Suggests that new cleaning and finishing materials and new equipment can help school facility departments cope with staff cuts, focusing on: chemicals and dispensers, safety training and information for custodial staff, cleaning tools and power equipment, and cleaner and more efficient schools. (SM)

Presents the main winners of a competition which judged the most outstanding learning environments at educational institutions nationwide. Jurors spent 2 days reviewing projects, focusing on concepts and ideas that made them exceptional. The top K-12 honor went to Century High School, Sykesville, Maryland. The higher education honor went to Wright…

Discusses the reasons for and advantages to transforming college campuses from commuter to residential facilities or expanding existing facilities, suggesting that the design for new student residence facilities must provide for a wide variety of functions above and beyond the spaces required for sleeping and bathing. Incorporating study lounges,…

Discusses how to collaborate with administrators, physical plant representatives, department heads, lawmakers, and design professionals to create flexible school facilities that adapt to changing needs, noting the importance of utilizing a programming process that determines the true needs of a facility, based on the potential activities that will…

Offers ten suggestions for schools and universities to help maintain a healthy indoor environment: proper flooring, sanitary washrooms, consistent maintenance, indoor air quality, preventing mold, daylighting, good acoustics, avoiding volatile organic compounds (VOCs), ergonomic furniture, and well-maintained roofs. (EV)

Discusses how classrooms are distributed by size on a campus, how well they are used, and how their use changes with faculty and student needs and desires. Details how to analyze classroom space, use, and utilization, taking into account such factors as scheduling and classroom stations. (EV)

Campus environments easily impact the ability of higher education professionals to establish campus community. Campus buildings, settings, and environment are important aspects of the development and maintenance of community. This article provides an introduction to environmental impact and one institution's approach in redesigning their Greek…

Discusses five areas of custodial maintenance caretaking in which facility managers need continual education: first aid and safety, hazardous materials, products and supplies, chemicals and their intended use, and cleaning procedures. Includes an annotated list of resources related to these areas. (EV)

Discusses the need for cooperation between librarians and architects during the design of library facilities. The balance between the character of a building and its ability to adequately meet actual needs is discussed, and it is suggested that librarians should concern themselves with the smallest details of the design process. (CLB)

To meet the need for a new 750-student elementary school and avoid future underuse problems in one Montgomery County Public Schools (Maryland) neighborhood, Thomas Clark Associates developed a program of prefabricated classroom and classroom support spaces. This program will allow the school to be moved to another site if enrollment changes. (MLH)

Examines the six major categories of facility characteristics that affect learning and addresses how they pertain to special education programs and services. (MLF)

Describes the processes by which two camps constructed new dining halls. Discusses initial information gathering and cost projections, management of planning and finances, building design, contracting, clearing and excavation, foundation work, installation of electrical and other service systems, and landscaping. (SV)

Experience with the frequent change in spaces used for design studios at the University of Pennsylvania's undergraduate Design of the Environment program illustrates how the need for efficient space utilization can lead to a creative process of uncovering unforeseen possibilities in teaching, learning, and living together. (MSE)

A computer-assisted design (CAD) software program is used in a Connecticut school district to graphically provide information on maintenance projects by school and category of project over time. CAD supplies a computerized building plan, a "foot-print," used as a recordkeeping system for maintenance projects. (MLF)

Discusses the threat posed by the Legionnaire's Disease bacterium and the germ's ability to thrive in heating, ventilating, and air conditioning (HVAC) systems, especially in standing water. Describes ways to minimize disease risk through HVAC system design (such as locating cooling towers away from air intakes) and ways to maintain a clean…