Making furniture decisions can involve many factors, and they vary from institution to institution. For fixtures, furnishings and equipment, comparing initial cost with the cost of ownership over a life cycle can be more challenging. It may be the functionality of the furnishings that provides the greatest return on investment. In this article,…

Designing break-the-mold classrooms--learning spaces that depart dramatically from traditional classrooms--comes with increased risk, especially when the design will be replicated multiple times within a new building. One way to reduce risk is to build a life-size mock-up classroom before making final design decisions. This can help faculty better…

What makes a successful informal learning space is a topic in need of further research. The body of discourse on informal space design is drawn from learning theory, placemaking, and architecture, with a need for understanding of the synergy between the three. Findings from a longitudinal, quantitative, and qualitative study at Sheffield Hallam…

Universal design is the design of environments and products to be used by people of all ages and abilities. The goal is to use design to reduce physical effort, regardless of some of the frailties that may be acquired due to an accident, health, or age. EasyLiving Homes[R] is a non-profit organization that advocates making all homes visitable and…

This article argues that a design studio can be a dynamic medium to explore the creative potential of the complexity of sustainability from its technological to social ends. The study seeks to determine the impact of an interior design/architecture studio experience that was initiated to teach diverse meanings of sustainability and to engage the…

It is inevitable that as a result of progress in technology and the changes in the ways with which design is conceived, interior architecture schools should be updated according to these requirements and that new educational processes should be tried out. It is for this reason that the scope and aim of this study have been determined as being the…

Principles of lean management encourage managers to exert tight control over office space and the people within it. Alternative, design-led approaches promote the value of offices that are enriched, particularly by plants and art. On the basis of a social identity perspective, we argue that both of these approaches may compromise organizational…

This experiential teaching method demonstrates students' enhanced understanding of the influences that cross-cultural perspectives have on the interior design of the home and is achieved through research and application of elements of assimilation and acculturation in the United States. Knowledge of human factors, family dynamics, geographic…

The question of remodeling an existing house to make it wheelchair accessible or building a new barrier-free house is a difficult decision. This article presents some initial questions and considerations followed by a list of pros and cons for remodeling an existing house vs. building a new house.

As school administrators search for empirically-based ways to facilitate student learning, their efforts are confined and constrained by decreasing budgets. In short, doing more with less is their charge. This article describes a no-cost, evidenced-based best practice to raise student achievement and engagement in the elementary grades based on…

While some Olympic results don't leave room for argument, scoring other events such as gymnastics, is subjective. So much so that in 2006, the "Code of Points" and the entire scoring system were overhauled. It is the same with school design. One might think it would be nice to have a "Code of Points," so that every education institution could…

This article presents the profiles of the jury of this year's Educational Interiors Showcase competition. David Magida has served as Chief Administrator at Norwich University for 15 years. Frank Sever is currently serving as the supervisor of buildings, grounds & equipment department of the Mayfield City School District. Charles A. Wilson III, a…

The purpose of this article is to demonstrate how a large comprehensive family and consumer sciences unit has incorporated sustainability into its curriculum and research agenda. It summarizes how each area within the department (Interior Design, Apparel Design and Merchandising, Consumer Affairs, Family Studies, Nutrition, Dietetics, and Food…

Accreditation for Family and Consumer Sciences and for Interior Design programs includes standards to globalize education of undergraduate students. An integrative approach to planning curriculum relates the concept of global interdependence to the development of critical thinking skills for student decision-making. This was addressed in modifying…

This article describes how Beverly and Martin Ryfa, working with an architect who specializes in accessible design, were able to build a house that is handicap accessible for their 9-year-old daughter, Danielle, who suffered an intraventricular hemorrhage when she was three days old. The article describes the features of their house that make…