Educational Facilities
Last updated: 04-21-2008
Overview
Following a general trend across many building types, educational facilities are becoming increasingly specialized. For example, we have come to understand that classrooms intended for pre-schoolers are fundamentally different from those that best serve high school seniors or the training of mid-career professionals. Today, even the traditional idea of "classroom" as an instructor-focused learning space is changing. The growth of computer-based instruction, video projection, and other telecommunication requirements is causing us to rethink traditional educational patterns and spatial relationships.
Child development center in Des Moines, IA.
Architects: Wells, Kastner, Schipper
From an environmental perspective, concerns for the health and well-being of students—particularly young students—are increasing interest in the improved performance and fabric of school structures. Strategies including daylighting, the specification of sustainable and non-toxic building materials, and the use of renewable energy sources are gaining attention in school design. At the same time, resources for the construction, maintenance, and upkeep of educational facilities remain in short supply.
Classification
Education is a lifelong process. This is reflected in the range of educational facility types for which information is available in the WBDG:
- Child Development Centers, including preschool and day-care
- Elementary, including K through 8th grade
- Secondary, including high school and junior college
- University, including college and post-graduate education
- Training, including computer centers and teleconference facilities
Major Resources
Federal Agencies and Organizations
- National Clearinghouse for Educational Facilities (NCEF)—Sponsored by the U.S. Department of Education and managed by the National Institute of Building Sciences, NCEF is the world's largest repository of information about Pre-K to 12 school planning, designing, funding, building, improvement, and maintenance.
- U.S. Department of Education
Publications
- American Schools & Universities Magazine—Provides relevant information for school and university administrators responsible for construction, design, planning, retrofit, operations, maintenance, and management of educational facilities.
- Daylighting in Schools: An Investigation into the Relationship between Daylighting and Human Performance by Heschong Mahone Group
- FEMA 424 Design Guide for Improving School Safety in Earthquakes, Floods and High Winds
- High-Performance School Buildings Resource and Strategy Guide by Sustainable Buildings Industry Council. 2004.
- High-Performance Schools: Design Making a Difference in How Children Learn by Deane Evans, Gregg Ander, and Charles Eley, San Diego, CA: Presented at AIA 2003 National Convention.
- Light Matters: The Medical Benefits of Light by Sonia Ancoli-Israel, Daniel Kripke, and Phillip G. Mead. San Diego, CA: Presented at AIA 2003 National Convention.
- VA VHA Educational Facilities
Training
- High Performance School Design—Online Training, sponsored by the New York State Energy Research and Development Authority
