The number of students in schools is growing, and school boards are faced with the choice to renovate or build new schools. Terms used when talking about remodeling and building schools are defined. Formulas to use when challenged by the renovate-or-rebuild dilemma and questions that need consideration during the decision-making process are…

In 1993, 12 school buildings were honored by the Association of School Business Officials' Architectural Exhibition. Projects for the exhibition were divided into four categories, and entries were evaluated on numerous points. The buildings that won integrated contemporary challenges that many districts are faced with in their building designs.…

The architectural design of Mounds Park All-Nations Magnet School (St. Paul, Minnesota) incorporates cultural symbols representing the Native American worldview and Medicine Wheel Circle beliefs, as well as design elements from aboriginal housing styles, and colors and sculptured elements that reinforce the relationship of nature to building. (SV)

Explores the type of school construction suitable for instruction that includes lectures, experiment, and creation. The philosophical bases of a triadic approach to learning that appeals to feeling, rationality, and imagination are considered. Four detailed diagrams portraying the author's concepts are included. (Contains four references.) (KRN)

Reviews the history of architectural developments in academic libraries. Highlights include natural lighting and the invention of the incandescent bulb; compact shelving; open versus closed stacks; modular construction methods; central air conditioning and controlled environments; interior arrangements; access to handicapped users and staff; and…

Project offers grades 3-8 students hands-on design practice creating built environments to solve a society-based architectural problem. Students plan buildings, draw floor plans, and make scale models of the structures that are then used in related interdisciplinary activities. (Author)

Discusses recommendations for designing or redesigning library buildings for easy navigability. Signage, maps, collection arrangements, and placement of emergency exits must take into account observed traffic patterns, spatial or objective orientations of individual patrons, and patrons with disabilities. Contains 63 references. (BEW)

Presents an interview with Steven Bingler, an expert on community-based planning and design, about the design of public schools. Topics include the contribution of architecture to student learning, mega- versus small schools, the authentic economics of design decisions, and the role of the community in the design process. (EV)

Describes the building designs of 21 schools of various types (such as technology centers and special education facilities), including their educational contexts and design goals. Includes information on size, construction costs, architects, and contractors. Also includes floor plans and photographs. (EV)

Describes a substantial capital improvement campaign at City and Islington College in London, England, a postsecondary education institution spread over 10 sites in the city. Describes the rationale, planning, general design principles, and specifics of the three main projects. (EV)

Describes the building of the elementary school named in the title--winner of an energy efficiency design award--including the educational context and design goals. Includes information on the architects, manufacturers/suppliers, and construction team; a general building description; and a case study of construction costs and specifications. Also…

Project-based curricula have the potential to engage students' interests. But how do students become interested in the goals of a project? This article documents how a group of 8th-grade students participated in an architectural design project called the Antarctica Project. The project is based on the imaginary premise that students need to design…

Bridge construction is a popular classroom activity. However, the basic principles of tension, compression, and counterbalance are not always clearly represented and defined. The common materials used to construct model bridges, such as straws, toothpicks, Legos[TM], and building blocks, are often too flexible or stationary to demonstrate the…

The Engineering Technology Academy (ETA) program at Stafford Technical Center in Rutland, Vermont, offers benefits beyond the conventional high school learning experience. In September, at the beginning of the program, students learn the traditional skills of using tools, line weights and lettering. Once they develop these basic skills, students…

When George Mason University's Johnson Center opened a decade ago, it was on the leading edge of architectural design and innovative thinking about spaces for learning. Over time, the building has retained many of its revolutionary aspects even as it has accepted encroachments of conventionality. With its four floors and central atrium, twenty-two…