One of the fastest growing trends in school design is Net Zero Energy Schools. There are now at least a dozen or more schools completed or in construction that have achieved, or have committed to, this incredible level of energy efficiency. In this article, the author examines this trend and take a brief look at some of the exemplary projects that…

A child starting school today won't leave until 2023, by which point who knows what technology will be commonplace? Schooling must become more flexible and therefore more engaging and interesting. Classrooms worldwide remain largely traditional, and technology is usually prescriptive. It is clear that bold action is required to improve STEM…

It is no secret that school budgets are growing smaller, forcing districts to make tough financial choices. Building operating costs drain a massive portion of most districts' budgets. As such, energy efficiency is a powerful tool to cut short- and long-term operating costs, and reductions in energy use. The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency's…

Our community has faced many challenges since May 4, 2007. The rebuilding of all the town's school facilities was just one of them. However, as we approach the end of the first year in the new building, we are happy with the outcome. The facility already feels like home.

Just 19 months after the start of design, Stoddert Elementary School's modernized and expanded campus in northwest Washington, DC reopened, welcoming back the school and its community. Featuring spaces that had been missing since the school was founded in 1932, such as a gym, cafeteria, and library/media center and up-to-date building systems and…

Examined the role of daylight in student achievement in three schools and found a uniformly positive and statistically significant correlation between the presence of more daylight and better student test scores. Offers guidelines on designing daylit classrooms. (EV)

Results from a pilot study of four different lighting systems indicate that over a two-year period, light had measurable and significant effects on students. Under full-spectrum fluorescent lamps with ultraviolet enhancement, students developed fewer dental cavities and had better attendance, achievement, and growth and development than students…

Discusses educational facility lighting management, and examines how light quantity, distribution, and quality-enhancement strategies can improve the indoor environment while reducing lighting costs. Informational tables provide lighting pattern, color, and illuminance data. (GR)

When planning new school buildings or modifications to existing structures, checking facility planning in relation to technology planning is critical. Areas requiring serious attention include space, electricity, lighting, security, furnishings, shielding, and acoustics. (MLF)