What is involved in creating learning environments for the 21^st century? How can school facilities serve as tools for teaching and meet the needs of students in the future? What components are required to design effective schools, and how does architecture relate to the purposes of schooling?...

In New York they say that the architecture of the new <i>Lycée français</i> (serving French students from kindergarten through upper secondary education) was inspired by the rationalism of Descartes. What is beyond doubt, however, is that the design and materials chosen by the American firm of...

<i>Bruce Jilk is an architect and educational planner at KKE Architects in Minneapolis, Minnesota (United States). Jilk was chair at the American Institute of Architects’ (AIA) November 2000 conference in Amsterdam (Netherlands), where he introduced the conference on “Innovative Alternatives in...</i>

The following article is based on a presentation by Sarah E. Thomas, a librarian at Cornell University in the United States. This abridged version begins by summarising how libraries thrive in an era of change. Next it explores storing print publications and how libraries are increasing space...

Science laboratories in schools are expensive to equip and maintain. Specific pedagogical needs, new technology and safety requirements contribute to the costs. In an effort to get the most efficient use of facilities, some countries are rethinking school labs with a move toward more flexible...

Experience in a number of OECD countries today continues to demonstrate how after-hours use of schools can improve student success through more study time, add value to the formal curriculum through extra-curricular activities, provide adults with opportunities for personal development or...

In 2005, the OECD Programme on Educational Building (PEB) organised two international experts’ group meetings to discuss how countries define and evaluate quality in educational facilities. The research and experiences of six experts are presented in this article, in addition to the lessons...