Regardless of whether one's school is undergoing a major renovation or hasn't been touched since it was originally built decades ago, there are still ways to initiate change in one's school and community in a meaningful way--and that's exactly what two principals from southern Pennsylvania did. Last summer, in an effort to raise awareness for…

The government of New Zealand delegates property expenditure decisions to each individual school. Such a decentralised environment creates a challenge for school boards and principals to obtain advice on the complex issues around designing schools. To inform schools, the Ministry of Education provides numerous publications related to design and…

This article is based on research undertaken as part of a study of sustainable school design in Thailand. Since school design solutions are inevitably affected by educational theory and practice, in the search for appropriate building solutions, it has been necessary to review Thai educational theories and practices that relate to the…

Integrating supportive design features and technology into the home are excellent ways to plan to make a home "age-friendly." When an immediate need occurs for eliminating barriers in an existing home, supportive design features and technology will most often need to be examined, and some form of implementation will need to take place. While…

Purpose: Newly designed schools for centuries have projected fresh ideals regarding how children should learn and how human settlements should be organized. But under what conditions can forward-looking architects or education reformers trump the institutionalized practices of teachers or the political-economic constraints found within urban…

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…

Since 1998, the Department of Education and Science has been using a process of design, awareness, research and technology known as DART to develop energy efficiency in educational buildings. Currently all primary schools built in accordance with the Department's primary schools technical guidance documents are capable of being up to 2.3 times…

This paper identifies five influences on design & technology education in England--the government agency, the curriculum developer, the teacher, the pupil and the researcher. Using developments in school design & technology education and examples from England the paper describes a range of activities involving one or more influences noting…

Many environmental advocates say education institutions can do a much better job of conserving resources and using energy more efficiently. Before administrators and facility managers can be convinced that better energy management is beneficial, they have to grasp what energy efficiency entails. This article discusses the benefits that schools can…

The playground is part of many students' school day, and sometimes the learning environment on the playground can be just as important as that in the classroom. Studies have shown that playtime can provide not only physical benefits, but also emotional, social and cognitive benefits to students. This article describes how to make playgrounds safe.…

Colleges and universities need to support their basic science research and education missions while simultaneously upgrading or replacing aging infrastructure, and finding ways to attract top faculty and students. To satisfy all these demands, higher-education institutions are constructing state-of-the art science facilities that are expected to…

The advantages of carpeting in schools are reported from a study of three public schools--(1) Shaker High School in upstate New York, where one wing is carpeted and one tiled, and the principal reports that in the carpeted wing noise is reduced, discipline is better, maintenance is about half, and the faculty experiences less fatigue, (2) Peter…

"Commercial Modular Construction Magazine" regularly contains articles where the use of modular schools and classrooms is highlighted. This document contains a selection of those articles, including: (1) "Relocatable Classrooms Come of Age" (Michael Roman); (2) "Systems Building" (Laurie Robert); (3) "Realizing…

This dissertation was conducted to examine perceptions held by those who influence schoolhouse design about the role of architecture in education. Eleven informants--regionally and/or nationally respected educators, architects, and educational consultants--were interviewed and asked what they perceive to be the role of architecture in education.…

Description, floor plan, and photographs of S. Bryan Jennings Elementary School near Orange Park, Florida, one of the most innovative educational facilities in the nation. (LLR)