Architecture of Schools

School architecture is the art and the science of designing educational facilities. The expanded definition includes the school planning process, the design process, the interior design elements and furniture, and the exterior landscaping. Most architects and school administrators consider school architecture within the confines of aesthetics, form, and function.

Schools have evolved from being in homes, churches, and one-room schoolhouses to buildings that are designed and constructed for the sole purpose of instruction with multiple rooms. As this transformation has occurred, the complexity of the school facility increased: from simply a “box” with one or more classrooms to a complicated maze of offices, clinics, laboratories, auditoriums, cafeterias, computer complexes, and gymnasiums.

Glen I. Earthman and Linda K. Lemasters noted that one of the most crucial decisions that a school board will make after deciding to build a school is the selection of the architect. Such a process can be lengthy; however, if the end product is a school that is useful to students, teachers, administrators, and the public, the time spent in selection of the architect is worthwhile. Selection of the architect should be based on experience, recommendations from previous clients, and style and personality match with the school board and administration.

Earthman and Lemasters suggested three methods of architect selection: direct selection, competitive review, and design competition. Small school systems or communities, private schools, and charter schools may opt to simply select an architectural firm to design a school for them. It is a method that can be timesaving, but is not a process without risk. The selection may be based on friendship, convenience, or simply a recommendation, rather than selection occurring based upon qualifications.

A competitive review process is required in most states to secure any professional services. Often both state and local agreements for professional services require competitive bids, with the lowest bid being selected. The lowest bid can be a cost advantage, as long as the architect is the most qualified as well.

The third process is a design competition. With this process, a school or school system sets forward a design problem with specifications. Architects are requested to submit educational specifications and preliminary drawings. These documents are submitted to the school board or a committee to review the submissions and to select the most qualified submittal. Care needs to be taken that selections are based not solely on aesthetics, but knowledge of what is best for the users.

Earthman wrote that no matter which process is used, the emphasis should be with the architectural firm with the best past experiences, an understanding of purchasing procedures, quality prior work, ability to bring projects to fruition on time, ability to be on the site daily, and past commitments to equal-employment opportunities and minority business partnerships. All architects must be licensed or registered in the state in which they are working.

School architecture has become much more complicated than simply having an architect design a facility, oversee the construction, and ensure that the design meets the needs of the users. Architecture requires a team of individuals to design various features of a building; engineers to design the heating, ventilation, and air-conditioning systems (HVAC) and the infrastructure to support them; and scientists to oversee environmental aspects of the facility, to name a few. Architecture has been called a product as well as a discipline. It also is a process.

...