Profiles this award-winning hand-built school that showcases sustainable design practices and locally sensitive architecture. The school fuses local knowledge, readily available renewable materials, and new construction techniques to maintain a traditional identity while embracing modernity in both its form and purpose.

Reviews the record of Great Britain's Building Schools for the Future program, with regard to the creation of positive, sustainable learning environments. The conclusions, supported with extensive oral and written evidence, are that the visioning process for the creation of a new school should be lengthened to enable the inclusion of school staff and students; that greater design flexibility should be allowed at the local level; that individual institutions' technology integration experience should be made widely available, to the benefit of subsequent projects; that post-occupancy evaluations be conducted to determine what works and what doesn't; and that schools be as carbon neutral as possible. [There are two volumes, both available in PDF format. Scroll down the page to Reports, August 9, 2007.] 432p.

Reviews the work of Futurelab's Fountaneering project, in which elementary students collaborated on the design of a water fountain feature for their school grounds. The fountain is intended to supply drinking water as well as water for play. Through the design project, students became more intimately familiar with their school site and learned to collaborate on and take ownership of this proposed amenity. 7p.

Case study of the La Sainte Union Catholic Secondary School in Camden, north London, teaming up with a local architectural design practice for a project entitled ‘I designed my school’. The project gave a class of 12-year-old schoolgirls a unique opportunity to design a life-size model of what they considered to be the ideal learning environment. They combined model making, drawing, narrative and theatre, team work, film and 3D space-making to develop their ideas.

The results of a design competition for a re-locatable classroom unit are provided in a slide show with 57 photographs of winning entries. The competition was open to K-12 teams, emerging green builders, and architects and manufacturers. The design teams were required to develop a prototype for a prefabricated classroom unit that makes the learning cottage "the cool place to be" for students, staff and after hours community use. The design needed to reflect a committment to environmental stewardship and high performance standards for durability, safety and health. The teams also considered school siting issues, multiple building schemes and a good connection to the landscape or urban fabric. Information on the competition is provided, as well as list of winners and a powerpoint of the awards.

Presents a visual guide to the key areas which must be considered when renovating or building a school. The publication is in an hand illustrated cartoon format, with each drawing isolating an issue of design, space use, adjacencies, educational appropriateness, etc. The drawings are organized in chapters according to school room or space type, design issue, or amenity. The purpose of the publication is to help students and others participate in the school design process. Though a British publication, it has application to school design anywhere.

Reviews the Sorrell Foundation's pilot study with 45 students from 4 colleges of the University of the Arts London and more than 100 pupils from 10 London primary and secondary schools. Ten professional mentors, who are experts in photography, architecture, product and communication design, supported the students in designing ideal new or renovated schools. Seven projects are profiled. 7p.

This article examines how conducting cognitive mapping exercises with children can help communities make safety improvements to routes leading to schools. Children are more likely to walk or bike to school when the routes they take are safe and inviting, providing more opportunities for kids to be physically active. The article includes case studies and examples of cognitive maps drawn by schoolchildren. 15p.

Provides design guidance for innovative school environments. This British prospectus urges "bottom-up" innovation and a personalized approach to education and school design, led by the users rather than authorities. Problems with the traditional classroom format are cited and a case study of an innovative "360-degree Flexible Classroom" is provided. This classroom features a "wrap-around" design with instructional surfaces on all four walls, removable interactive whiteboards, and flexible furniture that can accommodate a variety of working arrangements and body positions. 54p.

Explores how schools, architects, and planners have consulted students about the school environment and what impact this consultation and participation have had on planning and design. Data were collected to identify the different ways in which students are being consulted and involved in school environment projects, what aspects of the physical environment in school have been identified by students as being important, how student input is being used to inform planning school architecture and facilities, benefits and difficulties that have been encountered in working with students on these projects. The review included an extensive literature search to investigate theoretical and practical aspects of this area of student voice, resulting in the inclusion of 83 references. 13p.

Profiles this German school, produced by a commission focusing on three points: the school should be a meeting-place, allowing young people coming from various nations and different religions to live together peacefully; the school should enable young people to look after the environment; and the school should be open to the district. The architects conceived the school as a little town, with the aims of achieving diversity, sophistication, and responsibility taken on by the users themselves. Students were active participants in the design. Each school "house" has its own entrance, cloakroom, toilets, a large gallery, a terrace, and a garden. The book describes the entire process from developing the educational program, planning and realization of the building, and the everyday running of the school. Abundant plans, photographs, and drawings accompany the text. 179p.

