Friedensreich Hundertwasser (1928-2000), an artist with different ideas of architecture, envisioned colorful buildings that incorporate organic shapes and forms, irregular patterns, uneven surfaces, and forests that grow from windows and rooftops. As early as the mid-20th century, Hundertwasser dealt with architecture in ways that offered…

Area should be experienced, not simply calculated. This task invites students to physically experience areas and the spatial relationships between them, as well as their own community.

This article describes an in-class exercise that can be used when teaching zoning law to a Real Estate Law or Legal Environment of Business undergraduate course. The exercise requires students to utilize Salt Lake City's zoning code to locate the best site for a restaurant chain given certain locational and operational requirements, and to…

The UK Government's Building Schools for the Future programme has provided schools with a unique opportunity to improve education for sustainable development substantially by giving pupils the chance to study within a real-life context. This article documents an engagement project in which experts in low-energy building design are facilitating…

Earthquakes occur across the globe, and their efforts can be felt by people regardless of location. However, a moderate earthquake in Pakistan or Turkey may cause much greater damage than a stronger earthquake in Tokyo. It is imperative to help students understand why this disparity exists--often due to both natural and human influences. Students…

A questionnaire (survey sheet) has been developed focusing on some of the factors an architect has to consider in designing a house (site, appearance, suitability, and building maintenance). The use of the questionnaire by students and "spin off" activities are discussed. (Author/JN)

Project-based curricula have the potential to engage students' interests. But how do students become interested in the goals of a project? This article documents how a group of 8th-grade students participated in an architectural design project called the Antarctica Project. The project is based on the imaginary premise that students need to design…

Bridge construction is a popular classroom activity. However, the basic principles of tension, compression, and counterbalance are not always clearly represented and defined. The common materials used to construct model bridges, such as straws, toothpicks, Legos[TM], and building blocks, are often too flexible or stationary to demonstrate the…

This is a report on a research project currently under way. The purpose of the research is to compare some central aspects of goal fulfilment of the 1969 curriculum in two schools of differing organizational and architectural design in the Malmo region, to carry out a detailed analysis of activities in an open plan school, and to develop…

This article describes a unit of instruction designed to promote a conceptual understanding of area in sixth-grade students. Students used benchmarks to estimate the areas of real houses and calculated the areas of houses based on building plans. (Contains 7 figures.)

Sport facility design and management courses rely heavily or exclusively upon lectures and readings--modes of instruction that engage students in a passive form of learning. This paper advocates one method of stimulating higher-level thinking and active learning in facility courses--the use of cooperative small-group learning. In facility courses,…

A neighborhood vacant lot can be a vehicle for teaching children about architecture and community planning. A Portland, Oregon, teacher explains how studying the lot can involve exploring neighborhood history, gathering data on local needs, and designing an appropriate building. (PP)

Describes a project in which third and fourth graders in a special education writing skills class learned how to design a house and make blueprints. Discusses the project's beneficial effects on student writing and public speaking skills, vocabulary, telephone skills, and effective peer interaction. (SV)

These eight units of instruction are the products of a project conducted at Burlington County College in Pemberton, New Jersey, to develop three-dimensional computer graphics units of instruction for use in courses designed to train students in the areas of architectural, civil, drafting and design, and electronics technology. Addressed in the…

Describes a popular seventh-grade mathematics project that involves house plans. Students choose house plans from books, transfer the plan to grid paper, and stake out the floor plan on a vacant area of the neighborhood. Project includes designing dream homes, researching jobs to afford their homes, and discussion of real-life concerns. (PVD)