Portugal has a total of 477 public secondary schools. Some date from the end of the 19th century but the majority were built after 1970, reflecting the period of expansion in the school network and the extension of compulsory schooling. The schools are heterogeneous in terms of building types, architectural features and quality. An assessment of…

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…

Scotland's Building Excellence programme is exploring the implications of curriculum reform for school building design. It includes events which bring together teachers, designers, school managers and local authorities.

Since 1997, several ministries in Japan have collaborated on an eco-school programme, which applies to both newly constructed and renovated school buildings, in an effort to make its schools more environmentally friendly. The programme equips school buildings with ecological features such as photovoltaic cells, solar thermal collectors, other new…

Educational facilities became important public and specialised buildings since governments began to face the right of populations to education. Policies to provide educational buildings that respect modern notions of comfort and hygiene led architects to develop architectural concepts that corresponded to new demands on education. The need to…

Describes the planning and construction process of a new university library in Brussels designed to increase student autonomy and stimulate critical thinking and individual research. The library's infrastructure and resources are discussed as are the difficulties encountered during intensive use. (GR)

Explores issues surrounding the promotion by Quebec's government of public-private partnerships to rehabilitate public buildings, such as schools, including various types of costs and contracts. (EV)

Covers discussions from an expert meeting of the Programme on Institutional Management in Higher Education and PEB on how existing libraries for tertiary education may be adapted, and new ones conceived, to meet the future needs of the students, institutions, and surrounding communities. Questions addressed at the seminar are listed, and key…

Brazil's Sao Paulo Metropolitan Region is conducting a performance evaluation pilot study at three schools serving disadvantaged populations. The objective is first to test methods which can facilitate Post Occupancy Evaluations (POEs) and then to carry out the evaluations. The preliminary results are provided below.

The City of Lisbon, Portugal, is working to better integrate children with disabilities at primary school level. It recently has undertaken an accessible school programme and has restored an historic building as part of this effort.

Case studies demonstrating energy-efficient renovation of educational buildings collected by the International Energy Agency (IEA) provide information on retrofit technologies, energy-saving approaches and ventilation strategies. Some general findings are presented here along with one case study, Egebjerg School in Denmark, which shows how natural…

Describes a secondary education school in Pendao, Portugal being designed to accommodate multimedia and computer equipment, including networking and Internet connections to meet the needs of its disadvantaged student population. How the new school will meet student needs for the next century and manage the information students receive are…

Laws that took effect in January 1986 transferred ownership of French upper secondary schools from central government to regional authorities. Describes the use of private, competitive contracts for public building projects in the renovation and maintenance work at one institution. (MLF)

State-of-the-art school buildings can improve educational standards and have a positive effect on everyone who uses them. That is why England's Department for Education and Skills (DfES) launched an ambitious five year strategy to improve educational facilities for all children in the country and create high quality resources for the whole…

The University of Salamanca in Spain has planned a new campus rooted in the local culture, geography, architecture and academic tradition. It will be built in the adjacent municipality of Villamayor, along the bank of the river Tormes. The master plan defines the basic features for what is one of the most important university development projects…