Profiles over sixty projects in which school children thoughout Britain have commissioned pioneering concepts from an array of notable international designers and architects. The client teams of children engaged designers to respond to their everyday needs and concerns, and this volume describes and illustrates an range of projects that deal with the built environment, communications, storage, color, clothing and identity in schools. 192p.

This digest describes seven strategies for effectively involving students in school design. These methods include using student artwork, using disposable cameras, hosting student forums, involving students in planning committees, organizing a student design competition, providing design programs during out-of-school hours, and integrating design activities into class work. A sidebar quotes architects and planners who found working with students a rewarding and meaningful professional experience. Includes a list of online student design resources. 9p.

Reviews the process that converted two high school classrooms into a graphic arts studio to be shared by the three small schools housed within the building. The process brought together students, teachers, designers, administrators, and other professionals representing the three schools. They worked together to program and design a flexible space that retained territorial preferences for the three schools. 24p.

Reviews several British school design projects in which students and designers cooperated to create improved facility conditions in classrooms, restrooms, cafeterias, and lockers. The book describes and illustrates a range of projects that also deals with communications, storage, color, clothing, and identity in schools. Students commissioned pioneering concepts from international designers and architects, including Richard Rogers Partnership, Paul Smith, Will Allsop, Marks Barfield,Thomas Heatherwick,Wolff Olins, Conran & Partners, Priestman Goode and Kevin McCloud. 68p.

In 2001 the British newspaper The Guardian launched a competition called "The School I'd Like" in which young people were asked to imagine their ideal school. This book presents material drawn from the competition and is illustrated by children's essays, stories, poems, designs, pictures, photographs, and plans. It expresses children's own ways of seeing and naming issues of concern to all involved in education and illuminates ways in which the built environment is understood and experienced by school-age children. 162p.

This manual is intended to be used by parents, teachers, school administrators, students, community organizations and residents as a guide to identifying, planning, implementing, and maintaining large- and small-scale school improvement projects. Its sections address: (1) key terms and concepts; (2) types of school improvement projects; (3) creating the school improvement partnership; (4) planning a school improvement project--getting started; (5) planning a school improvement project--design; (6) school improvement project implementation; (7) marketing and promoting a school improvement project; (8) findings funds and volunteers; (9) school improvement project tools (preliminary school assessment tool, consensus tool, site selection tool, implementation planning tool, fundraising plan tool); and (10) case studies of a small project (Bladensburg High School sign) and a large project (Shadyside Elementary School master plan). 24p.

This manual presents guidance for creating a constructive dialogue between school officials and the surrounding community on the design of schools that contribute to enhancing educational quality. The benefits of community participation are addressed as are descriptions of the principle parts of the participation process, including strategic planning, goal setting, and long term planning. Finally, the manual presents the Charrette process as a method for generating design ideas. 18p.

The United Kingdom's non-profit School Works project was initiated to respond to the challenges of updating school infrastructure by showing the links between design and education, producing beautiful schools which further learning, and working in new ways with new partnerships. The first part of this "toolkit" guide explains the thinking behind the School Works approach and what it has to offer. The second part discusses how to set up a participatory process step by step from the questions that need to be considered and the focus a school's project might take to the techniques schools can use to get everyone involved. It also refers to the School Works' experience at Kingsdale School in London. The third part explains how to select an architect and gives a broad outline of the processes involved in implementing a building project. 116p.

The "Environment Yard" project is a 10-year effort to transform an ordinary asphalt schoolyard into a lush, naturalized environment. This book describes the project from which a natural extension of the classroom was created, reducing student boredom and antisocial behavior as they became engaged in the landscape. It instructs on how to naturalize a schoolyard into an outdoor classroom, provides innovative ways of teaching the basics in outdoor settings, and offers ideas on creating engaging play areas that foster positive behavior. 280p.

The positive impact from changing the environment of a school as a way of improving the quality of education is often overlooked by educators. This book shows how to create more effective schools through a design process that involves teachers, students, parents, administrators, and architects. The design process creates school environments that develop the whole child, instills enthusiasm for learning, and encourages positive social relationships. The practical methods detailed show how to link behavioral objectives to spatial needs; achieve spatial efficacy without compromising education; match children's developmental needs to facility requirements; promote greater variety in physical facilities to accommodate various teaching and learning styles; and gain more valuable feedback from teachers, parents, students, and local citizens on building performance. Additionally discussed are how relatively minor design modifications can significantly improve school performance; and the cost-effective ways a design can change students' spatial behavior, increase interaction with materials, decrease interruptions, promote more substantive questioning, and improve academic achievement. (Contains 158 references). 215p.

