Open plan schools have been largely contested in Portugal; many teachers, administrators and even parents consider this model of schooling inappropriate and therefore a failure. Recently however the Escola da Ponte, one of the open plan schools that has survived, was recognised as one of the country's most innovative educational facilities.…

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.

Hungary's "Belvarosi Tanoda" Secondary School offers an informal, flexible environment and alternative teaching methods for students who have had problems in other schools. The "Belvarosi Tanoda" (which translates as downtown school) is a second chance school for students who have dropped out of upper secondary education. It…

Booker Park School is a new complex for pre-primary children and primary pupils with a range of behavioural and learning difficulties. To respond to the pupils' varied needs, the school facilities offer a high degree of flexibility and a quality environment for learning.

Describes the direct effect between the way school grounds are designed and managed, and the behavior and attitudes of the pupils. Discusses several countries' initiatives regarding school grounds, the "Learning through Landscape Trust" program of the United Kingdom, and findings from a conference regarding the importance of school grounds in…

Discusses how the growing use of information technology and the move toward schools as community learning centers are affecting the demand for and use of space in educational institutions, particularly in reference to changes which promote lifelong learning and the creation of the information society. Observations from Australia, Austria, Belgium,…

Some countries have no fixed rules about classrooms' physical size or numbers of children taught therein. Italian children attend schools within their catchment area; each class has a maximum number of pupils. New Zealand schools serve all comers, except when crowding threatens. The Dutch government guarantees equal physical and teaching resources…

Reviews designs for learning in the knowledge age, exploring the relationship between learning and the built environment, examining the role of teachers in designing educational spaces, and calling for a collaborative campaign, which relates space directly to changes in pedagogy, curriculum, and information and communication technologies and which…

Educational buildings and grounds can provide a supportive and stimulating environment for the learning process as well as contribute to greater community needs. These issues were addressed at an international conference entitled "Making Space: Architecture and Design for Young Children". Described here are the importance of outdoor…

The Waite Campus at the University of Adelaide, South Australia, houses industrial, research, and educational organizations. One advantage of this co-location is sharing the cost of facilities and equipment. The facilities described include Plant Research Center, Wine Science Laboratory, refectory, library, conference facilities, teleteaching,…