Components and Materials


Energy & HVAC

Too Hot, Too Cold, Too Expensive: Energy & HVAC

Designing a new K-4 school that is comfortable for young occupants and easy to operate and maintain.

School Art Murals Signage

Building Art

Using signage and graphics to unify the look and identity of an institution and its campus.

Thinking Outside the Box

What if we could design and build lower-maintenance facilities?

California Building Codes

California Coding

A slew of new California building codes came on line this summer. What does this mean for the Golden State and the rest of the country?

Building Envelope

The Building Envelope: A Guide To Determining Problems

When you know what's wrong with a building envelope, you can make repairs and once again have a facility that is watertight, safe and energy efficient.

Communication Tools

Communication Tools: Meeting Expectations

With effective and timely communication vital to all campus constituents, the right tools must be planned, in place and operating smoothly.

Unintended Consequences

The design and up-fit of educational facilities should be the result of a whole systems approach and not one of designing and installing isolated pieces and parts.

Healthy Carpet Care

Keys to Healthy Carpet Care

Methods to make sure your school's carpeted areas are clean and safe.

Refinishing Floors

Refinishing Floors

The difference between a good floor refinishing job and a bad one.

Ceiling, Walls and Floors Maintenance

On the Surface

Ceilings, walls and floors present challenges that can be met with planning and maintenance and without breaking the budget.

Roofs

What is hanging over your head?

choosing the right flooring

Flooring: Putting Your Foot Down

Experts share their preferences and decision-making processes for choosing the right flooring.

Video Screens on Campus

Big Screen on Campus

The digital delivery of information across campus is facilitated by the proliferation of innovative video screens.

Classroom Design

Do Classrooms Have To Be Designed A Certain Way?

Rethinking the good, the bad, and the ugly of flexible learning spaces.

Food service floors

Five-Second Rule

Expert advice on sorting through flooring options for food preparation and service areas.

lighting and HVAC control

Creating a Brighter Future

Best practices and benefits of optimizing lighting and HVAC control.

Lighting the Way

Lighting the Way

It's hard to overstate the importance of effective campus lighting. At institutions of all types and sizes, lighting is a key consideration.

exterior and interior of campus buildings

The Finished Product

Today's options for building exteriors vary widely from traditional brick. An expanded palette of materials offers vivid color and texture choices to architects and designers.

School Roofs

Out of Sight...

...out of mind. That's what most people -- facility managers included -- think about their roofs, until there’s a problem. Informed choices and diligent maintenance could extend the usefulness of one of your school's biggest assets. Can you stretch the life your roof 20 years or beyond?

school building products and materials

Pleasing and Green

What's new in building products and materials?

School Roofs Aren

School Roofs Aren't What They Used To Be

Sustainable, teachable roofs are beginning to replace asphalt and black membrane roofs.

Digital Edition