Advises on the planning, design, and furnishing of school bus maintenance facilities. National, international, and local building codes are cited. The appendix offers floor plans for small, medium, and large school system bus facilities. 70p.

This study sought to increase the knowledge base in the area of the facility needs of school counselors. School conselors were surveyed regarding their perceptions about actual and ideal counseling facilities. The School Counseling Facility Survey was developed from a review of the school counseling and facility literature. Counselors responses were compared across the variables: age of the building, level of facility satisfaction, level of job satisfaction, academic level of the students served, and the type of community. Design standards included counselor-identified design items for counseling offices, reception areas, conference rooms, playrooms, career/college rooms, storage areas, and the location of the counseling facility. 517p.

An investigative report examines the Los Angeles Unified School District's (LAUSD) attempt to obtain emergency funding, following the Los Angeles earthquake, for its abandoned Business Services Center (BSC). It examines the LAUSD's declaration of emergency and the pursuit of emergency funds, the district's search for replacement office space, its evacuation and move into the IBM Towers, and the retention of outside consultants for the pursuit of additional emergency funds. The report reveals that the Federal Emergency Management Fund discovered no identifiable earthquake damage and the denial of the district participating in the Hazard Mitigation Grant Program and its subsequent acceptance of the Grant Acceleration Program. 36p.

Reviews current design and equipment considerations for campus post offices, where letter volume has declined, but package volume has greatly increased.

Discusses design considerations for student organization suites, including design that aligns with the ethos of the institution, flexibility to accommodate changing student cultures, creating a "home" for students, encouragement of collaboration, and provision of adequate organization resource and storage components.

Profiles the University of Dubuque's Charles and Roma Myers Center. This renovation of the University's 1906 main building recreates historical features lost in a 1980's renovation. Photographs and building statistics accompany a brief description of the project.

Profiles new administrative buildings at SUNY Albany, the University of Delaware, and Worcester Polytechnic Institute. The buildings are noted for their signature architecture, reuse of historic structures, and/or improvement of campus design and land use.

Reviews ways that campus business offices can save paper, consolidate office equipment, and recycle printer cartridges. Recycling tips for furnishings and supplies, as well as the advantages of recycled paper are also discussed.

Profiles four school staff lounges deemed comfortable and relaxing by their users, with suggestions for creating or renovating a staff lounge.

Presents three higher education administrative facilities selected for the American School & University 2006 Educational Interiors Showcase. The projects were chosen for their creative renovations and use of existing conditions, engaging and delightful spaces, use of natural light and sustainable materials, technology integration, functionality, and flexibility. Building statistics, a list of project participants, and photographs are included.

Advises on aspects of printing and electronic document storage that can save space, expedite procedures and access to documents, increase security, and improve disaster recovery. A list of ten questions to consider when selecting a document printing and storage system is included.

Advises on the selection of furniture for administrative offices, emphasizing functionality and ergonomic arrangement in private offices. More expensive, upscale appearances should be reserved for areas most visible to the public, or in places where image counts most.

Encourages higher education institutions to follow the corporate example of creating flexible faculty and staff workspaces to conserve space, maximize their investment in space-liberating technology, and lower the number of dedicated offices.

This study aimed to investigate effects of the interior design of a counseling room on participants' self-disclosure and impressions of a counselor. The authors examined the effects of lighting and decorations. It tested four conditions crossing decorations (with or without home-like decorations) and type of lighting (bright or dim). Eighty undergraduate students (clients) were randomly assigned to one of the conditions and individually underwent a structured interview with an interviewer (a counselor) and then completed a questionnaire. The results showed that dim lighting yielded more pleasant and relaxed feelings, more favorable impressions of the interviewer, and more self-disclosure than did the bright lighting. However, the authors found no predominant pattern of the decorations. Thus, the pleasant and relaxed feelings related to dim lighting may well enhance the perceived attractiveness of a counselor and self-disclosure from clients. The results imply that interior design could influence communication and other relationships in counseling rooms. {Authors' abstract]

Presents four higher education administrative areas selected for the American School & University 2005 Educational Interiors Showcase. The projects were selected for their functionality, sustainability, craftsmanship, cost-effectiveness, and community connection. Building statistics, designer information, and photographs are included.

Discusses offices on higher education campuses, which, after housing, represent the second largest user of space. Office space is defined and space standards, exceptions, planning guidelines from the author and various institutions are described. A similar discussion follows for office service spaces and conference rooms. The NCES Room Type Codes and recommended revisions are explained. The discussion includes office space circulation, management, and policies for allotment, use, and decoration. Includes 15 references.

