By Martha Svatek
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December 17th, 2008
Everything you need to design cutting-edge science facilities is provided in the second edition of NSTA’S Guide to Planning School Science Facilities.
In accordance with the National Science Education Standards, suggestions for the development of quality science facilities are provided. One of these recommendations is first to complete a curriculum review, because curriculum should shape the [...]
By James Biehle
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August 5th, 2008
Science is a hands-on subject in which students experience science by carrying out investigations. Generally these investigations require equipment and materials to be set up before a class starts and taken down when the class ends. Planners should determine the appropriate cost of new or renovated science facilities before budgets are set as their costs [...]
Also posted in Architecture | Tagged design, education, planning, prep and storage, project space, school, science, science building design, science building planning, science facilities, science facilities design, science facilities planning, science facility design, science facility planning, science lab design, science lab planning |
By James Biehle
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May 17th, 2008
A critical space for safe science education is often undersized or poorly designed in today’s new schools: the prep and storage space.
A guide to planning adequate and safe science prep and storage spaces.
Central Prep & Storage Room
While more and more science teaching spaces are designed following the recommendations of the NSTA Guide to Planning School [...]
Also posted in Architecture | Tagged planning, prep and storage, safety, school, science, science building planning, science facilities, science facilities design, science facilities planning, science facility design, science facility planning, science lab design, science lab planning |
By James Biehle
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December 1st, 2006
A major responsibility of a school board is management of the district’s real capital budget. Paul A. Samuelson, in his classic textbook Economics, defines real capital as “equipment, buildings, and inventories.” Any item of real capital has both a first and a life-cycle cost. The car you drive has a life-cycle cost, and the local [...]
By James Biehle
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November 17th, 2006
by James T. Biehle, AIA
Growing plants in a controlled environment such as a greenhouse can be a wonderful enhancement to any science program. Thoughtful planning, proper design, and faculty advocates who support the greenhouse as an
Greenhouse with ventilation system
important asset to their curriculums are necessary for a school greenhouse to be successful. This article discusses [...]
Also posted in Architecture | Tagged design, greenhouse, planning, school, science, science building design, science building planning, science facilities, science facilities planning, science facility design, science facility planning, science lab design, science lab planning |
By James Biehle
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September 12th, 2006
Rapid technological advances such as these present a challenge to those renovating or building new classroom spaces. Anything we plan today may be obsolete in the one and a half to two years that it generally takes to get a building designed and built. Those involved with designing the space must know what technology is available, but more importantly, what technology will be available.
Also posted in Architecture | Tagged planning, schools, science, science building design, science building planning, science facilities, science facilities design, science facilities planning, science facility design, science facility planning, science lab design, science lab planning, technology |
By Thomas G. Dolan
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January 1st, 2006
The danger of building your budget for school construction upon short-term, as opposed to long-term, costs is not academic theory.
Also posted in Architecture | Tagged planning, schools |
By James Biehle
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January 9th, 2005
The National Science Education Standards describe a science curriculum that is much more inquiry-based and hands-on than the science education many of received in school. Providing K-12 science-learning facilities that adapt themselves to a safe, inquiry-based program requires significant amounts of flexible space.
School science space is expensive. Careful planning can save money, provide space that [...]
Also posted in Architecture | Tagged flexibility, furniture, science, science building design, science building planning, science facilities, science facilities design, science facilities planning, science facility design, science facility planning, science lab design, science lab planning |
By James Biehle
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May 16th, 2004
On several recent projects I’ve had the opportunity to review ed specs prepared by several well-respected educational facilities consultants and have noted that spaces proposed for science education are often inadequate, incomplete and ill-defined. Since science learning space is unlike other classroom space, both in terms of area and cost, such program inadequacies hamper the [...]
Also posted in Architecture | Tagged Americans with Disabilities Act, classroom, cost estimating, design, prep and storage, safety, science, science building design, science building planning, science facilities, science facilities design, science facilities planning, science facility design, science facility planning, science lab design, science lab planning |
Designing Science Facilities for the New Science Standards – key concepts in improving today’s K-12 teaching spaces.
Science in Structure (school buildings teach science)
Science learning does not have to stop at the classroom door. A well-designed project takes as many opportunities as possible to give students additional scientific stimulation.