Education institutions that embrace green concepts in their construction projects are able to provide safe and healthful learning environments that are responsive to the community. Carrying out these strategies can enhance student learning, reduce health and operations costs, and enhance the quality of a school. Moreover, these high-performing…

This paper describes a pilot study for an alternative design process by integrating a designer-user collaborative session with digital models. The collaborative session took place in a 3D AutoCAD class for a real world project. The 3D models served as an interface for designer-user collaboration during the design process. Students not only learned…

A lot of misunderstandings exist regarding sustainable, or green, construction. It is important that educators understand the benefits so they can communicate them to stakeholders. According to the U.S. Green Building Council (USGBC), a $4 investment (per square foot) in building green nets a $58 benefit (per square foot) over 20 years. Savings…

Across the country, mayors, business owners, government workers, and labor leaders are saying it's time to push for a greener world. Community colleges are advancing the jobs of the future at a much faster rate than anyone else. To truly embrace sustainability, it must be integrated into all facets of the college: mission and planning, curricula,…

Several US colleges, in their relentless pursuit of prestige, become obsessed with attracting students with increasingly extravagant student unions, dormitories, and other facilities. J. Douglas Toma, an associate professor at the Institute for Higher Education at the University of Georgia who is working on a book about the competition for status…

An air-to-air heat pump system in the Forest Hills Elementary School offers both excellent cleanliness and minimum maintenance in a one-story round school building. (Author/MLF)

This document includes three papers addressing the issue of using stock plans for building educational facilities. The papers are: (1) "Re-Use of Plans: Why It Works (and When It Doesn't)" from the newsletter of Rainforth Grau Architects; (2) "Stock Plans for North Carolina's Public Schools: A Study" by architect Leslie N. Boney, Jr.; and (3) "Why…

The school is a behavior setting which acts on students and teachers and which produces predictable patterns of behavior. Architects should therefore design schools at the scale of the behavior setting. (Author/LLR)

Description, floor plan, and photographs of the new lower school building for New Canaan Country School, Connecticut. (LLR)

A discussion of the need for schools and architects to examine present and future needs of an institution before designing educational facilities. (AK)

Specifications written for the guidance of the architect who designed the Boston school cited in EA 501 498. (Author)

Describes the characteristics of a school building that turned out to be a disaster. (MLF)

Describes carrels designed for the Bell System, and justifies their selection in terms of recent research. Human factors are considered and design criteria for lighting, color and reflectance, furniture, and acoustics are included. (JEG)

Describes classroom design with reference to doors, ceilings, walls, room furnishings, study tables, floor coverings, clocks, training labs, and halls. (JEG)

Describes the Western Ridge Residence at Colorado College and Beard Hall at Wheaton College. The buildings feature multiple levels that take advantage of views and also help create a "homey" feeling. (EV)