The electrical mechanical system, if left open for children to see, can be a lesson in the input and output systems that are similar to the arteries and veins in our bodies. The acreage surrounding a school, oftentimes a valuable but neglected piece of flat property, can be redesigned with the help of a landscape architect. Hills, valleys, deciduous trees, non-deciduous trees, gardens, and graphics, all become learning tools. In designing buildings, it is essential to study the client, his special needs, spaces needed to support activities, and aesthetic preferences. In the case of a school, the clients are the children.
Teachers are clients too, but the favored client is the child.
Therefore, in writing a program for the architectural design, one needs to study the curriculum content and the developmental needs of the children as the design determinants. These developmental needs fall into a body, mind, spirit continuum. Information is extrapolated from these two sources, as well as information and ideas from children as to their preferences, likes, dislikes, and their innovative ideas for learning environments. In a small rural school in Trout Lake, Washington, the total faculty and 150 children were trained to use architecture and design as a way to teach basic skills. The community had defeated a bond issue for a new school building over a period of six years.