Planners and administrators at colleges and universities across the country face a daunting task: how to complete renovations or build new facilities in a tumultuous and challenging economic climate. It cannot be expected that wholesale improvement will come quickly, but the need to improve facilities is a pressing reality. Residence halls,…

The Educational Facilities Laboratories (EFL), an independent research organization established by the Ford Foundation, opened its doors in 1958 under the direction of Harold B. Gores, a distinguished educator. Its purpose was to help schools and colleges maximize the quality and utility of their facilities, stimulate research, and disseminate…

The New York City Prototype Schools Program was initiated in 1987 as one of the strategies to design and build new facilities more quickly and at a reasonable cost. The prototype school building features five different blocks that can be configured in a variety of ways to meet individual site requirements. (MLF)

When designing schools, one should assign space for athletic fields, arrange halls so that traffic will not disturb classrooms, separate grade levels, provide playgrounds exclusively for younger children, and provide lighting and ventilation. Unit plans should be designed so that all educational and domestic activities can be executed in the…

The new Alfred Elementary School in Alfred, Maine, complements the town's typical New England architecture. Behind the traditional facade is a modern school building with classrooms clustered in groups of three. The gymnasium and cafeteria stand together and can be kept open in the evening for community activities. (MLF)