While a new facility may be the most large-scale way to bring a school completely up to date, many districts simply do not have the budget. Renovations may seem overwhelming at first, but by focusing on the building envelope, districts can make simple, st
With the influx of federal monies from the Recovery Act coming to an end, state budgets providing limited support to schools and districts still being strapped for cash, a number of new ideas to reduce costs are being considered some new, some old,
Traditionally associated with healthcare architecture, evidence-based design (EBD) is making inroads into being part of the process for designing schools, office spaces, hotels, restaurants, museums, prisons, and even residences. In short, EBD is when dec
There is no question that having a good education has a profound and positive impact on the individual student, the community, the labor market, the economy, and the country. Not having an adequate education increases unemployment rates and decreases earn
Many in the higher education community already have cloud computing services in their portfolios, such as Blackboard, but which they don't think of as being in the cloud. Once that realization sets in, it'll be a natural next step to begin evalu
The need to get the most for the money means that administrators are often choosing building options other than "traditional" construction, including the use of precast, modular, and insulated concrete forms for a project's structure. The g
Today's campus dining design blends individual spaces to create a contemporary and fresh experience. The back kitchen area has been integrated with the front-of-house spaces, providing a graceful, flowing environment inviting to everyone. Dining and
According to the Higher Education Employment Report for the first quarter of 2011 from HigherEdJobs, "The number of jobs in higher education grew 3.3 percent during the first quarter of 2011." This is the fastest growth in higher-ed jobs since 2
More and more school districts are overcoming their fears and turning to cloud computing's viable solutions because they are secure and cost effective and because it allows administrators to focus more on their core responsibilities and less o
When concrete is used as the primary building material for a school, the traditional method has been concrete masonry blocks of concrete stacked together with mortar, sometimes reinforced and grouted for added strength. But there are also a number
Thanks to seamless integration, West Orange was able to reduce the burden on its IT personnel and to cut maintenance and hardware expenditures. The technology provided tremendous benefits to labor- and paper-intensive processes throughout the district. In
Since it is impossible to separate the effect of the museum on the student from the museum setting itself, it is only natural that school administrators and educators might begin to consider how techniques used in designing museums might be incorporated i
Over the past decade we have learned a great deal from the relatively small number of campus employees who properly detect our presence while conducting these types of assessments. Consistently, we find that the people who report us to security and police
Replacing unsustainable energy sources with clean wind collection will reduce UNT's carbon emissions, as well as energy costs. Ultimately, the turbines will help UNT meet its goal of becoming a carbon-neutral institution by producing clean, renewable elec
In general, schools need to have at least three kinds of spaces classrooms, group collaboration spaces and commons spaces. The key to furnishing these spaces is to determine the instructional activity first, and then design the room layout and furn
Institutions of higher education are putting more emphasis than ever before on the physical plant that serves their students, faculty, and administrators. Instead of some small classrooms with moveable seats and some large auditoriums with fixed seats, wh
There is no question that having a good education has a profound and positive impact on the individual student, the community, the labor market, the economy and the country. Not having an adequate education increases unemployment rates and decreases earni
Now is a great time to perform a facilities checkup. This is not so much a full facility audit per se, but more of a systems or functions check. The intended outcome here is exactly the same as when a person goes to the doctor for a physical to make sure
Take a look at three different systems deployed on different campuses: GateWay Community College in Phoenix uses a fire alarm system with a voice public address system as well as a network-based mass notification system; Gettysburg College in Gettysburg,
Mass notification for parents has become an absolute necessity in K-12 schools. When a serious emergency strikes, reports quickly appear on television and the Internet based on the best available information. If you have paid attention to media reporting
Working with the facilities and construction professionals who support them, educators and administrators in school districts across the nation are striving to create high performance schools that use less energy, have a smaller environmental impact and c