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;…

Describes an exercise whereby a biology class used a stairway to illustrate how fossiliferous rock strata were deposited, the oldest on the bottom and most recent at the top. Each step represents a dated boundary between adjacent geological ages, and each riser is labeled as a geological unit. Geological time is compressed to 365 days. Offers…

The University of North Carolina at Charlotte's innovative approach to campus planning was to designate an internal task force to provide the vision, values, planning assumptions, and operational rules guiding the master plan, only later to involve architect-planners for implementation. This keeps control of the plan within the campus community…

The author reflects on a cross-country trip in which he discovered one-room schools, some abandoned many years ago due to consolidation, others still in operation. In addition to the valuable role that one-room schools played in educating rural youth, these schools offer a rich reflection of local history, language, and cultural practices.…

Discusses a number of community college-based training concepts for the construction trades. These programs integrate classroom, lab, and work experience, and some offer credits toward applied sciences or other degrees. Describes the Florida Construction Institute at Florida Community College, Jacksonville, and other construction education…

Fifteen congenitally blind subjects were involved in a route-finding experiment in a complex architectural setting. Compared to sighted controls, subjects planned the journey in more detail, formulated more decisions, and used more units of information. On a cognitive mapping exercise, the blind subjects performed virtually as well as sighted…

New York State officials have created an efficient capital planning system that is a prescribed set of procedures and actions within a program planning manual and two software modules. The program is a series of logical steps that school districts must take to successfully implement their preservation plans. (MLF)

Following a brief account of his career as facilities planning officer for the Penn State University Libraries and library building consultant, this interview with William S. Pierce focuses on library facilities. Highlights include the importance of the workplace environment for library effectiveness, funding, attractiveness vs. functionality, the…

Recent limitation of charitable and sovereign immunity of colleges and universities and the increased willingness of courts to entertain tort lawsuits by students against universities has resulted in increased institutional exposure to tort liability for injuries caused by dangerous buildings or grounds. Institutions can take some measures to…

Describes a collaborative project in which art educators and architects worked together to design a space for educational programs in a museum. Discusses differing views about the space as a classroom or an active studio. Concludes that the collaborative experience heightened creativity among the participants and produced a design for a museum…

Suggests group relamping in educational facilities as a more efficient method than spot replacement of failed lamps. It can reduce operating costs, improve lighting quality, and help with federal and state regulations compliance. The implementation of group relamping is discussed in terms of planning, energy savings, and environmental issues. (RE)

Recognizing its integral role in the community, Boise (Idaho) renovated its 100-year old high school instead of building a new one. The architect, contractor, principal, students, and teachers cooperated throughout the planning and construction. The city enacted a "smart code" to encourage the rehabilitation of historic buildings and a…

Advice on making facilities facilitate education includes: an educational vision comes first, involve all stakeholders, working smarter requires a systems approach, systems-focused planning takes time, partnerships stretch limited resources, "beautiful" is not expensive, change is tough, building a community is as important as building a…

Details advances that educational facilities are making in meeting the accessibility requirements of the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA). Discusses the cost efficiency, aesthetical value, and collateral benefits of the design changes that would increase accessibility. Features an ADA resource guide listing five related Internet addresses and…

Offers suggestions for preventive maintenance of school facilities. Argues that Catholic schools are often allowed to crumble due to the focus on excellence in education, as well as a lack of attention to the physical elements of buildings. Asserts that complete school stewardship includes maintenance of the physical asset. Contains example of a…