In classrooms across the U.S., students spend untold hours sitting at desks and tables working on their lessons or listening to their teachers. That lack of movement might not have been a concern years ago, when children's time away from school typically was spent outdoors playing and exercising. However, as children spend more time in front of a…

Offers ten suggestions for schools and universities to help maintain a healthy indoor environment: proper flooring, sanitary washrooms, consistent maintenance, indoor air quality, preventing mold, daylighting, good acoustics, avoiding volatile organic compounds (VOCs), ergonomic furniture, and well-maintained roofs. (EV)

Shows how schools are working to avoid the types of equipment, supplies, and maintenance practices that harm indoor air quality. Simple steps to maintaining a cleaner indoor air environment are highlighted as are steps to reducing the problem air quality and the occurrence of asthma. (GR)

Argues that school classroom design affects learning and advocates that planners can look at students' developmental needs and the curriculum to redesign and expand classrooms to fit those needs and requirements. Different lighting effects on students are examined as are classrooms without walls and building flexibility into space design. Final…

Discusses design features schools can use to compliment and enhance education, including six design principles for learning environments that help schools provide effective education. School linkage with the surrounding community is also addressed. (GR)

Discusses ways to provide vital safety to schools without inhibiting the learning environment for students. Describes security efforts at Orange County, Florida schools, such as using video cameras, school police officers, and access-control systems. (EV)

The school construction boom that began in the 1990s has given administrators and designers a chance to go beyond the traditional school layout of double-loaded corridors stacked on top of each other. Those building schools for the 21st century are recognizing that the schoolhouses they attended no longer may be suitable to meet the needs of…

With energy prices escalating, schools and universities have enormous incentive to control heating and cooling costs. And, as concerns about campus security and student safety continue to be paramount, education administrators have a duty to make sure their facilities are protected from intruders, vandals or other criminals. At the same time,…