School Design Articles

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Early Childhood Centers

In his 2005 book Last Child in the Woods, author Richard Louv creates a compelling case that most children today are not sufficiently exposed to nature. From our litigious society´s cordoning off of natural spaces to our increasingly hectic schedules and the easy lure of television, today´s children spend an overwhelming amount of time indoors. And while it may seem that schools would be the primary culprit in keeping kids out of the natural environment, there are some schools that are actively reintroducing kids to the outdoors.

Product Sponsor Issue

Having spent over twenty five years designing educational facilities, I can´t emphasize enough the importance of selecting the right products for your school. At Schooldesigner.com we have consistently held to a high standard for featuring manufacturer´s products on our website. We only want to highlight the best!

Innovative Finishes

Here is an interesting observation: Have you ever noticed that the topics we feature in our monthly e-newsletter show up as articles in magazines a few months later? Really. It happens at a frequency that is beyond coincidental.

2010-2011 SchoolDesigner Collabetition Winners Announced

This is the fourth year we have conducted the Schooldesigner Collabetition (where collaboration and competition meet). Again this year we had many tremendous entries and the winners were determined by online voting. So, take a look at all the winners and be sure to tell your local Pella Rep and Excel Dryer Rep how much you appreciate their sponsorship of this competition.

Outdoor Places and Spaces Part 2

At Schooldesigner, we constantly strive to bring the very best original material promoting quality K-12 school design. This month we have the second in our two part series on outdoor spaces.

Outdoor Places and Spaces Part 1

Increasingly today we see the employment of outdoor space in school designs as not simply an aesthetic afterthought but an integral component of the design process from the beginning. Heightened ecological awareness, the "green" movement, is not solely responsible. A fresh perspective is taking hold as designers, planners and educators evaluate learning environment study results, rethink traditional approaches and face unprecedented economic, demographic and environmental challenges. In addition to the obvious added aesthetic value are less obvious pedagogical, social and economic benefits. This is not a fad to fade away, but a slow, steady, inexorable and permanent movement toward a new reality in school design.

2011 Urban Projects

Green Design has become part of how we live. LEED is a household word. Vegetated roofs, rain gardens and recycled content - terms that once drew skepticism - are now de rigueur. But no school building can be truly energy efficient unless it is part of the functioning, livable community it serves.

Existing neighborhoods are important. By holding memories, they create stability and continuity. And while it´s true that older construction may not be as efficient as modern methods, it certainly has a green component.

Library Design Part 2

Which comes first, the library design or the program design? Regardless of how you answer the question, school libraries are changing, as these examples show in the second of a two-part series.

Library Design Part 1

Sure, school libraries are about books and reference materials and research. But they´re about so much more, as these examples show in the first of a two-part series.

The Haves and Have Nots and Have it Alls

A common dilemma I see when touring schools is that some are touted as being exceptional, yet the building design does little to contribute to the success of the learning environment. In fact, what is exceptional about the school is the curriculum, faculty and students. So, before I go discuss specific buildings, let me clearly state that I loved visiting each of the three schools represented in this article. The students and staff who led the tours were enthusiastic, polite and knowledgeable.

2009- 2010 SchoolDesigner Collabetition Winners Announced

We are very excited to present the Collabetition winners for this year! As we like to say, the SchoolDesigner Collabetition is where Collaboration and Competition meet. All voting was done online (that´s the collaboration part) so now we have the winners (that´s the competition part)!

2009-2010 CollegeDesigner Winners Announced

We are very excited to present the First Annual CollegeDesigner Collabetition winners!

Tips for High Performing School Buildings 5-2010

With nearly $30 billion spent each year on school construction, according to the American Architectural Foundation, it makes sense to ensure that stakeholders - from students to taxpayers - get high performing schools that create a good learning environment, embody good, sustainable design principles and above all, protect those investments.

Scoring Big with Gym Design 4-2010

Through the years, school gymnasiums have been the center of physical education, team competitions and a myriad of recreational activities. While community programs, school assemblies, and art/science exhibits are often housed in gyms, the primary focus of a gym should be physical fitness. While designing a gymnasium seems easy enough, there are often mistakes that are made that make a gym less useful, less safe, or not as beneficial as a properly designed gym.