In 2000, ASBO International Certificates of Excellence went to Arcon Associates, Inc., in Lombard, Illinois; Barbour/LaDouceur Architects and Ellerbe Becket in Minneapolis, Minnesota; Fanning/Howey Associates in Indianapolis, Indiana; and Tomaino Iamello Associates in Deal, New Jersey, for school building construction/renovation projects. (MLH)

Examines trends in university architecture through history and the current Spanish model, asserting that good architecture produces a good university. Discusses function, culture, and character as they relate to university education and architecture. (EV)

Discusses how an architectural firm took an abandoned mini-mall in Los Angeles and converted it into a charter school that helped revive the neighborhood in the process. (GR)

Highlights a new K-12 school gymnasium in Mexico that changes and reacts to weather conditions, requires no air conditioning, and, on typical days, uses sunlight filtering through its ample clerestory as the sole source of illumination. Includes numerous photographs, a section drawing, and a site plan. (GR)

Describes efforts at the University of Richmond to streamline services for students, resulting in the renovation of space to include the offices of undergraduate admissions, financial aid, registrar, and bursar. The "one-stop shopping" approach has been praised by staff and students alike. (EV)

Most facility and finance managers cannot adequately handle school infrastructure issues because they lack the tools to describe the problem appropriately. Facility accounting gives managers accurate deferral and projected replacement costs, using nationally recognized life-cycle and cost data. Facility accounting enables proper management of…

A prime mover behind larger space requirements is expansion of legal entitlements for children with disabilities, under the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act. The list of architectural interventions has lengthened, and is matched by burgeoning effects on space and budgets. Nonphysical barriers must also be addressed. (MLH)

Describes how many colleges are constructing new business school facilities to lure students and financial support. (EV)

Explores the progress of utopian ideals throughout the history of university development, suggesting that whenever a new educational ideal and its architectural prototype occurred in different countries and cultures, a utopian concept has always been present. Uses architectural examples to assert that the quality of the university is directly…

Discusses the 1997 collapse of a balcony on a historic building at the University of Virginia, which resulted in a death and several injuries. Explores the balcony structure and cause of the collapse, any possibly preventative measures, and the resolution of legal proceedings resulting from the collapse. (EV)

Describes the methodology, findings, and recommendations of a survey to determine how overcrowded and deteriorating facilities affect learning and teaching. Survey questions sought information about lost instructional time, instructional effectiveness, available curricular options, student health and safety, and the pressure on facilities…

A first-time project manager on a $4 million library addition and renovation project by the Homewood (Alabama) Public Library shares her experiences. Sidebars provide tips for new library project managers; description of construction administration documents; effective phrases to use with the contractor; and the top 10 lies told to a library…

Presents information that demonstrates how four academic buildings were designed and constructed to meet specific program requirements, which included providing a level of service to the community. Includes twelve photographs. (GR)

Discusses five major challenges facing principals in rural schools: school consolidation and busing, teacher shortages, declining enrollments, funding inequities, and deteriorating facilities. Calls for more support to rural schools from the community and local, state, and federal governments. (PKP)

The field trip is probably one of the most common out-of-classroom learning experiences students encounter. Teachers provide these experiences for a variety of reasons including motivation, exposure, and even as a reward, especially after weeks of standardized testing. Although teachers may report that a primary reason for including the field trip…