Elementary School
Elementary
School buildings are the setting
for the first four to eight years of a
child's formal education, a period of structured schooling that is required
in most countries. In the United States, the Elementary and Secondary
Education Act (ESEA), first enacted in 1965 and recently reauthorized by the
No Child Left Behind Act, is the principal federal law that affects
kindergarten through 12th grade (K-12). Elementary school usually begins for
children aged four to seven (four if the school includes kindergarten, which
is a program for children four to six years of age that serves as an
introduction to school). Other terms used to describe this initial stage of
education are "primary", "grade" and "grammar" school. Elementary school is
referred to as grades K-8.
Types of Spaces
Fundamental
space types for elementary schools include, but are not limited to:
Administrative Offices
Art facility
Cafeteria—In elementary schools, the cafeteria often doubles as the
auditorium, aka "cafetorium."
Classroom—Daylighting is most important in classrooms, where most
teaching and learning occurs.
Common areas/courtyards
Gymnasium
Health Services
Lobby—Schools often showcase team trophies in the foyer or feature a
colorful display at child's eye level.
Media Center—Schools are changing traditional libraries into media
centers, adapting to new technology,
Multipurpose Rooms
Music Education
Restrooms
Science Facility
Secondary School
The ESEA
Building Design Guide includes junior or "community" colleges in the
secondary school category. Junior colleges and high schools are similar in
scale and connection to the community. Junior colleges often serve as
bridges between high school and a four-year college or university
Types of Spaces
Fundamental
space types are the same as elementary except as follows:
Auditorium/Performing Arts
Cafeteria
Swimming Facilities
Federal Agencies and Organizations
National Clearinghouse for Educational Facilities (NCEF)
- Sponsored by the U.S. Department
of Education and managed by the National Institute of Building Sciences,
NCEF is the world's largest repository of information about Pre-K to 12
school planning, designing, funding, building, improvement, and maintenance.
U.S.
Department of Education
Publications
·
American Schools & Universities
Magazine—Provides
relevant information for school and university administrators responsible
for construction, design, planning, retrofit, operations, maintenance, and
management of educational facilities.
·
Daylighting in Schools: An Investigation into the
Relationship between Daylighting and Human Performance by
Heschong Mahone Group
·
FEMA 424 Design Guide for Improving School
Safety in Earthquakes, Floods and High Winds
·
High-Performance School Buildings Resource and Strategy
Guide by
Sustainable Buildings Industry Council.
2004.
·
High-Performance Schools: Design Making a
Difference in How Children Learn by Deane Evans, Gregg Ander, and
Charles Eley, San Diego, CA: Presented at AIA 2003 National Convention.
·
Light Matters: The Medical Benefits of
Light by Sonia
Ancoli-Israel, Daniel Kripke, and Phillip G. Mead. San Diego, CA: Presented
at AIA 2003 National Convention.
·
VA VHA Educational Facilities
Training
·
High Performance School Design—Online
Training, sponsored
by the New York State Energy Research and Development Authority
Educational Marketing Presentation