As the designer of primary and secondary educational facilities, the author has become familiar with educational thinkers such as Sir Kenneth Robinson, Peter Senge, Ewan McIntosh, Daniel Pink and Howard Gardner--each promoting an approach based on system-thinking, self-directed exploration and multidimensional, interactive learning. In 2009, he…

The Seaford School District, Seaford, Delaware, determined that a component of their "reinvention" of Seaford High School would be the creation of a New Tech Academy, affiliated with the New Tech Network and housed in an addition to that building. The New Tech Network, headquartered in Napa, California, is a rapidly growing association…

The opportunity to design a learning space does not come along often. Usually, it involves the construction of a new building or the complete remodel of an old one, and both of these require a lot of money. Smaller projects, such as renovation of a single room or a defined space, can be the best way to test ideas and establish a model for…

Des Moines is an urban community located in the heart of Iowa. Des Moines Public Schools serves 32,000 students in a system with 62 buildings, including Central Campus--a Regional Academy. Central Campus is housed in four buildings, including the main campus at 1800 Grand located on the western edge of downtown Des Moines. As a regional academy,…

In 2007, the author examined existing academic libraries in the United States to determine best practices for the design, implementation and service of learning commons facilities. A primary objective of this study was to discover how to create a higher education learning environment that sustains scholarship, encourages collaboration and empowers…

Traditional factors of educational space design--cost, tradition, control, administration, and status--are contrasted with five new factors--students, educators, imagination, planning, and future utilization. (RAO)

Incorporating certain flexibilities into desk, chair, bureau, and bed designs encourages the use of the furniture in several different ways to better serve the normal and the innovative requirements of the student. (Author)

The purpose of this document is to transform the educational program planned for Mission College into instructional and service space. This study of physical facilities and use of space is organized into four support systems required for the development of college programs: instructional support system, individual support system, activity support…

The George W. Woodruff Physical Education Center was designed to exude openness and space which would encourage participation while preserving existing playing fields and programs. Exterior and interior design of the facility are described. (DF)

Schools seem to be the logical place to serve the health needs of students, since children spend a majority of their time there. Design standards were not available for health clinics in Georgia elementary schools; therefore, this study examined key characteristics of an elementary school clinic in order to determine the importance of each design…

Outlines how an information company--the Institute for Scientific Information (ISI)--designed a new building to house its facility. Problems and deficiencies in the old work space were analyzed using a rigorous systems approach, and an open-plan system was devised to allow for optimum space utilization and energy efficiency. (CWM)

This paper describes the psychology laboratory at Nebraska Wesleyan University and the efforts of the small department which participated in the design and development process. The lab consists of 26 rooms, mostly small cubicles, and covers approximately 3,800 square feet. Each area of the lab is described in terms of its design and function.…

The scope of facilities required for the conduct of research in health-related sciences is governed by the type of work to be undertaken and the physical characteristics of the building, and can range from a simple office to extremely complex laboratories with numerous utility services. Every laboratory should be designed to accommodate--(1) all…

Television plays an important part in the process of teaching and learning in a number of countries in the Asian Region. Although television can be used in any normal classroom, there are a few aspects of television viewing that, if considered at the design stage, will result in greater convenience. This digest sets out the main points that should…

This nine-step outline is designed for use by librarians and library trustees in obtaining a general estimate of their library's space needs and for initiating a more comprehensive, detailed facilities planning process. Identifiable spatial requirements to be assessed include space for collections, user seating, staff work, meetings, special use,…