Innovative teaching methods and organisational change make new demands on our future learning environments. The Brink and the Laak Clusters are two related examples of a new type of building for a community in the Netherlands. The Firebird School ("Vuurvogel"), a primary school for students from ages 4 to 12, is currently housed in the…

Michel Foucault's critical studies concerning regimes of power are of special interest when applied to architecture. In particular, he warned of the hazards of building surveillance into architectural structures for the purpose of monitoring people and took as his historical exemplar English philosopher Jeremy Bentham's "Panopticon," a structure…

The basic factors in personal comfort, the nature of the processes of teaching and learning, and the effects of environment on these functions are discussed. The role of climate conditioning and space conditioning as interpreted by sensory factors during the learning process gives guidelines for design solutions. Technical supplements on climate…

This review surveys documents and journal articles previously announced in RIE and CIJE that deal with the principles and techniques of sound transmission and control, particularly as they relate to school environments. School planners and administrators are advised that excessive acoustical insulation costs may be avoided by early decisions…

This study was designed to observe, record, and describe the interface between educational facilities and learning climate in three elementary schools, comparing the results with results from a 1990 study. Data came from taped informal interviews, videotape recordings, observations, and conversations with parents, teachers, and administrators.…

When designing schools, one should assign space for athletic fields, arrange halls so that traffic will not disturb classrooms, separate grade levels, provide playgrounds exclusively for younger children, and provide lighting and ventilation. Unit plans should be designed so that all educational and domestic activities can be executed in the…

A survey of several hundred German students led to two theses on school environment and learning. First, students find school buildings attractive only if they conform to certain features of the human sensory system such as balance. Second, students consider school buildings attractive and inviting only if their architectural message meets such…

THIS STUDY WAS AUTHORIZED BY THE VA DEPARTMENT OF MEDICINE AND SURGERY FOR THE PURPOSE OF IDENTIFYING AND DETERMINING THE FACILITIES NEEDED TO PROPERLY HOUSE AND SUPPORT EDUCATION ACTIVITIES IN EXISTING AND FUTURE VA HOSPITALS AND TO PRODUCE ARCHITECTURAL GUIDANCE IN THE DESIGN OF THE FACILITIES. CURRENT PRACTICES AND SIGNIFICANT TRENDS IN MEDICAL…

The physical environment is considered to be vitally linked to the success of the educational program, and that which requires a minimum of body energy for adaptation and thereby releases a maximum amount of energy for purposeful living is considered the best educational environment. Planning of educational facilities is discussed within this…

This annotated bibliography of literature on the open plan school confines itself to material that relates educational programs to open design buildings. The first section, "Teaching in an Open Plan School," offers 46 items that include discussions of the program, its administration, and the teacher's role. In the second section, "Facilities," 37…

There is a considerable amount of research documenting the effects of noise on children. The effects are largely negative. Chronic exposure to noise has been shown to be harmful to children of various ages. It can have especially detrimental effects on younger children when language and discrimination skills are forming. Sometimes major noise…

The Wisconsin Audiovisual Association recognized that some information regarding building requirements for media needed to be available to educators and architects involved in building planning. The association appointed a committee to prepare a simple brochure relating to media considerations for school facilities. (Author)

The design of a state-of-the-art on-campus counselor education clinic is described. The floor plan of the University of North Texas' 5,000-square-foot counseling and human development center is illustrated. Recommendations are offered to other counselor educators undertaking the design of similar clinics. (KW)

Discusses how modern schools require specific lighting systems to accommodate computers and other technologies. Describes special needs for direct and indirect lighting when considering visual display terminals and projectors, and the kind of lighting system best suited for distance learning. Offers ideas on classrooms' physical layout. (RJM)