This book presents findings of a 1993 study of how design in the curriculum helps students achieve national educational objectives. It also explores opportunities for expanding the role design can play in students` academic lives. Results of the 1993 study reveal how the use of design experiences in classrooms provides teachers and students with a learning construct for the next century. The book summarizes descriptive research that makes qualitative statements regarding current classroom practice and identifies effective models for using design in classrooms. The six chapters include: (1) Learning Through Design; (2) Lifelong Learning; (3) A Strategy for Excellent Teaching; (4) Design in the Curriculum; (5) Opportunities and Challenges for Schools; and (6) Conclusions and Recommendations. 323p.

Provides an overview of the students-housing-students movement; covers the development of selected groups; describes housing where student groups lease, purchase, or even develop their own living quarters; and reviews the process of setting up a student housing orgainization. Appendix contains addresses of case study organizations. 163p.

Describes the participatory design process behind three Canadian higher education projects. Text descriptions of how each facility was "workshopped" with it's future occupants are accompanied by photographs, plans, and project statistics.

Profiles the American Architectural Foundation's "Redesign Your School" competition, in which high school students envision their ideal learning environments. Lessons learned, typical design features, and unusual highlights from the winning entries are described.

Advocates for "green" schools and involvement of the entire community in school design. The depth of teacher, parent, and student experience is cited as particularly valuable, though often overlooked.

Investigates historical trends in both the practice and the understanding of consultation, considering the often contrasting perspectives of architects and designers, compared to teachers and educationalists. Differing assumptions held by these two broad groups of professionals can lead to conflicting aims and objectives for school buildings, even where there is determination to communicate effectively and find common ground. The increasing conviction that children should participate in decision-making about school-design, and methods being developed to do this are addressed. The experiences of a school undergoing redesign of a classroom space is discussed in the perspective of architecture in contrast to that of education, the role of the child's view in influencing design solutions, and the consequences for teaching and learning, consultation procedures and the re-design of school buildings.

Focuses on several design workshops involving Japanese students in the design of a new elementary school. In this project, five existing schools were to be demolished and combined into the new school. Facilities such as the gym, library, multi-purpose spaces and practical rooms were to be designed for use by the wider community.

Profiles a design charrette for students surrounding the construction of a family aquatic center by the Spring Lake (Michigan) Public Schools. Several "themes" were elaborated by student teams, with the scheme entitled "Neptune's Underwater World" being the final selection.

During the last 10 years, many libraries have transformed their young adult areas into more efficient, innovative, and inspirational spaces. Many teens have suddenly found the library warm and inviting--a place that encouraged independence, learning, socialization, and creativity. As more people learn about the positive impact of dynamic teen spaces, librarians want to know how they can make that happen in their own workplaces. This article provides a list of guidelines in making teen spaces in libraries more teen-friendly.

Discusses the virtues of collaborative design in school planning, which incorporates the knowledge and priorities of users with the expertise of designers. The users may include school board members, parents, teachers, staff, students, administrators, community groups, and local businesses. Steps in the process are outlined, and changes in the traditional roles of these participants are emphasized.

Student photographers in South Carolina and Baltimore documented deplorable conditions in their schools, from exposed electrical wires to creeping mold, telling a tale of decay and disrepair, with a goal of bringing about public education reform.

This qualitative case study investigated how community college students perceived specific classroom attributes as contributing to or hindering their learning. The study addressed three questions: What has been the role of students in classroom design within the community college campus? How do students assess the classroom's physical design impact on their learning? And, what can students tell us about their needs for future classroom design? Students were able to clearly identify classroom attributes that enhanced their learning as well as those aspects of the built environment that inhibited their learning. Students completed "wish drawings" that depicted what they believed the ideal built environment would be for them. The article closes discussing how past, present, and future students can be used by community college facilities planners to better design the built environments to make them more conducive to optimal student learning. [Authors' abstract]

This paper examines the role of student consultation and participation in the process of improving the physical environment in schools. Although quantitative studies suggest that there are some links between the learning environment and school performance, direct causal relationships between these factors remain unclear. However, as Clark points out: ‘… qualitative research on the indirect influences of school buildings on student learning and behaviour is of use in enhancing our understanding of the factors involved’ (Clark, 2002, p. 11). Evidence from qualitative studies of students' perspectives on the school environment is presented to illustrate the important insights that can be gained through listening to the student voice. The argument for student voice is taken further through a discussion of recent projects and initiatives in which students are given an active role in designing and improving school buildings and facilities. The paper concludes with a discussion of the problems and benefits in involving students in the process of improving their learning environments. [Author's abstract]

Describes the conversion of an abandoned post office into a school, with the assistance of University of New Mexico architecture students mentoring school’s student body.

