Managing contemporary campuses and taking decisions that will impact on those of tomorrow is a complex task for universities worldwide. It involves strategic, financial, functional and physical aspects as well as multiple stakeholders. This article...

Montgomery Primary School is the UK's first "zero carbon" in use and "climate-change-ready" exemplar school built to the Passivhaus standard. Its design and solar generating electrical power plant enable its electricity bill to be zero each year.

The Yakutia Republic is currently working to update its early childhood development (ECD) system. Its goal is to ensure a high quality environment for early learning and child care and to enable higher enrolment levels.

This paper presents the conclusions of a study, carried out in collaboration with schools in six European countries, which focused on tomorrow’s physical learning environments. It resulted in the creation of a learning space model that is flexible,...

What is the impact of school infrastructure on the well-being of students in Flemish secondary schools? A study, commissioned by AGIOn (the Flemish agency that subsidises school buildings), investigated the impact of educational spaces on their users...

In 2007 the Portuguese government launched a major school modernisation programme, and has taken steps to ensure the long-term sustainability of facilities. Projects now anticipate use by the broader community, allow for possible income-generating...

Many schools around the world are struggling in the face of reduced funding and fluctuating enrolments. Often, the solution to this unhappy equation is quite simply to shut down facilities. But when all the costs of closing a school are considered –...

This article provides an overview of the “Schools of the Future” initiative introduced in California in January 2011 by the newly elected State Superintendent of Public Instruction, Tom Torlakson. Its objective is to focus on the reform of the state...

As a result of the massive growth of higher education in Turkey, the most pressing priority for this sector today is to meet the new space requirements for an increasing number of students. Now a subject of public attention more than ever before, the...

The Irish Department of Education and Skills (DoE) is strongly committed to energy efficiency and to reducing CO2 by developing and implementing energy level ceilings in relation to school design that aim to remain below half of the accepted good...

The Korean Educational Development Institute (KEDI) has recently initiated a pilot project to develop a new prototype school, involving users in the design phase. This is the first time in Korea that users have been consulted on issues relating to...

The world has been changing so fast that educational systems have not had time to keep pace. We therefore need to rethink, renew and modernise our schools, as well as develop a new educational experience for children. In order to do this, it is...

Good architecture responds to contemporary challenges, irrespective of fashionable trends, and is characterised by rigorous building processes. Office buildings, housing, stadiums and theatres offer outstanding examples of this principle. But do...

Kunskapsskolan is a chain of independent secondary schools which functions as a comprehensive platform for personalised education, known as the Kunskapsskolan programme (KED). What is special about this programme is that students set their own...

The City of New Orleans is implementing an unprecedented plan for the systemic renovation and rebuilding of its schools and infrastructure. One of the cornerstones of the project was public involvement: more than 10 000 citizens were engaged in...

How can designers create more innovative and sustainable learning environments? This paper argues in favour of challenging best practice” generally accepted by the architectural profession by embracing a responsive design approach. Such an approach...

Through practical design projects, the Sorrell Foundation has demonstrated the advantages of involving children and young people as the main consumers of their school. It counts on good design to bring its customer to the forefront of the product;...

This article explores the architecture of a network of education centres located in underprivileged communities in Mexico. The centres provide an environment conducive to learning through spaces that are sustainable, comfortable and secure...

This article explores the planning and design of educational facilities from a gender perspective, with a view to guiding future research and policy analysis.

One of the main problems facing big-city school districts in the United States is deteriorating and underutilised school infrastructure. The Detroit public school district is attempting to tackle this issue with an injection of federal funding and a...