How to Think about School Design

The book How to Think about School Design may be the first school design book that outlines issues that keep a school design relevant for many decades. This book provides insight on how to create school buildings, rather than a collection of rules and standards, or a photo book of best-in-class design solutions, it seeks to provide ways of thinking about school design that will inform the design of hard-working and beautiful schools.In creating this book, Ray Bordwell, FAIA brings an unparalleled voice as the leading expert on this subject matter. Having led project teams as an Architect, Programmer, Space Planner, and now in the role of Owner/ Operator, Ray brings a wholly integrated understanding to the factors that affect the outcome of a school design project.While the product often results in a ‘School Building,’ Ray brings important dialogue around the process of creating outstanding schools. His writing explores his deep understanding of the wide range of influences that affect school design, including factors that allow schools to innovate, how facility models have transformed, how to create adaptable facilities, as well as organizational issues inside of educational organizations and design firms that affect the opportunity to achieve a great school building.If you and your team are beginning the design of a facility, you are embarking on an important task together. One that can create meaning every day for the thousands of educators and tens of thousands of students that will benefit from the thoughtful considerations that you make during the project process. The building will become a place – a workplace for teachers, and the place where students will experience the first part of their lives as humans.Great school buildings start with Big Ideas. Here, Raymond Bordwell, FAIA has laid out many of the process issues that help design teams and school organizations articulate the ideas that will shape their schools. Work each step of the way to reinforce them, and when the building opens, and each year following, the people that experience teaching and learning in your buildings will have a place to thrive in the good ideas that have been realized. Read more