Design and construction problems in child care buildings are discussed. Common facility oversights range from too-small crib rooms and plumbing limitations to inadequate storage space and outdoor shade areas. Offers suggestions for overseeing the construction of a facility. (LB)

Suggests that child care program directors who are expanding their programs or opening new child care centers investigate the possibility of renting, leasing, or purchasing a modular building. Discusses the advantages of modular buildings over conventional building construction or rented space in an occupied building. Provides information about…

Modern, technically advanced buildings on U.S. college and university campuses reflect a decline in aesthetic and academic architectural values. Colleges and universities must become better architectural patrons by maintaining a sense of (1) the special purpose of academic buildings; (2) scale; and (3) the campus aesthetic. (MSE)

Discusses the development of a camp design brief that clarifies the specific priorities and criteria for building or expanding camp facilities. Presents three situations in which camp directors accurately diagnosed their facility problems but changed their building plans over time because of financial, operational, or locational considerations.…

Discusses the threat posed by the Legionnaire's Disease bacterium and the germ's ability to thrive in heating, ventilating, and air conditioning (HVAC) systems, especially in standing water. Describes ways to minimize disease risk through HVAC system design (such as locating cooling towers away from air intakes) and ways to maintain a clean…

Describes the architectural process and discusses ways of establishing good communication between architects and librarians so they can work together effectively. Highlights include the schematic design phase, the design development phase; the construction document stage, and the architect working with the contractors. (LRW)

Explains how universities and colleges, both private and public, are including fitness centers as ways of increasing their student enrollment levels. Comments are provided on school experiences in fitness-center design, equipment purchasing, and maintenance and operating-costs issues. (GR)

Details the dramatic changes in school lighting. Describes how lighting will be more closely integrated into the "smart" school building of tomorrow and how lighting systems will evolve with schools as technology changes. Claims that direct/indirect lighting systems will serve computer users as well as reduce energy and maintenance costs. (RJM)

The organization of space profoundly affects learning. Students feel better connected to a building that anticipates their needs and respects them as individuals. Built in 1971, Crow Island School, in Winnetka, Illinois, is a prize-winning facility that has provided generations of children with windowed classrooms, skylights, adjacent workrooms,…

Argues that architectural models allow students to express their ideas on a range of topics from dream homes and interior decorating to historical periods and places. Provides a general outline of the process of creating architectural models, from decorating shoeboxes to creating sophisticated models. (DSK)

Explored the attitudes and practices of property developers and related agents in facilitating or constraining access for people with disabilities in the built environment. Interview data indicated that respondents had limited knowledge of people with disabilities and their needs, regarding them as a minor consideration in building projects. They…

Describes how a new arena configuration, the Alpha design, seeks to make facilities more multidimensional, with enhanced acoustics that offer superior entertainment as well as sports uses. Discusses the design's various configurations and its unique features in terms of shape and volume, loudspeakers, private suites, lighting, support spaces,…

Describes the designs of the Jesse Owens Memorial Stadium at Ohio State University and the fitness center of Scottsdale Community College in Arizona. Discusses design goals and unique features and includes photographs. (EV)

Discusses security and safety issues for public libraries, especially high-profile central facilities, in light of the September 11 terrorist attacks. Highlights include inspecting bags as patrons enter as well as exit; the need for security guidelines for any type of disaster or emergency; building design; and the importance of communication.…

Describes ABA Studio/Andrew Bartle Architects' transformation of a narrow row house into a school for learning-disabled students in New York City. Includes drawings and photographs. (EV)