Discusses creating buildings from the ground up to support alternative (nontraditional) educational programs and the benefits of matching the facility to the curriculum and the students' needs. The use of a retrofitted vacant office building to support a nontraditional curriculum in Salt Lake City is highlighted. (GR)

Offers a sampling of historic preservation projects by school districts. Examples include New York City Public School 157; Edward Lee McClain High School in Greenfield, Ohio; Dillard High School in Fort Lauderdale, Florida; Melbourne High School in Melbourne, Florida; and Colonial High School in Orange County, Florida. (EV)

Details the restoration of two historical stone buildings on the campus of San Francisco Theological Seminary, including seismic upgrades; improvements to the dome of one building, the stonework, and the slate roofs; and upgrades to the interior while preserving its historical character. (EV)

An assessment at the University of Maryland, College Park of the time and distance between classes, and the resulting classroom disruptions when students arrive late or leave early, supported a decision to implement a policy regarding student scheduling. (EV)

Advises schools on how to identify and handle toxic mold in their buildings. Addresses the extent of the problem, offers a four-step approach toward remediation, and suggests questions to ask when mold has been identified. (EV)

Using the Oglesby Union at Florida State University in Tallahassee as an example, explores what students today expect from activity centers (for example, in terms of technology) and how facilities should change to accommodate students' activities. (EV)

Discusses the innovative and whimsical use of brick and glass architectural design at the University of Cincinnati's Vontz Center for Molecular Studies. The architectural development process is described. Building diagrams and photos are included. (GR)

Describes the design of the Fisher Science And Academic Center at Simon's Rock College (Massachusetts), that allows the buildings to seamlessly blend in with their rustic surroundings. Photos and diagrams detailing design features are provided. (GR)

Introduces a place of mathematics using a town called Amiens and its Cathedral whose overall floor plan was based on the Greek cross using proportions matching that of the ideal human body, the figures in the shape of an octagram or star octagon, and the symbols in the design. (ASK)

Discusses the trend in using intelligent-building technologies to achieve operating efficiencies and cost savings. Explains what an intelligent building is, defines some of the terms, and discusses how the user-friendly aspects of these systems are helping schools convert to them. (GR)

Presents the teamwork approach used by Philadelphia's Drexel University to restore an unused historic bank building located on its campus and convert it into a home to be used for alumni relations. Photos are included. (GR)

Five weeks after Katrina landed in Louisiana, Bonnabel and 78 other Jefferson Parish schools were welcoming students back--and far sooner than many had expected. The worst damage in Louisiana from Hurricane Katrina did not come to Jefferson Parish. That distinction was reserved for portions of New Orleans, as well as St. Bernard Parish, where…

A project was designed to introduce students to fungi in which students surveyed their school buildings for different types of mold. The students were able to make connections between structure and function of the fungal components and learn how these different components enhance survival in the environment.

One state's efforts to assess school readiness to implement a comprehensive mental health innovation are described. To determine the likelihood of achieving success with positive behavioral supports (PBS), a process to identify school buildings ready for planned organizational change was designed and implemented within a large-scale system of care…

The new National Maritime College of Ireland is regarded as the country's most exciting and innovative development in maritime training and education and is the first tertiary institution to be built and operated under the government's Public Private Partnership (PPP) model of procurement. The project is the outcome of a partnership between Cork…