Strategies used by five schools, colleges, and university libraries to thank major donors personally and sincerely are described, including a photo album of the gift's results, active donor participation in planning the facility donated, presenting a crystal etching of the building funded, posting of recognition on the World Wide Web, and a…

School buildings are in desperate need of repair or replacement according to a recently released report by the federal General Accounting Office. Funds earmarked for facilities have been siphoned off to pay for school programs. School districts are searching for inventive and aggressive ways to finance repairs. (MLF)

This article suggests that campus architecture should be grounded in research on behavior, especially intellectual work behavior. College campus planners can design buildings to foster collegiality and productivity by including spaces that encourage chance meetings, informal discussions, intellectual exchanges, and views of other persons at work.…

Discusses issues involved with building libraries for the future. Architect Hugh Hardy, who specializes in libraries, describes changes in the field, librarians as clients, planning procedures, unnecessary building expenses, the concept of the central reading room, library entrances, and the marks of a successful library building. (KRN)

Discusses the unique perspective that the built environment brings to the study of history. Presents questions that can be used to analyze a building to examine identification, form, function, and impact. Suggests that studying a building is like conducting a micro study of the development of a society. (DK)

Examines the five major threats to healthy school buildings: sick building syndrome; health-threatening building materials; environmental hazards such as radon gas and asbestos; lead poisoning; and general indoor air quality. Discusses ways to assess and address them. (SR)

Illustrates how Mount Saint Vincent University (Halifax), by upgrading the control and monitoring of one building or section of the school at a time, could produce savings in energy and operating costs and improve the environment. Explains a gradual, "building block" approach to facility automation that provides flexibility without a…

The "turf" concerns of educators have hampered school facility design that provides housing for both school and community programs. Community center schools are defined. Staffing problems of human services and schools in a co-location, factors in the project's success, the facility, security, and current directions of community center…

Library construction continues to thrive as money allows for new and remodeled buildings. This year's 197 public projects alone account for $543 million. The 81 new buildings join 116 additions/remodels and 35 academic libraries. Five tables provide statistics on new buildings and additions/renovations by name of institution and by state and…

Examines effects of prevailing wage laws on school construction costs, using final cost data from six British Columbia school districts. When controlling for factors such as construction business cycle, number of competitors, and school type, there was no significant unit cost change following the Skill Development and Fair Wage Policy Act.…

Provides a checklist to guide decisions of college planners about whether a university should adapt a historic house for campus use. Covers issues of functionality, aesthetics, budget, and typical preservation issues. Includes case studies at New York University, Yale University (Connecticut), and Wesleyan University (Connecticut). (DB)

Describes how school districts can use performance contracting to help save energy dollars without sacrificing efficiency or comfort. In performance contracting, building improvements and upgrades are installed without using funds from the current budget. Money saved in future energy bills is then used to pay for the project. (RJM)

Discusses how modern schools require specific lighting systems to accommodate computers and other technologies. Describes special needs for direct and indirect lighting when considering visual display terminals and projectors, and the kind of lighting system best suited for distance learning. Offers ideas on classrooms' physical layout. (RJM)

Discusses how modern library systems can protect collections while not impeding disabled persons' access to facilities. Describes the problem with swinging gates and offers some security alternatives, such as high-tech gateless security, video detection, and voice alarms, that do not impede disabled persons' movements. (RJM)

The reviewed book summarizes successful school designs and recommends directions for planning of new school buildings, both large and small. Criticisms of the book include an introduction that predicts future trends; a critical tone toward teachers and certain aspects of education; limited information on certain topics such as portable buildings…