Describes this initiative, connecting client student teams with design firms to produce better school designs. The process of forming the team and solving design problems is described, as are four initial projects.

Discusses an intervention that attempted to position the child as expert and researcher of their own play environments. In this study, 32 primary school children from two schools situated in east Leeds, England, used disposable cameras over a one week period in the autumn of 2002 to record and later reflect on their preferred spaces and places for play. The process explored means of engaging children as researchers of their own environments, offering them the tools of the photo-diary and the technique of photo-elicitation in generating data designed to influence policy for planning and change of play strategies at local and national government levels. This article discusses the data generated in terms of what the participative process attempted reveals about the capacities of young children to contribute to the planning and design agenda for supporting childrens play in 21st century childhood in urban environments. Includes 19 references.

In 1967, and again in 2001, British schoolchildren were invited to submit their ideas to a competition "The School I'd Like." In their drawings and poems, they expressed the desire for schools that are attractive, safe, flexible, relevant, and respectful. This review of the archived results suggests that architects could benefit from understanding these children's visions.

Citing personal experiences, the author advocates for including student leaders in school planning and abandoning out-of-date planning perspectives.

Describes the experience of school districts in the Kansas City area of including students in school design. The project provided insights into what students think is important in their schools: attention to detail, conversion of plain spaces into varied experience spaces, thematic design, and inclusion of technology.

Reports on a study of student participation in greening projects at a school board district level, based on two methods: 1) 149 questionnaires completed by administrators, teachers, and parents associated with 45 school ground greening initiatives; and 2) 21 follow-up interviews with administrators, teachers, and parents at five of the schools. Respondents and interviewees reported that students were involved in selected aspects of the greening projects, notably the designing, planting and maintenance. Much room exists, however, for more authentic and meaningful student participation, particularly in the problem identification and visioning phases. Recommendations as to how school board administrators might facilitate such participation are offered. Includes 45 references.

Proposes that involving students in school design will help create good citizens who later vote and participate in other aspects of community life. An example of how students were involved in a British school is provided. (Scroll down in PDF to find this article.)

School buildings should be beautiful and inspirational, raising the spirits of those who use them. This explains how important it is that schools with funding for building work or improvements involve pupils, staff, parents, and the local community in articulating their vision for how the buildings should be designed and used.

Describes a new model of planning and decision-making for school design. Committees are being assembled that are truly representative, including parents, teachers, and students, as well as business and community members. Groups are being empowered to review data, investigate options, and make firm recommendations to school boards about everything from curriculum to school size to the design of the facility itself.

This describes a camera project in two rural Ohio school districts, a research tool being used to encourage citizens to think about the conditions, location, size, and design of their school facilities. Students from a variety of grade levels participated in the project by taking photographs of their learning spaces, then presented the photos and writings to local residents.

An educator and an architect discuss school design considerations that include developing a strong learning plan, a strong concept of community, and architecture that supports both. Involving the community and students in planning instills a sense of ownership and pride that is more conducive to learning and school safety than tough standards and tight security measures.

Examines how Walnut Hills High Schools (Cincinnati, OH) new Arts and Science Center was designed to students' and teachers' specifications. Facility assessment and planning are discussed, concluding with comments on the new facility's impact on education.

Describes an educational program that involves students in the construction process to help them better understand the entire operation and expose them to new ways of thinking about the structure around them.

Contends that schools should be remodeled and new schools built so that they are child-oriented and aesthetically stimulating, as well as ecologically sound and educational in and of themselves.

