The physical elements of the school building including scale, color and daylight are only a part of the picture, though. A successful design relies on engaging the people within the school community in a structured process. An early focus on smart plannin
Despite the fundraising challenge that confronts any two-year, private college, the ensuing capital campaign for Spartanburg Methodist College (SMC) proved successful and led to Ellis Hall being built and dedicated last November (2012). The facility was the first new academic building on the 110-acre campus since 1967. The 48,000-sq.-ft. building increased the College’s academic space from 15 to 29 percent of the total physical plant. SMC’s seven student residence halls account for most of the balance. SMC’s administration can focus next on upgrading existing buildings.
While increased enrollment is widely regarded as a positive development, understanding ways to manage the influx of additional students, providing a high-quality educational experience, meeting academic goals, and staying within budget requires administrators and architects to minimize new construction and maximize existing space.
With the rise of project-based learning, the lines between secondary education, higher education and workforce environments have become increasingly blurred. In fact, many school districts are discovering that the best way to prepare students for the next
As architects and designers we are uniquely able to incorporate sustainable strategies into all of our projects, regardless of whether or not the project will be filed to achieve third-party certification. Sustainable strategies can be incorporated into any project through passive strategies, mechanical systems, and finish and furniture selection.
The congested college and university marketplace means that every presidential communication must further institutional branding and messaging. Contemporary presidents are the public “face” of the institution, and competition for audiences’ attention has never been fiercer.
As colleges and universities focus on strategies to make their campuses more sustainable, they are increasingly turning to green flooring products such as carpet tiles. While many schools are still installing traditional broadloom carpeting, they are using carpet tiles on floors that were once covered with vinyl or other hard surfaces, such as those in classrooms.
In 2010, the Institute for Workplace Innovation at the University of Kentucky developed the Innovative Workplace Model that identifies dimensions of dynamic work environments. Aimed at promoting communication, collaboration, creativity and innovation, the
Reducing energy consumption is hugely beneficial, and nearly everyone is practicing good kW-cutting habits. But the second most direct route to decreasing energy costs is often overlooked: managing the energy purchase itself. The largest barrier to purchasing energy at lower prices: understanding the deregulated energy markets.
Clearly, the evidence supports the value of high-quality pre-kindergarten education. With their usual can-do attitude, both individual school districts and states are finding ways to implement strong programs, thus providing long-term dividends for both s
From projectors to iPads and iPod Touches, YouTube and teacher-created textbooks, multimedia lessons and the technology needed to run it are throughout New Braunfels Independent School District (ISD) in New Braunfels, Texas, from kindergarten
When you consider student recreation centers through their history, the desire for their services and programs has always come from students,” says Pam Watts, executive director of Corvallis, OR-based NIRSA: Leaders in Collegiate Recreation. “It is that desire that results in facilities. In addition, the rec center is going to continue to be an important part of campus life as more and more employers ask higher education to develop soft skills in addition to hard skills.”
Sure, it’s easy to toss trash into the proper receptacles and to turn off the lights when leaving a room, but how does a university with thousands of personnel, administrators, and students on campus initiate a greener place to live, work, and study? Green initiatives for the higher education sector are everywhere, and there are so many ways that colleges can get involved, from implementing cleaner technologies that use less power consumption to offering vegan dining choices in the cafeteria to properly disposing of old, outdated printers.
On Wednesday, Apr. 10, President Obama made public his proposed Fiscal Year 2014 Budget which includes several key investments in education. There are several programs and initiatives that cut across agency budgets and require partnerships/joint ventures
Beyond the prospect for energy savings, many school boards assume there will be additional costs associated with green buildings, including the LEED certification effort and the associated building materials and mechanical, electrical and plumbing systems
Both security and sustainability are important. Newtown and other school shootings make the case for security. The case for sustainability is strong, too. Estimates say that buildings produce 35 percent of the carbon dioxide emitted in the U.S. and use 37
Schools need to be safe, healthy, educationally appropriate and sustainable. Many of our schools do not make the grade, but a lack of comprehensive data on existing school facilities makes determining the actual need impossible. The last comprehensive sur
In today's world, educational organizations are moving more and more to a hybrid model of the private and public cloud. Most corporations are at the same place; I am not aware of corporations placing their entire data operations out in the cloud.
While the nonstop, point-grabbing treasure hunt for Silver, Gold, or even Platinum certification has forced architects to get better at designing and creating more efficient structures, everything outside the building envelope has basically remained an afterthought. This narrow approach not only downplays the complex role a project’s site plays in its overall sustainability, it also ignores cultural and contextual considerations that are critically important to campus planning and design. Thankfully, there could be help on the horizon with the long-overdue introduction of the Sustainable Sites Initiative (SITES) into the certification game.
Carbon neutrality, net-zero, whatever you call it, is going to be the way everybody will judge the success of sustainability strategies for school districts. Schools are public institutions by their very nature, and the public more and more desires that i