Amid increasing global and national interest in the built educational environment, this editorial considers developments within the Nordic countries that are investigated and discussed within the articles in this special issue. We discuss commonalities and divergences in the experiences of transition and change in the schools, located in a range…

This issue of the "European Journal of Education" examines a crucially important, though largely overlooked, area in educational design research: architecting and building physical educational environments. Effective policymaking in school design necessitates the negotiated, shared and timely input of key educational stakeholders,…

Four experts in school design discuss what constitutes best practice in educational facilities planning and design. Their discussions include examples of schools that illustrate these best practices. (EV)

The lessons learned about classroom design considerations from the experience of the University of California at Santa Cruz through its remediation of classroom flaws are discussed and illustrated. Topics addressed include acoustical and visual conditions, wall and ceiling angles, shapes, and materials, the floor, seating, and durability and…

Some construction projects that colleges and universities have recently undertaken--residence halls, dining halls, student centers, athletic and recreation centers--have attracted significant criticism. Critics have taken issue with the proliferation and design of buildings intended to structure the use of students' free time and attract…

This paper asserts that school buildings have been and continue to be places to warehouse children, and that new schools just do it in more comfortable settings. It suggests that an examination of the way most government agencies handle the business of school design and construction illustrates how the system is designed to systematically weed out…

Explores the major problems with many of the new state-of-the-art buildings designed to house child care programs and concludes that the buildings are too small. (BB)

Presents an interview with Steven Bingler, an expert on community-based planning and design, about the design of public schools. Topics include the contribution of architecture to student learning, mega- versus small schools, the authentic economics of design decisions, and the role of the community in the design process. (EV)

This document presents educational specifications for a new high school in Ridley school District in Pennsylvania. The specifications are offered by the school's administration and faculty. They address in detail the following areas: (1) exterior (including site and building exterior); (2) building interior; (3) classrooms; (4) department centers;…

Campus design is discussed as a metaphor for an educational world view. Present spatial organization of the average campus works against the best interests and efforts of the academic community. Implications for spatial reorganization are detailed. (Article originally published in 1971.) (AF)

Architectural drafting and building construction teachers need to become informed about barrier-free access. This information should be included in programs to give students experience and competence in this area. Industrial educators should assume a leadership role in training personnel to design and build a barrier-free environment. (JOW)

Several architects, planners, administrators, and contractors answer questions about trends related to school construction, interior design, business, security, and technology. Trends concern funding issues, specialized designs, planning for safety, technological integration, and equity in services. (EV)

As teacher educators, the authors visit numerous learning environments. Each school has its own unique characteristics and personality. Some schools seem to have a magnetic draw, filling the senses with energy, wonder and intrigue. This energy, writes the authors, stems from a symbiotic relationship, a flow of spaces that work together…

An award-winning Alaskan elementary school is designed to blend into the landscape; capture as much winter daylight as possible; and generally accommodate safety, flexibility, practicality, and whimsy. In a sidebar, the architect explains the importance of architect/educator collaboration in designing a building that supports an educational…

Changes in instructional methods and ideologies depend on simultaneous changes in the physical environment for the practice of those methods. School architecture results from the type of activity dictated by educational theories. One of the principal ideologies of education is socialization, which perceives education as a process of preparing…