Building Blueprints
Design-Build
The academic sector is the perfect use case for exploring how design-build is the best delivery system for mitigating risk, increasing the speed of delivery, lowering costs, and delivering great design – all through a simpler, more collaborative process.
Sensory Rooms
The stimulating environment of a sensory room may heighten awareness, provide a sense of security and comfort, improve creativity, promote mental and physical relaxation, and even decrease aggressive behaviors.
Facility Focus
Editor's Note
- By Yvonne Marquez
- 07/01/20
When students finally return to school after months of learning from home, there will be dramatic changes. Even when K-12 leaders are allowed to reopen their facilities, doing so safely and responsibly will require everyone to maintain proper distancing while they’re at school, experts agree — at least until there is a working vaccine for the COVID-19 virus.
- By Cindy Eggebrecht-Weinschreider
- 07/01/20
Procurement
School districts see value in using cooperative purchasing entities as they get a steady, predictable pricing structure and supplier source.
- By Sarat Pratapchandran
- 07/01/20
Reopening Schools
Gov. Gary Herbert approved the Utah State Board of Education’s requirements and recommendations for reopening schools in the state. As per the requirements, all Utah public schools must have reopening plans in place and posted online by August 1.
- By Yvonne Marquez
- 06/29/20
Furniture and Classroom Spaces
Even before COVID-19 forced K-12 leaders to rethink the design of school spaces, versatility was an important design element for classrooms and other instructional environments. Once life returns to normal, versatility will continue to be a critical design element.
- By Cindy Eggebrecht-Weinschreider
- 06/29/20
Industry Spotlight
We spoke to HID Global's Tim Nyblom, End User Business Manager - Higher Ed, and Dave O’Driscoll, Senior Director of Strategic Initiatives, about cloud and mobile technologies that will be important when universities reopen in the fall and in the next few years.
Planning and Design
How can higher education institutions incorporate student success in their resilience planning process as they consider future impacts on campuses? And how can design professionals use their knowledge and skills to support this effort?
- By Cindy Villarreal
- 06/23/20
Safety & Security
To aid in a rapid response, innovative technology companies have developed powerful gunfire detection systems to greatly reduce the time required before a suspect is apprehended.
Reopening
The Department of Public Instruction recommends smaller class sizes, alternating school-day schedules, and providing mental health support for students and staff.
- By Yvonne Marquez
- 06/22/20
Reopening
As colleges and universities make plans to reopen facilities in the fall, higher ed decision makers must consider a variety of issues while COVID-19 continues to spread in communities across the country. A facility services expert shares strategies and protocols used to ensure a healthy environment for students, faculty and staff.
- By Yvonne Marquez
- 06/17/20
Reopening
Dallas ISD is waiting on direction from the state and haven’t solidified plans, yet. In the meantime, the district has created a first draft of safety and security guidelines for campus reentry, along with three different potential instructional models.
- By Yvonne Marquez
- 06/15/20
Furniture
Here are five tips that all K-12 schools can use to break out of the one-size-fits-all classroom furniture model and create modern, engaging spaces for 21st Century learners.
- By Kristine Wolfe
- 06/15/20
Safely Reopening
The design of the learning space will play a critical role in enabling active learning to occur in a responsible manner.
- By Cindy Eggebrecht-Weinschreider
- 06/10/20
New Construction
While the University of California San Diego has put some projects on hold due to financial constraints introduced by the pandemic, the university is forging ahead with construction work on its North Torrey Pines Living and Learning Neighborhood and planning for its Future College Living and Learning Neighborhood.
- By Dian Schaffhauser
- 06/03/20
New Construction
Des Moines' school board approved a resolution to continue work on a stadium that will serve the school district and Drake University.
- By Dian Schaffhauser
- 06/02/20
Technology
When the pandemic subsides, districts that haven’t already will likely take a closer look at e-learning and the skills and solutions that make it possible.
The COVID slide could exacerbate existing achievement gaps if K-12 leaders don’t take action. Here are four strategies that can help solve this challenge.
- By Robert Brian Gossage
- 05/28/20
New Construction
Although the usual groundbreaking celebration was put off due to COVID-19, the Colorado State University System broke ground this month on its newest campus. The Denver site, dubbed "Spur," will eventually include three buildings, focused on the studies of food, water and health.
- By Dian Schaffhauser
- 05/28/20
The Atlanta-based institution will be installing more than 15,000 solar panels on 16 campus buildings. That represents 5.5 megawatts of solar generation, enough to produce about a tenth of the university's peak energy requirements.
- By Dian Schaffhauser
- 05/27/20
Reopening
Three-hundred and ten presidents responded to the survey on topics such as “their current plans for the fall, including actions they may require to consider reopening campus, the impact of the pandemic on future revenue, and the projected impact on fall enrollment numbers.”
- By Yvonne Marquez
- 05/26/20
Online Learning
About 500 Pre-K students at Escambia County School District will have access to a free online summer education program designed to help children make up for lost learning due to the coronavirus.
- By Yvonne Marquez
- 05/26/20
Facilities
They are the first generation to be immersed in technology since birth, experiencing it as an extension of daily life. As future Gen Zers progress through our learning institutions, their characteristics, wants and needs will further shape K-12 education environments, university campuses and future workplaces.
Classroom Components
Why address comfort in the design of a learning space? When students are physically comfortable, they’re more at ease: They can relax, block out negative thoughts and focus more effectively on instruction.
