Finnish education has recently experienced reforms with respect to guidelines forming the curriculum framework for basic education and school architecture. Since 2016, all new schools incorporate open and flexible design, at least to some extent. The more open school design challenges the conventional organisation of space and pre-defined…

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…

This bibliography brings together most of what has been written about open space elementary schools since 1968. The citations are categorized as (1) general, (2) research, (3) schools, (4) furniture, (5) newsletters, or (6) bibliographies. Articles and bound materials are entered alphabetically in the most appropriate section. No attempt was made…

This document reviews the literature, previously cited in RIE, concerned with open plan schools. The open plan design is defined as one that encompasses large, open areas that shelter numbers of students, paraprofessionals, and teachers in a climate of daily change. Central to the discussion of the open plan concept is the consideration that a…

This booklet (prepared by architects, educators, and community groups) presents some guidelines for creating learning environments in child care centers. The ideas and information could be used for creating new centers, for redesigning facilities, or for remodeling existing buildings. Emphasis is placed on the interrelatedness of the goals of a…