20 years in Scandinavian school design. Two major conceptual changes are decentralized administration and teaching and learning situations emphasizing teamwork and development of the whole person. Changes in activities and physical environment are also summarized, along with "quality" effects, such as (1) a smaller-scaled, more confidential environment; (2) greater flexibility in learning and teaching interactions; and (3) the opening of schools to the community. A close examination of teacher and student attitudes reveals that school as an institution mediating knowledge contributes much less to students' well-being than school as a social system. Architects and planners must realize the importance of relationships beween people and create functional and inspiring places supporting their work and social life. While architecture can do nothing to help poor teaching, without good architecture, learning and teaching are slowed down. Architecture's role is to accentuate the quality of places, to cultivate sensory awareness, and to interpret and communicate institutional values in time and place. Complementary requirements of architectural design, restraints for school architecture, and architecture's contribution to human development and the educational process are also discussed. (MLH)