- By Cindy Eggebrecht-Weinschreider
- 05/25/20
Reopening Schools
School nurses bring a broad set of skills and experience in the monitoring of student and staff wellness, and they’re a critical resource as K-12 leaders plan to reopen schools amid a global pandemic.
Construction
Directions issued by Gov. Andrew Cuomo in late March suspended all non-essential construction activity in New York, leaving universities and colleges scrambling to put construction projects on hold in a manner that would allow them to pick up the work when closures have been lifted. At Binghamton University, part of the State University of New York system, that affected numerous building sites.
- By Dian Schaffhauser
- 05/19/20
Construction
Construction sites in Michigan that were under state shutdown orders are starting work again — including at the University of Michigan. The institution has begun working with state officials to crank up activities on multiple projects, including new construction and renovation and addition work.
- By Dian Schaffhauser
- 05/19/20
Safely Reopening
Although Baylor University intends to return to in-person classes in the fall, the Texas institution said that doesn't mean it's planning for a "normal start."
- By Dian Schaffhauser
- 05/19/20
COVID-19
Appalachian State University recently learned that 16 subcontracted workers have tested positive for COVID-19.
- By Dian Schaffhauser
- 05/19/20
Student Housing
Just as our homes have once again become the epicenters of our lives under quarantine — leading us to consider and re-evaluate their design — student housing facilities will likewise undergo massive changes in response to new hygiene concerns and lifestyle desires of students and their families.
- By Theresa Genovese, AIA, LEED AP
- 05/19/20
Reopening Schools
We asked designers and architects from across the country what they anticipate classrooms will look like in the fall if they were to reopen, how the coronavirus will impact school design in the long-term, and suggestions on design concepts schools can implement right away to help with social distancing in facilities. Their answers offer insight to available design options and possibilities that can help school leaders plan and make the best decisions for their students and staff.
- By Yvonne Marquez
- 05/18/20
Cuyahoga Community College (Tri-C) in Cleveland, Ohio will cover tuition for students facing financial hardship due to COVID-19.
- By Yvonne Marquez
- 05/13/20
COVID-19
With COVID-19 changing the educational landscape each day, school and college decision makers need all the help they can get during this global crisis. Here are some resources on everything schools and colleges need to consider regarding educational facilities, construction, design and planning of new facilities, maintenance, managing employees and much more. (Updated 5/13)
- By Yvonne Marquez
- 05/13/20
Reopening Schools
Students at Willow Creek School in Montana returned to school on Thursday. The school, which serves between 50-60 students in grades K-12, is one of the first in the United States to reopen after schools closed in March.
- By Yvonne Marquez
- 05/11/20
Episode 4
As schools across the country figure out how to safely reopen schools, we wonder: how will COVID-19 impact school design? Senior editor Yvonne Marquez discusses with Sylvia Kowalk and Robin Randall from Legat Architects on what changes we might see as schools reopen.
- By Yvonne Marquez
- 05/11/20
Reopening Schools
As you rethink the design of educational spaces and structures to keep your communities safe and healthy when schools reopen, here are some possible strategies and issues to consider.
- By Cindy Eggebrecht-Weinschreider
- 05/08/20
Components & Materials
Walls, ceilings and floors, along with all interior and other building elements, must meet budgetary, acoustic, resilience, sustainability and maintenance requirements, with builders weighing such factors and others. Here are some ways that schools are making their interiors stand out.
The board strongly encourages districts to hold digital events and to use social media to highlight graduates with hashtags and messages. The board will allow in-person graduation events including “drive-in” and “drive-through” ceremonies.
- By Yvonne Marquez
- 05/04/20
Reopening Schools
Dallas Independent School District Superintendent Dr. Michael Hinojosa laid out several possibilities for classes in August.
- By Yvonne Marquez
- 05/04/20
Awards & Recognition
Spaces4Learning has opened its 2020 New Product of the Year award program. Each year, the program recognizes new and emerging products and technologies for the outstanding contributions they make to K–12 and higher education.
Reopening Schools
The fall of 2020 will be different. Nobody knows for sure what it will look like, but most would agree that it <em>will</em> be different, which raises many questions for those of us involved in the construction and design of academic facilities.
- By Steve Cunningham
- 05/01/20
Reopening Schools
While the attention so far has been focused mainly on ensuring that all students continue to receive a high-quality learning experience from home, leaders are now shifting their focus to how they can safely and responsibly reopen schools. Here are eight key suggestions for keeping students and staff safe when schools reopen.
Healthy Schools
Pre-K and kindergarten students at Centner Academy in Miami begin their school day with a mindfulness practice. Here is how it's helping students cope with changes due to coronavirus and some tips to incorporate mindfulness in the classroom.
- By Yvonne Marquez
- 04/22/20
Cleaning and COVID-19
This cleaning process provides more thorough coverage, essentially leaving no place for germs and pathogens, including those that cause COVID-19, to hide.
- By Robert Kravitz
- 04/20/20
Business
Michigan community colleges are seeing a decline in summer enrollment, an indication of what’s to come in the fall.
- By Yvonne Marquez
- 04/20/20
Food Service
Houston ISD and Houston Food Bank officials handed out 90,000 pounds of food at NRG Stadium on Saturday, April 18.
- By Yvonne Marquez
- 04/20/20
Episode 3
In this episode, we talk about the short-term and long-term goals of keeping school facilities clean amidst the COVID-19 pandemic.
- By Yvonne Marquez
- 04/15/20