In the last twenty years our expectations for public education have increased markedly. Since A Nation At Risk put this country's schools under the microscope in 1983, waves of school reform have passed intent on raising the standard for students, teachers, and administrators. Indeed, students are mastering and teachers are teaching concepts that were unheard of twenty years ago. And teachers, to stay abreast of new curricula, instructional theory, and educational technology, are expected to fulfill more requirements than ever in the arts and sciences. Their teacher certification is tougher and continued education more rigorous.
Higher standards apply to administrators, too.
In fact, it seems that the only aspect of our education system that we do not hold to a higher standard are the school facilities that house that system. Rather than deeming our current standards for educational facilities unacceptable and raising our expectations in the same manner that we raised them for our students, teachers, and administrators after reading A Nation At Risk , we continue to struggle, seemingly content just getting by. An impenetrable roof, solid walls, and an adequate mechanical system continue to be the standard even when designing new facilities. We are being presented with an opportunity to design the next generation of America's schools, and yet we have not given enough thought to how architecture could be used as an effective medium for enhancing teaching and learning. A conversation that I recently had with a director of school facilities sums this up succinctly.