Tucked into an 18th century paper mill on the banks of the Schuylkill River in Philadelphia, AIM Academy is a learning environment that stimulates creativity and guides signature strengths among its students, all of whom have learning differences. In desi
The envelope, through the skillful design and construction of walls, windows, clerestories, skylights, ceilings and other components, can contribute heat, coolness, natural light, acoustical performance and aesthetics to the learning environment. What con
Notorious for their shoestring budgets, public schools have learned how to make every element of their space function in more ways than one. Here are 10 tips for making your design budget stretch twice as far.
The 112th Congress faces several very critical issues when it returns for the lame duck session. From the perspective of most people, it must address several of these issues. Of the utmost importance is addressing sequestration and the pending fiscal clif
During difficult budget times, it is easy to make your first reductions to support services. Not only is that the wrong approach, it can be devastating in the long run. While we have not been able to invest much in major maintenance over the last few year
Before installing access control hardware, ensure that your proposed products are acceptable for the applicable use group and that all code requirements are met. Doors with access control must not obstruct egress routes or negatively impact fire barriers.
Going green is not the first thought that generally comes to mind in thinking about trends in school restroom fixtures and design. However, it turns out that ecological and budgetary concerns are now being mutually explored. Better sanitation, increased e
he times they are a-changin'– six words from a Bob Dylan song seem to wrap up the past decade of procurement. In the beginning, an IFB (invitation for bid) or RFP (request for proposal) was created for everything that our schools needed. We toiled o
School districts can improve student performance by reducing overcrowding, building new facilities and bringing in higher qualified teachers. Any one of the three techniques will work. Used together, the results can be spectacular in elementary schools an
PBK recently completed the new classroom building and conference center at Collin College's Preston Ridge Campus. "If I could use one word to describe the Preston Ridge project, it's 'flexibility,'" says Whittingstall.
The U.S. Department of Energy's Building Technologies Program recently released a report noting that new building products and technologies are both here and on the horizon that can only give school administrators hope for future reduced energy consumptio
Responding to the repeated failure of reauthorization proposals, the Obama administration instituted the waiver program in February of this year. In addition to the 33 states and the District of Columbia that already hold waivers, four additional states h
From the delivery person to the volunteer parent, people visit school facilities every day. Often, regular visitors become familiar to school staff, faculty, even students. But with increased security, familiarity is no longer an acceptable method of mana
Day cleaning can be cost effective and practical in any cleaning environment. As long as you have dedication, a manageable cleaning standard with training and support from upper management, it can be easy as one, two, three.
Smartphones and tablets are in use from kindergarten to college campuses. What's important about integrating these devices into the classroom includes not only the infrastructure to support wireless access, but also the support and information availa
Spectacular? not particularly. Important? No doubt. Maintenance and operations (M&O) buildings of various sizes and types are workplaces for key K-12 district workers. Inevitably, those buildings must be renovated and new ones constructed. What are so
If you have doubts about the signs in your schools currently, or if you are planning signs for a new school, here's how to think about the art and science of signs.
Printers and copiers do a lot more than output documents. They can eat up resources when poorly managed or offer an all-in-one solution when properly purchased. Print infrastructure is changing, as administrators look for alternatives and providers that c