It's estimated that at least 22 million school days are lost every year because of colds caught by students and faculty, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). There's still no cure for the common cold, but there is a time-honored way to prevent it: handwashing, ideally with good old soap and water. It's still the best…

In the future, schools will become resource networks with teachers functioning as brokers and with peer learning, mentors, parents, and the community playing significant roles. Schools must be sophisticated enough to give the vision of educators a shape and a dwelling. (MLF)

Microcomputers and available software can be used to display spreadsheet information helpful to facility planners. This article discusses the nature of electronic spreadsheets, presents an applications procedure, and illustrates a practical facilities planning application by using software generally available. (MLF)

This "IssueTrak" discusses an increasing interest in verifying the installation and performance of building systems prior to delivery and final acceptance by the building owner. This interest in quality assurance has spawned a new and distinct professional construction discipline referred to as building commissioning. The principal objective of…

This paper was prepared as an outgrowth of a Getty Center symposium sponsored by New Schools Better Neighborhoods (NSBN) and its partner organizations in May 1999. The subject of joint use, generically meaning the development of K-12 education facilities in combination with other facilities such as parks or libraries, was broached at the Getty…

A study was conducted to assess classroom utilization at a university and to make recommendations to optimize the use of the space available. Seven steps were involved in the study: (1) preparing the inventory of space; (2) identifying the variables; (3) making assumptions for the study and changes to carry it out; (4) calculating mean numbers of…

Examining the trend toward an older U.S. population, this paper discusses why educators and school facility planners should consider designing multipurpose schools that specifically contribute to stronger intergenerational links. Reasons include: ending age segregation, enriching the lives of children and seniors, creating support for public…

This guide is designed to assist school districts in selecting school sites that provide both a safe and supportive environment for the instructional program and the learning process, and gain state approval for the selected sites. The guide includes a set of selection criteria that have proven helpful to site selection teams, information about…

Outlines the procedures that a consultant firm uses for evaluating physical education facility needs and existing facilities and planning for manageable growth and development. (Author/MLF)

Discusses the development of lighting master plans, which allow education institutions to provide adequate illumination and enhance campus beauty. (EV)

Explores why and how integrating the activities of recreation centers and student centers into one common facility is emerging as a new development in college campus design. (EV)

Describes how Brown University has begun looking at building design and performance as a shadow curriculum that supports or argues with the principles being taught in a building's classroom. Discusses the energy-efficient design and construction of W. Duncan MacMillan Hall, a building serving the geology, chemistry, and environmental sciences…

Discusses the new roles to serve changing populations that schools constructed for the 21st century must fulfill. Describes a collaborative facilities planning process developed by the National Center for the 21st Century Schoolhouse. (EV)

Discusses the importance of effective collaboration within the architect, engineering, and construction team involved in design-build projects. Offers steps to make the most of design-build project delivery. (EV)

Focuses on the present learning space planning process at most campuses and proposes a new vision for how planning can work more effectively and collaboratively. (EV)