Learning By Design 2010: E-News

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The latest news, trends, and products in education facility design and construction

February 11, 2010

HEADLINE NEWS

Green Design Practices Increase Dramatically
A recent national study of architecture firms reveals a significant increase in how many of them employ green design practices. Half of all the firms surveyed now use green design strategies, up from 31 percent in 2005, according to an American Institute of Architects study. Firms with 10 to 49 employees report the biggest green design increase—jumping from 48 percent to 72 percent in the last three years. In response to the education community’s interest in green buildings and rapid response from architectural firms, the nation’s premier source for education design and innovation will showcase outstanding green design projects this fall.

The fall edition of LEARNING BY DESIGN will showcase outstanding education design projects that feature green design strategies. Projects do not have to be LEED- or CHPS-certified to qualify for publication or review by the LEARNING BY DESIGN jury. The fall edition of LEARNING BY DESIGN will also feature outstanding design projects that focus on technology in the learning environment.

In addition to the increasing popularity of green design strategies, other findings from the AIA study include: Education was among the top sectors served by architects in 2008, accounting for 9 percent of all architecture firm billings at the K-12 level, and another 9 percent at the college/university level.

• The use of Building Informational Modeling (BIM) software by architecture firms has jumped from 34 percent in 2005 to 69 percent in 2008.

• Since 2005, the number of minority licensed architects has increased from 11 to 18 percent in 2008.

For more information about the fall edition of LEARNING BY DESIGN, go to www.learningbydesign.biz or call Carrie Wood at 703.914.9200 x25. The Early Bird deadline for submitting projects is February 25, 2010. Submissions are reviewed by a juried panel of architects and educational facility planners who select the award recipients.

The upcoming spring edition of LEARNING BY DESIGN will be available in April. To receive a copy or request the magazine’s next Call for Entries, e-mail LBD@strattonpublishing.com.

Architects Showcase Best in Green, Tech
The new Fall edition of LEARNING BY DESIGN will showcase the best in education design as well as outstanding projects with a focus on green strategies and technology. Project submissions are reviewed by a juried panel of architects and educational facility planners who select award recipients. Education artchitects everywhere are prepping for the prestigious design competition, which features pre-K to 12 and college/university projects.

The fall edition of LEARNING BY DESIGN will showcase outstanding education design projects that feature green design strategies. Projects do not have to be LEED- or CHPS-certified to qualify for publication or review by the LEARNING BY DESIGN jury. The fall edition of LEARNING BY DESIGN will also feature outstanding design projects that focus on technology in the learning environment.

Firms that submit projects by February 25, 2010 (the extended Early Bird deadline date) earn discounts to the entry fee, which goes toward production and mailing costs for LEARNING BY DESIGN. The award-winning magazine reaches more than 65,000 architects, facilities planners, school board members, superintendents, business officials, purchasing agents, and others decision makers in the pre-K to 12 and college/university education market.

Download the 2010 Call for Entries for details about the Fall edition of LEARNING BY DESIGN (published in October). The upcoming Spring edition will hit mailboxes in April. For details, contact Marlene Hendrickson at 703.914.9200.

Digital Media Use Continues Upward Trend
More educators are adopting digital media and Internet strategies, a trend researchers say will lead to more effective individualized instruction. These findings were released last week in “Digitally Inclined,” commissioned by PBS (Public Broadcasting Service) and conducted by an independent research firm. The report notes a significant rise in digital media accessibility in the classroom, a trend architecture firms are supporting by addressing technology needs through increasingly flexible and innovative designs.

The PBS study found that 76 percent of K-12 educators use digital media for classroom instruction, up from 69 percent in 2008. Examples of digital media include online video, television content, blogs, student-created Web sites, and social media communities. Architects are responding to increased technology use among educators as well as students at all levels of education. From elementary school classrooms to residence halls on college campuses, planning for wireless Internet access, using smart walls and interactive whiteboards, and integrating mobile devices are among the strategies supported by innovative education design.

See these recent LEARNING BY DESIGN articles for more about technology and education design.

“Designing for the Tech Savvy”

“Next-Generation Student Living”

And coming up this fall, LEARNING BY DESIGN will showcase outstanding projects that focus on integrating technology components. For more information, go to www.learningbydesign.biz or call Carrie Wood at 703.914.9200 x25. The Early Bird deadline for submitting projects is February 25, 2010.

The upcoming spring edition of LEARNING BY DESIGN hits mailboxes in April. In the coming weeks, the magazine will announce its first award recipients for 2010.

FEATURE ARTICLES

Site Challenges Lead to Innovative Solutions
Architects had to overcome a 25-foot drop that bisects the site of a magnet high school in Trumbull, CT, to design an award-winning performing arts center that features a black box theater as well as a 250-seat proscenium theater. The Regional Center for the Arts also features distinct classroom pods that are suspended along the drop’s ridge and project from the building, adding to the building’s unique composition.

Recipient of a 2009 Honorable Mention Award from LEARNING BY DESIGN, the Regional Center for the Arts also includes sustainable features such as high-efficiency heating and cooling units, occupancy and daylight sensors, and a building management system to control lighting, heating, and cooling.

The Regional Center for the Arts was designed by JCJ Architects, Hartford, CT, and serves 250 students in grades 9-12. LEARNING BY DESIGN judges praised the designers for developing “an elegant solution” for the building’s topographically complicated site.

Fit and Friendly Design
Climbing walls, racquetball courts, gymnasium, and a multipurpose/aerobics room in full view – the 73,000-square-foot Health & Fitness Center at Longwood University in Farmville, VA, was designed to be seen. Students can view much of the fitness center’s interior from the north entrance lobby, which serves the majority of the campus.

From the south entrance, students can circulate through the building on an elevated walkway and view a variety of recreation activities. The visibility into all these activity areas is designed to entice students to adopt a healthier, more active lifestyle. The state-of-the-art facility is also the first LEED-certified building on the campus and the first collegiate facility in Virginia to receive LEED Gold certification.

The new 73,000- square-foot center features low-E clear glass fenestration that maximizes natural daylighting; FSC-certified athletic wood floors, casework, and wood doors; a CO2 monitoring system; adhesives, sealants, paints, carpet, and composite wood products with low or no VOCs; and permanent walk-off mats, reducing the amount of pollutants entering the building.