This presentation describes the development of an Icelandic school for students in grades 1-10. The school is based on the needs of students, their families, their communities, and their country. The process for making decisions about the new schools is called "design down," which refers to starting with the biggest issues and moving…

Indepth observations in three American schools and three Japanese schools for the Interface Project revealed six major areas of interface between facilities and student learning. The interface profile is presented. (MLF)

A Native Canadian architect talks about his building projects, how they were influenced by his cultural traditions and the teachings and advice of the Elders, the spiritual nature of creativity, giving a building power by designing it as a living being, and linking tradition with the latest technological tools. (SV)

The academic world is seen as remote from day-to-day reality. A practicing architect's experiences teaching architecture students at the Saint-Luc School in Brussels are described, in which role playing was used to bring reality to the classroom. (MLW)

Re-examines seven major public library central facilities that were built or renovated in the past six years, including Chicago (Illinois), Los Angeles (California), Denver (Colorado), Phoenix (Arizona), San Antonio (Texas) and Vancouver (British Columbia). Topics include coping with crowds; new uses for the libraries; reorganization of space;…

This article focuses on how teachers worked to build a meaningful curriculum around changes to a neighborhood and school grounds in a precinct listed for urban renewal. Drawing on a long-term relationship with the principal and one teacher, the researchers planned and designed a collaborative project to involve children as active participants in…

Intrinsically safe design is presented as a logical extension of the principles of barrier free design, and as a higher level design strategy for effecting widespread implementation of the basic accessibility requirements for people with disabilities. Two fundamental planning procedures are proposed: including principles of safe and accessible…

The design of new public library buildings is influenced by a changing information environment. This article describes the impact of information technology (IT) and community attitudes and expectations on public library planning and design. Outlines considerations for building design: location, identity, symbolism, ambiance, accessibility, size,…

Describes the design of the building named in the title, including the educational context and design goals. Includes information on architects, consultants, suppliers, and cost, as well as floor plans and photographs. Discusses how the modern structure fits into the campus. (EV)

In Canada today, more than a million children spend a large portion of their preschool years in child care outside the immediate family. The design of a child care center's physical facility has a major impact on the quality of interactions that take place within it. Intended to assist design and child care professionals who are building a new…

Architects need to understand sociology, psychology, philosophy, education, and many other fields in order to plan professional buildings. To illustrate this point, a distinction is drawn between teaching (imparting factual knowledge) and educating (imparting general understanding or basic appreciation of the subjects studied and applying this…

Describes a project that is a part of an "Architects in Schools" program in England in which students were challenged to redesign a small structure on the school grounds. Discusses the student tasks involved, including the development of scale models, and the evaluation of the design. (TW)

This teacher's resource kit is designed to complement the six books in the "Native Dwellings" series and to provide suggestions for a comprehensive curriculum unit. The books describe the shelters created by a pre-20th century groups of Native American peoples. The relationship of weather, geography, and culture is examined and…

Discusses the efforts, problems, and controversies involved in the full-scale reconstruction of Shakespeare's Globe Theatre. Critics question the cost and necessity while supporters proclaim its value as a monument to western civilization. The theater opens to a full season of plays in 1997. (MJP)

This paper describes a training system developed in France for occupational therapists on accessibility for people with disabilities. The system is based on a methodology of home planning designed by an interdisciplinary team comprised of an architect, an occupational therapist, people with disabilities, physical medicine and rehabilitation…