The aim of the article is to discuss the literature on children's participation and to analyse what planning theorists, educators and child researchers can learn from the comparison of case studies on children's involvement in neighbourhood improvement in Finland, Switzerland and France. The case studies indicate that the creation of child-friendly environments with young people means a shift towards more ecological and socially supportive settings with opportunities for the involvement of different groups. There is, however, a huge gap between the know-how of children and the organizational and political capacity of local authorities to respond in terms of appropriate environmental arrangements. [Author's abstract]

To what extent are elementary school teachers and students receptive to the design features architects emphasize in their schools? Are there particular design features ar- chitects feel important to incorporate in a school design that students and teachers rel- ish or dislike? And to what extent can the gap between students' functional needs and aesthetic preferences and architects' conceptualizations of those needs and preferences be bridged by teachers? In-depth case studies of five elementary schools reveal that while teachers are somewhat sensitive to the range of children's needs, teacher and child prioritizing of these needs differs considerably. Children, for example, feel most posi- tively about secluded study spaces, room shape and size characteristics, whereas teach- ers emphasize perimeter openness, display areas, windows, and sink areas. Teachers are also unable to predict what types of spaces children prefer in which to study. In ad- dition, architectural features that teachers and students considered most important were included frequently in the design, although architects did not consider these salient ele- ments of their design program or intentions. Analysis of the programming process in school environments indicates multiple points of entry for direct communication of student needs in addition to those of teachers and educational administrators. [Author's summary]

CABE Education was established by the Commission for Architecture and the Built Environment (CABE)in 2002 to ensure that young people understand the value of well- designed buildings and spaces. This website is for teachers and other educators and contains information on projects, resources, and events which engage young people in their built environment. Includes online access to the CABE Education magazine.

Creative Spaces encourages students to play their part in designing the school of the future. The resource offers students an insight into how their current learning environment came about via a time-travel tour of schools through the ages, before inviting them to create a comprehensive design process for what lies ahead. Creative Spaces is a joint educational venture between Great Britain's CABE (Commission for Architecture and the Built Environment) and CITB-ConstructionSkills.

Critical Exposure is dedicated to building public demand for a quality education for all children through the use of compelling documentary photography and first-person narrative to strengthen campaigns and organizations working to improve student achievement through the passage of education policies that will promote adequacy and equity in public schools. The website includes information on current projects, events, and a list of resources.

Every spring at Mountlake Terrace High School near Seattle, Washington, students in Eeva Reeder's geometry classes work feverishly to complete an architectural challenge: Design a 2,000-student high school to meet learning needs in the year 2050, fitting it on a given site. In a period of six weeks, students must develop a site plan, scale model, floor plans, perspective drawing, cost estimate, and written proposal. They must then make an oral presentation to local school architects who judge the projects and "award" the contract -- all making use of geometric and mathematical concepts.

Sponsored by the Sorrell Foundation, joinedupdesignforschools explores how good design can improve the quality of life in schools by listening to the voices of the consumers--the pupils. It acts as a catalyst for making practical improvements in the built environment. It examines ways in which the United Kingdom design industry could be joined up with the education sector. The website includes work in progress; information on the process; and celebrating achievements.

This software is a tool to encourage communication between science teachers, students, and technicians and architects and designers in designing laboratories in schools. Includes guidance documents, articles, case studies, and vignettes. The design tool enables anyone to explore their ideas and then view them in both 2-D and 3-D. The 3-D version has a 'walk-through' facility that enables people to view their design from any angle and from a pupil's or teacher's perspective. All those involved in the process can use the plans and share ideas via the website. The software is a joint project of Great Britain's Association for Science Education, Planet Science, The Royal Science, Department for Education and Skills, and CLEAPSS School Science Service.

Annual contest held by Massachusetts School Building Authority (MSBA)to promote discussion among students and teachers as to how thoughtful design and construction of schools in Massachusetts supports student learning.

School Works is an innovative British not-for-profit company which specialises in secondary school design. School Works focuses on how the design of school buildings can stimulate lifelong learning locally, and how funding and procurement methods can be adapted to enable the creation of beautiful, functional schools. This website includes sections on Why School Works?; Thinking Design; Involving Users; Evaluating What Works; Inspiring Young People; and Sharing Good Practice.

SoundOut.org is a national online resource center designed to promote meaningful student involvement in school change. The website provides resources to promote inclusive, constructive, and diverse dialogues about education, and offers support for meaningful student involvement throughout education.

This is an educational game for 11-16 year olds that encourages pupils to redesign their schools for the future. The game is supported by Great Britain's National Endowment for Science, Technology, & the Arts. British curriculum materials are included. [This game requires the Flash 6 player.]

NCEF's resource list of links, books, and journal articles on the participation of students, teachers, parents, administrators, and community members in the planning and design of schools.

NCEF's resource list of links, books, and journal articles examining the association between student achievement and the physical environment of school buildings.