The president of U.S. Steel explains the thinking behind the Cost Reduction Incentive Award Program: it is a way to involve everyone in saving energy and cutting other costs. He hopes that this awards program will help develop a broad awareness of cost problems among those associated with institutions of higher education and the need for a total…

Unique features of a new vocational agriculture department facility in Diamond, Missouri, are described, which include an overhead hoist system, arc welders, storage areas, paint room, and greenhouse. (TA)

Examined the correlation between inmate behavior and the physical location of a warden's office. Responses (N=51) indicate that office location correlated significantly to the number of inmate disciplinary actions. Institutions with outside warden offices reported more inmate discipline and attempted suicide when compared to institutions with…

Endorses recent arguments for more study of writing that shapes and directs the production of material artifacts and for considering writing as one semiotic mode among others. Considers a case of "nonwritten" symbolic production, architectural design, for what it may suggest for the study and teaching of writing. (TB)

In many poor rural and urban school districts, aging buildings suffer dangerous deficiencies, without a sufficient tax base to fund improvements. President Clinton unveiled a $5 billion initiative that would fund a four-year repair and construction project for public schools; however, the plan must make its way through Congress. (MLF)

Describes the award-winning title building, including its educational context and design goals. Includes building plans, photographs, and reviewer comments. (EV)

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)