The problem of old and obsolete school facilities is acute, particularly in large cities. A maintenance or rehabilitation oriented approach is not a realistic answer to continued facility usage. Guidelines show that if the cost of modernization for an additional life of 20 to 30 years approaches 50 percent of the estimated cost of replacement,…

Examples of different ways to cut school construction costs without sacrificing either comfort or aesthetics. (Author/MLF)

Foreign countries find industrialized construction accelerates building and reduces costs but creates problems as well. (Editor)

Examples of this system are given, used by Southwest Minnesota State College for student housing. (RG)

TYPES OF VERTICAL WORK SURFACES AND THE DEVELOPMENT OF A MODEL TEACHING SPACE DIVIDER ARE DISCUSSED IN THIS REPORT. THIS DESIGN IS BASED ON THE EXPRESSED NEED FOR MORE TACKBOARD AND SHELVING SPACE, AND FOR MOVABLE PARTITIONS. THE MODEL PANELS WHICH SERVE DIRECTLY AS PARTITIONS RATHER THAN BEING OVERLAID ON A PLASTERED SURFACE, INCLUDE THE…

THERE ARE MANY BARRIERS TO MORE EFFECTIVE SCHOOL ARCHITECTURE SUCH AS (1) ARCHITECTURAL AND EDUCATIONAL PREJUDICE, (2) OBSOLETE CODES, (3) BUILDING COMPLEXITY, AND (4) STATIC THINKING. HOWEVER, THERE HAVE BEEN MANY DEVELOPMENTS IN (1) GROUP PLANNING, (2) LEARNING WALLS AND SPACE DIVIDERS, (3) STUDENT CENTERS, (4) LANDSCAPING, AND (5) HUMANISTIC…

Confronted with old, inadequate, and overcrowded schools, Randolph County, West Virginia, turned a problem into a challenge and constructed five new elementary schools (and renovated nine other schools) in just one and one-half year's construction time. (Author)

AT THE END OF WORLD WAR II, ENGLAND EXPERIENCED A SHORTAGE OF TRADITIONAL BUILDING MATERIALS WHILE HAVING TO FACE THE PROBLEM OF PROVIDING MORE THAN 1 MILLION PLACES FOR SCHOOL CHILDREN IN 7 YEARS. IN 1946, THE COUNTY OF HERTFORDSHIRE BEGAN USING PREFABRICATED STANDARDIZED MATERIALS FOR SCHOOL CONSTRUCTION TO MEET THIS NEED. STANDARDIZATION HAS SO…

AIR STRUCTURES ARE FABRIC BUILDINGS BLOWN UP AND HELD UP BY AIR PRESSURE. EXPERIMENTS WITH SUCH STRUCTURES WERE CONDUCTED AS EARLY AS 1917. IN 1948 THE UNITED STATES AIR FORCE SOUGHT A NEW WAY OF HOUSING LARGE RADAR ANTENNAE PLANNED FOR THE ARCTIC. AS AN OUTCOME OF THEIR SEARCH, BIRDAIR STRUCTURES, INC., WHICH IS NOW ONE OF SEVERAL COMPANIES…

Air structures are fabric buildings blown up and held up by air pressure. Experiments with such structures were conducted as early as 1917. In 1948 the United States Air Force sought a new way of housing large radar antennae planned for the arctic. As an outcome of their search, Birdair Structures, Inc., which is now one of several companies…

Solar energy collector panels are used as a freestanding canopy over walks that will connect an arts complex eventually consisting of five buildings. (Author/MLF)

Building systems can be traced back to a 1516 A.D. project by Leonardo da Vinci and to a variety of prefabrication projects in every succeeding century. When integrated into large and repetitive spatial units through careful design, building systems can produce an architecture of the first order, as evidenced in the award winning design of…