The University of Michigan is almost always in the midst of a building boom. Year in and year out, Michigan has one of the most active programs of building renovation and new construction of all American universities. This program is very carefully managed to ensure that substantial architectural design work is not undertaken until there is a…

An eight-year-old rapidly growing community college serving the Denver metropolitan area will soon have the nation's largest solar-energy heated installation. (Author/MLF)

Discussion of laboratory cabinets and desk systems looks at considerations of cost, flexibility, utility, serviceability, storage capacity, future availability of compatible components, and safety or other legal compliance issues. Four system types (standard floor-mounted, C-frame, end rigger-leg frame suspended, unistrut) are described, and…

Modern, technically advanced buildings on U.S. college and university campuses reflect a decline in aesthetic and academic architectural values. Colleges and universities must become better architectural patrons by maintaining a sense of (1) the special purpose of academic buildings; (2) scale; and (3) the campus aesthetic. (MSE)

Programing is described as a process leading to an explicit statement of an architectural problem. The programing phase is seen as the most critical period in the delivery process in which energy analysis can have an impact on design. A programing method appropriate for standard architectural practice is provided. (MLW)

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…

Photographic essay describes some of the learning facilities for first and second year students at New York's Mt. Sinai School of Medicine. (Author)

Describes some of the problems that student rejection of traditional campus residence halls has created at colleges and universities. Offers some solutions. (Author/MF)

Examines the trend at many institutions of higher education to construct unified science centers which stress the integration of the scientific disciplines. Offers examples of building design and design challenges, such as the integration of older buildings within a new science center. Suggests guidelines for the planning process. (DB)

Energy savings through improved operation and maintenance of buildings and through implementation of energy conservation measures are discussed. Energy master planning--an approach to major retrofit and occupancy for existing college buildings, and energy conscious design and occupancy for new buildings--is advocated. (MLW)

Describes the application of the turnkey" approach at three universities in which a developer plans, designs, and builds new housing to meet the institution's specifications at a predetermined, fixed cost. (JF)

The Mississippi County Community College large-scale energy experiment, featuring the emerging high technology of solar electricity, is described. The project includes a building designed for solar electricity and a power plant consisting of a total energy photovoltaic system, and features two experimental developments. (MLW)

Provides a checklist to guide decisions of college planners about whether a university should adapt a historic house for campus use. Covers issues of functionality, aesthetics, budget, and typical preservation issues. Includes case studies at New York University, Yale University (Connecticut), and Wesleyan University (Connecticut). (DB)

Declining enrollments and the current economic recession in higher education have forced colleges and universities to suspend or cutback plans for new construction and consider re-use of existing buildings. One candidate for rehabilitation is the campus chapel. (Author)

New energy-responsible buildings will not only use less energy, but will be more comfortable, more closely attuned to nature, and will create a better learning and living environment. The most cost-effective planning decisions have to do with good passive solar design and sensible operations. (MLW)