Describes multifunction peripheral (MFP’s) which combine photocopy, faxing, and scanning. These devices save paper, toner, and are able to track usage in detail.

Describes the award-winning designs of seven projects that are not typical school buildings. These include a performing arts center, an administrative center, an alternative education center, and a school/community center. Lists of project participants, costs, specifications, plans, and photographs are included.

Presents three higher-education administrative area projects selected for the American School & University 2004 Educational Interiors Showcase. The awards were based on the jury's estimation of the projects' adaptability, innovation, humanism, appropriateness to site, sustainability, and timelessness. Building statistics, designers, and photographs are included.

Discusses the conversion of staff, student and alumni records at the University of Michigan School of Social Work.

Discusses conversion of paper and microfilm records to electronic files to save space and enable quick retrieval. Software programs are available that can index the online records.

Describes the award-winning designs of five projects that are not typical school buildings. These include a performing arts center, an administrative center, a continuing education center, and early childhood facilities. A list of design and construction participants, costs, specifications, plans, and photographs are included.

The faculty office is the most familiar of institutional workplaces. In this article the author, having taught in five countries other than the United States describes how faculty offices are configured and outfitted in other countries. How these spaces are organized says much about who teachers are, the work ethic in other countries, and how highly faculty members are regarded in other cultures. The difference between the class room, and the office is also discussed.

Describes new administrative space created within historically sensitive structures at Massachusetts Institute of Technology and Wheelock College.

Presents administrative areas/offices considered outstanding in a competition which judged the most outstanding learning environments at educational institutions nationwide. Jurors spent 2 days reviewing projects, focusing on concepts and ideas that made them exceptional. For each citation, the article offers information on the firm, client, total area, total cost, total cost/square foot, cost of project entry category, cost/square foot of project entry category, and completion date.

Describes the experiences of two school districts in funding, gaining support for, and building new central office facilities.

Describes how to upgrade a school district's central-office facilities without incurring taxpayer enmity. Includes case studies from Harford County, Maryland; Orange and Broward Counties, Florida; South Milwaukee, Wisconsin; Mt. Baker, Washington; Chicago, Illinois; and Rochester, New Hampshire.

Discusses key factors to consider when selecting furniture for offices and other administrative areas, including flexibility, ergonomics, aesthetics, and cost. Includes a sidebar on dealing with bulky wiring at computer workstations.

Case study of building a district office for the administrators of School District 30 in Northbrook, Illinois, using the fast track techniques of modular construction to create their new headquarters, while saving money.

Describes the upgraded design of Canisius College's Lyons Hall, Buffalo, New York, from an academic building to a more inclusive facility containing necessary administrative functions. Before and after photos are included.

Describes an initiative to outfit New York City's 1,100 schools with teacher workstations. This is part of a growing national movement to upgrade, or, in some cases, introduce teacher work spaces in schools. Discusses the reluctance of some teachers to leave their home classrooms and cart their belongings to separate offices.

Describes efforts at the University of Richmond to streamline services for students, resulting in the renovation of space to include the offices of undergraduate admissions, financial aid, registrar, and bursar. The "one-stop shopping" approach has been praised by staff and students alike.

Discusses what three college facility directors did to solve their departmental space problems by watching for opportunities to acquire and tailor new office and shop areas, identifying possibilities, and carefully timing their requests for approval. Facility department descriptions are included.

Presents an overview of the fundamental principles of school office design that remain constant despite changes in building technologies, and technological and spatial flexibility. Principles discussed include the school office and traffic patterns, security, and visitor reception requirements.

Discusses the benefits of using multi-function copying machines for saving space and increasing efficiency in school offices. The capabilities of these systems and cost considerations are addressed.

Presents the criteria schools can use to evaluate furniture and casework in K-12 educational spaces. Tips include keeping furniture or casework flexible in its placement, making color schemes simple, and trying to eliminate too much built-in casework for administrative stations and offices.

Discusses how to consider workplace needs when buying furniture. Stresses the importance of planning, tying the furniture purchasing into the strategic business, considering alternatives to furniture ownership, evaluating employee health and safety, and understanding any added value in buying from a specific dealer/manufacturer.

It is critical that school facility planning and design include auxiliary spaces that uphold the primary instructional program. This article identifies major support elements (storage, hallways, cafeteria, library/media center, administrative and guidance offices, and outdoor facilities) to be incorporated and discusses how to make these components more functional.

Presents survey results on how furniture and interior design can affect school district staff's productivity. Productivity experts highlight five key factors for creating and maintaining productive and efficient offices.

NCEF's resource list of links, books, and journal articles on the effects of school facility condition on teachers.