School districts across North America are facing a crushing dilemma: invest millions of dollars to maintain outdated, educationally ineffective buildings or seek funding for expensive renovations, additions, and new construction to meet the evolving needs of today's learners. Compounding the issue is deferred facility maintenance. Educational…

Two recent peer-reviewed studies support the need to update the traditional school design model that has remained fundamentally unchanged for over a century. In a 2011 study published by the American Educational Research Journal, entitled "Problem-Based Learning in K-12 Education," Clarice Wirkala and Deanna Kuhn document a 200-500…

Presents an interview with architect and educational planner Bruce Jilk, who responds to American Institute of Architects conference attendees' questions concerning how school design is changing and why the next 10 years are critical. (GR)

Uniform illumination levels in the classroom and focused brightness on the "teaching wall" made good sense for students in Henry Ford's era. If you were training to take your place on the assembly line, you needed to focus on the work at hand and ahead to your supervisor, but the future no longer belongs to students who look only straight ahead.…

Presents an interview with Bruce Jilk, architect and educational planner, who discusses how school design is changing and why the next 10 years are critical. (GR)

Planners are increasingly focusing on the future of society, education, and the impact these social forces may have on school facilities and learning environments. This report examines patterns in societal trends, educational approaches, and facility design. Both historical trends and cutting edge approaches were explored. Participants worked in…