This paper analyzes the implications of a school's physcial environment for children's development. Its purpose is to draw the attention of educators to the implications of the physical environment for the child's development and to invite them to participate in the process whereby the design program of schools is formulated. The paper presents the social implications of the design approach according to which the school is planned. A distinction is made between the two different design approaches (the functional and the territorial) that appear confounded in existing schools. The implications of each of them for the child's development and ability to learn is discussed. Finally, the paper proposes a combined approach to school design based on children's developmental needs. (Author/CJH)