Each year countries suffer great tragedy when natural disasters destroy schools and disrupt children's education. In addition to causing immediate harm to children, there is mounting evidence that the direct impact of natural disasters can translate into a series of indirect long-term effects. For some time, multilateral and bilateral development…

The May/June 2009 issue of "Facilities Manager" introduced APPA readers to the Whole Building Design Guide (WBDG)--today's most comprehensive Internet-based depository of resources contributing to a systems approach for everything of a building nature. The emphasis in that article was on Operations and Maintenance (O&M) issues and procedures. In…

Doors serve a variety of needs and purposes in schools: (1) Exterior doors provide building security and protection from the elements; and (2) Interior doors control the movement of people among school spaces, help control noise and air flow, and act as flame and smoke barriers during a fire. In a lockdown, they serve as safety barriers. From a…

This article is part of a series that has offered insight on planning a facilities project, hiring professionals, delivery system options and owner's responsibilities. In this article, the author focuses on some of the planning and design concepts one may be asked to consider in providing direction to his design and construction team. These…

Early childhood centers have become a common and necessary part of millions of Americans' lives. More women in the workforce, longer workweeks, and educational research supporting the importance of early education have all contributed to the rise of early childhood centers throughout the United States. Today, more than 30 percent of children under…

Public education is one of the central tasks of a democratic society, and the buildings that house this important task not only shape the way one teaches, but provide icons and symbols for the values people hold common as a society. Perhaps unsurprisingly, this context has placed school buildings squarely in a position of debate and innovation…

This paper presents an overview of selected basic guidelines valuable to the planning process of designing barrier-free facilities for able and disabled persons. (DS)

Underlined is the importance of communication and cooperation between architect and educator during the planning stage of a building. (LS)

A nontechnical guide to many facets in the design of efficient libraries is presented for everyone concerned with library building planning. The author discusses--(1) the problems involved in planning libraries for the future, (2) the library objectives and their relation to aesthetic problems, quality of construction, function and cost, (3) the…

The Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) 1990 includes a provision requiring that new construction and alterations to existing facilities comply with the ADA Standards for Accessible Design. This report explains 23 common accessibility errors or omissions that the Department of Justice has identified during the course of its enforcement efforts.…

THE PURPOSE OF THIS ANNOTATED BIBLIOGRAPHY ON ARCHITECTURAL ACOUSTICS WAS--(1) TO COMPILE A CLASSIFIED BIBLIOGRAPHY, INCLUDING MOST OF THOSE PUBLICATIONS ON ARCHITECTURAL ACOUSTICS, PUBLISHED IN ENGLISH, FRENCH, AND GERMAN WHICH CAN SUPPLY A USEFUL AND UP-TO-DATE SOURCE OF INFORMATION FOR THOSE ENCOUNTERING ANY ARCHITECTURAL-ACOUSTIC DESIGN…

Fire safety as provided for by building codes is examined critically, and the characteristics of building fires are reviewed. A new design approach is suggested. (Author)

The National Humanities Center in North Carolina has individual studies that provide absolute privacy for each scholar, and a commons, with lounges and a dining room, placed to encourage interaction. (Author/MLF)

An AIA Honor Award was given for the Pembroke Dormitories at Brown University. The dormitories, said the jury, are an "outstanding example of weaving an institution into the urban fabric." (Author/MLF)

The Legal Research Center for Lewis and Clark Law School in Portland, Oregon, was designed to allow existing facilities to dominate, to continue a linear development of a steep nonlinear site, and to connect gracefully to adjacent buildings. (Author/MLF)