Background: Schoolyards and/or playgrounds are important settings for fostering children's social, cognitive, and physical development. Optimal schoolyard design is likely an important health-promoting and equigenic strategy, but prior research does not fully consider multiple dimensions of these spaces, such as vegetation, slopes, ground cover,…

Research suggests that the appearance of a college campus--both inside and out--is a significant criterion in college selection. As community colleges are finding it increasingly important to attract and retain students, placemaking is becoming an effective and efficient platform to support recruitment and retention. Placemaking is imagining and…

Space is both an asset and a burden for colleges and universities. On the one hand, space holds enormous value for institutions; their campuses and buildings are worth, in many cases, hundreds of millions of dollars. Space is the medium in which the institution operates. Online courses have proven that education can be conducted anywhere, but most…

When it comes to environmental savvy, Delta College (Michigan) is like a lot of small institutions of higher education: It has a passel of green efforts underway, which could fall under all sorts of headings. The IT organization at the 11,000-student community college campus has virtualized its server operations and is on track to roll out a…

The "Talking Stick" is published bimonthly, six times a year in January/February, March/April, May/June, July/August, September/October, and November/December by the Association of College and University Housing Officers-International. Each issue is divided into three sections: Features, Columns, and Departments. These sections contain…

For much of the 20th century, it was the engine that powered one of nation's most massive retail operations. By the beginning of the 21st century, the historic building was no longer needed to supply energy to what remained of the once bustling Sears, Roebuck and Co. campus on the West Side of Chicago. The original purpose of the Power House, as…

Describes the main structural features of a new high school built using component building systems. (DN)

Describes the Head Start Classroom of the Future project, which is being introduced into inner-city centers in Grand Rapids, Michigan; a classroom for children of Hispanic migrant farmworkers in Holland, Michigan; and a classroom for Native American children at the Isleta Pueblo Head Start near Albuquerque, New Mexico. (BB)

As adult office workers' use of computers has increased, the incidence of computer-related musculoskeletal complaints and injuries has also increased. Although the use of computers in the classroom is increasing, little attention has been paid by educators, furniture manufacturers, or researchers to the ergonomic design issues of educational…

Discusses how a collaborative partnership between facility designers and contractors can help solve school construction problems given the growing design complexities now being demanded. Various problematic design innovations are addressed, including the use of pods, quads, and community centers; and how these designs create opportunities for…

New facilities at schools and universities are being designed that embrace the latest learning techniques and philosophies. The article describes two facilities that exemplify this trend: Thomas Jefferson Hall at the United States Military Academy at West Point, and Cass Technical High School library in Detroit, Michigan. Libraries, once thought…

Describes the architectural design, costs, general description, and square footage data for the Montcalm Community College, Beatrice E. Doser Building, Sidney, Michigan. A floor plan and photos are included along with a list of manufacturers and suppliers used for the project. (GR)

THIS CASE STUDY WAS MADE TO DETERMINE THE EFFECTS OF NONFENESTRATED CLASSROOMS ON CHILDREN'S LEARNING ACHIEVEMENT. USING GRADES K-3, OBSERVATIONS WERE MADE IN TWO SCHOOLS OF SIMILAR CONSTRUCTION AND DEMOGRAPHY. THE STUDY WAS MADE IN THREE SETTINGS--A YEAR IN EXISTING FENESTRATED CLASSROOMS, A YEAR WITH ALL WINDOWS REMOVED IN THE TEST SCHOOL AND…

Describes how a Michigan school district transformed several free-standing, "warm-weather" high school buildings into clustered areas connected by enclosed corridors. Space is now grouped by instructional area or the use of related equipment, and the building shell is tight and energy-efficient. (MLH)

Two major academic lofts on an upper level, an exploratory education loft on the lower level, and five chairless levels rising from a forum's sunken stage area reflect this school's philosophy that a school building must support diverse kinds of activity. (Author/EA)