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 |
By James Biehle
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August 16th, 2002
In the early 1990s, many middle and high schools began converting their industrial arts shops into “tech labs,” in which the power tools, sawdust and grease of the vocational programs were replaced by computers, student workstations and canned technology courseware. Students flocked to the new teach labs because they were unique environments within the school, [...]
Also posted in Architecture | Tagged design, education, high school, lab, project space, schools, science, 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 James Biehle
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August 1st, 2002
In the early 1990′s many middle and high schools
Typical Tech Lab
began converting their industrial arts shops into “tech labs” in which the power tools, sawdust and grease of the vocational programs were replaced by computers, student work stations, and canned technology courseware. This was based on the rationalization that, since America is moving from an [...]
Also posted in Architecture | Tagged high school, middle school, planning, 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 Michael Fickes
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January 17th, 2001
Changes in the way teachers teach science have given rise to a new generation of designs for science classrooms and new approaches to furnishing those classrooms.
An increasing preference for hands-on science instruction has created the need for science laboratories in middle schools, as well as K-5 classrooms.
While the lower grades have begun to employ more [...]
Also posted in Architecture | Tagged ada, Americans with Disabilities Act, classroom, design, education, flexibility, furniture, high school, lab, prep and storage, 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 James Biehle
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October 1st, 2000
It appears that science education is moving more and more toward individual and small-group, hands-on projects and away from the “sage on the stage” lecture and “one size fits all” laboratory projects. The Thomas Haney Centre in Maple Ridge, British Columbia (Canada) operates on Individual study plans for each student, requiring that a student demonstrate [...]
Also posted in Architecture | Tagged design, flexibility, greenhouse, high school, prep and storage, project space, 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, science resource area |
By James Biehle
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April 12th, 2000
I recently was struck by the size of the General Accounting Office’s estimate of the financial need of school districts to renovate and modernize their existing building stock. I wondered why the numbers were so high, what types of repairs and modernizations they represented, and how architects and school districts could learn from the past [...]
By James Biehle
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January 1st, 2000
In the wake of the Columbine High School shootings, the American Institute of Architects (AIA) has been besieged by the question: How can architects design safer schools?
Also posted in Architecture | Tagged design, safety, schools |
By James Biehle
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January 1st, 2000
A significant portion of the middle school science curriculum should be inquiry based, and the facilities provided to serve this curriculum must support this approach.
Also posted in Architecture | Tagged classroom, flexibility, furniture, middle school, planning, 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 Eric Butterfield
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November 1st, 1999
If you go solely on the basis of all the schools that a particular architectural firm has done, then you don’t know whether that particular architectural firm has designed good new science facilities or whether personalitywise they can work with the people in the school district. There are a number of almost equally valid issues that he school district ought to look at.
Also posted in Architecture | Tagged education, flexibility, furniture, planning, 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.
