Using the Delphi Technique to poll 29 experts on declining enrollment revealed a number of ideas about how local school districts, state departments of education, and administrator training programs might approach the problem; two themes--expanded comprehensive planning and more flexible building utilization--were dominant. (Author/JM)

Because of the direct relationship between operating costs and space utilization, it is suggested that opportunities for economies in the allocation of resources can be achieved by considering the variables affecting space use and developing analyses of utilization data. Measures of utilization are discussed including assignable square feet per…

Holds that in order to be equal members of society, women must transform the sexual division of domestic labor, the economics of domestic work, and the spatial separation of homes and workplaces. Proposes architectural and social reforms to meet these ends. (Author/GC)

This study investigated the best current instructional practices and viewpoints of instructors in architecture and construction-related educational programs as they pertain to barrier-free access. These findings were used to recommend development of curricular materials and instructional strategies to strengthen barrier-free access information in…

The trustee is seen as being legally responsible for an institution's meeting its educational objectives, and the best way to meet that responsibility is to ask the right questions. Some areas for questioning: budget, money management, policy, legal responsibilities, trend lines, and physical plant. (MLW)

Re-examines seven major public library central facilities that were built or renovated in the past six years, including Chicago (Illinois), Los Angeles (California), Denver (Colorado), Phoenix (Arizona), San Antonio (Texas) and Vancouver (British Columbia). Topics include coping with crowds; new uses for the libraries; reorganization of space;…

Describes an exercise whereby a biology class used a stairway to illustrate how fossiliferous rock strata were deposited, the oldest on the bottom and most recent at the top. Each step represents a dated boundary between adjacent geological ages, and each riser is labeled as a geological unit. Geological time is compressed to 365 days. Offers…

The University of North Carolina at Charlotte's innovative approach to campus planning was to designate an internal task force to provide the vision, values, planning assumptions, and operational rules guiding the master plan, only later to involve architect-planners for implementation. This keeps control of the plan within the campus community…

The author reflects on a cross-country trip in which he discovered one-room schools, some abandoned many years ago due to consolidation, others still in operation. In addition to the valuable role that one-room schools played in educating rural youth, these schools offer a rich reflection of local history, language, and cultural practices.…

Discusses a number of community college-based training concepts for the construction trades. These programs integrate classroom, lab, and work experience, and some offer credits toward applied sciences or other degrees. Describes the Florida Construction Institute at Florida Community College, Jacksonville, and other construction education…

Fifteen congenitally blind subjects were involved in a route-finding experiment in a complex architectural setting. Compared to sighted controls, subjects planned the journey in more detail, formulated more decisions, and used more units of information. On a cognitive mapping exercise, the blind subjects performed virtually as well as sighted…

New York State officials have created an efficient capital planning system that is a prescribed set of procedures and actions within a program planning manual and two software modules. The program is a series of logical steps that school districts must take to successfully implement their preservation plans. (MLF)

Following a brief account of his career as facilities planning officer for the Penn State University Libraries and library building consultant, this interview with William S. Pierce focuses on library facilities. Highlights include the importance of the workplace environment for library effectiveness, funding, attractiveness vs. functionality, the…

Recent limitation of charitable and sovereign immunity of colleges and universities and the increased willingness of courts to entertain tort lawsuits by students against universities has resulted in increased institutional exposure to tort liability for injuries caused by dangerous buildings or grounds. Institutions can take some measures to…

Describes a collaborative project in which art educators and architects worked together to design a space for educational programs in a museum. Discusses differing views about the space as a classroom or an active studio. Concludes that the collaborative experience heightened creativity among the participants and produced a design for a museum…