Discusses trends in educational facilities design away from the traditional school template, in which students sit in isolated classrooms in factory-like rows to observe teachers imparting knowledge. Explains that today's facilities are organized into learning studios that are student-driven, engaging, active, and participatory. (EV)

Describes Capistrano (California) Unified School District's use of portable classrooms to solve overenrollment problems while complying with Governor Wilson's directive to reduce class size in primary grades. When evaluating the merits of relocatable classrooms, school leaders should consider acquisition and use, identification of responsible…

Discusses the usefulness of a well-defined master plan to community colleges and explores trends in master planning that place more emphasis on issues that attract and retain students; these include the first impression, a sense of place, a concern for the environment, student housing, parking, and partnership zones. (EV)

Discusses library buildings and their role in building community. Reviews current design trends, including reading and study spaces; collaborative workspaces; technology-free zones; archives and special collections; cultural events spaces; age-specific spaces; shared spaces; natural light and landscapes; and interior design trends. (LRW)

Examines form, color, and technology at the University of Ottawa's School of Information Technology and Engineering (SITE) building, focusing on systems (e.g., SITE is a data wired building, but with no expensive raised floors or cheap dropped ceilings); assembly rather than construction (replacing standard notions of construction with the process…

Asserts that a well-conceived master plan is an essential tool for shaping a school's physical evolution and advancement in concert with its strategic aspirations, focusing on the master plan for the Spence School, an independent K-12 girls' school in New York City, and noting that the Spence School's master plan is applicable to other schools,…

Describes how, with thorough planning, focus, teamwork, and discipline, school systems in Houston and San Diego have proven that they can manage massive and complicated construction programs without becoming mired in financial and bureaucratic difficulties. (EV)

Provides detailed data on higher education construction in 2002, concluding that college construction reached an all-time high of $11 billion. Indications are that colleges will be doing at least that much construction in the years to come. About 36 percent of that number is going into renovations of existing structures. (EV)

Describes the design and construction of the Andre Agassi College Preparatory Academy in West Las Vegas, a charter school for underprivileged children. Includes various project data. (EV)

Discusses some aspects of campus research facility construction that require specialized construction expertise, and which should be considered when reviewing construction proposals. (EV)

Discusses how gymnasiums, natatoriums, and lobbies can be notorious echo chambers, but that panels, baffles, banners, and blocks can help reduce unpleasant acoustics. (EV)

Asserts that the greatest benefit to the design of green sustainable schools is the opportunity to provide meaningful, ecological learning experiences for children. Offers examples of learning opportunities within the environment and a list of related resources. (EV)

Discusses Walker Elementary School In McKinney, Texas as an example of a high performance, or green, school. The school blends the physical environment with the student learning process while protecting the site. (EV)

Discusses the features of high performance design for schools, including what it is, why it should be used, its benefits, example schools, and available resources. (EV)

Describes a Colorado school district's efforts to design and construct a compact, efficient, space-saving elementary school adapted to a wooded, aesthetically pleasing site. The project's complete cost, including interior furnishings and equipment, came to $52.60 per gross square foot, or $4,189 per student. The community is inordinately proud of…