d others such as the Alumni Memorial Hall that set the style for public buildings for several decades--though they were not always executed with the same skill, budgets, or attention to detail.
The array of new demands being placed on art schools is then discussed and the question is addressed whether aspects of these models are applicable to the needs of today's schools.
The Literature on Education and the Built Environment.
Studies have shown much higher levels of achievement for students in optimum environments. As Kennedy notes, for example, students who work with the greatest number of windows in their classrooms achieve at levels 15 to 23 percent higher than those in "classrooms with the least amount of windows," while those who work in classrooms with skylights do even better (18). And other studies have shown the positive effects of improved ventilation, better technological facilities, and flexibility of use. But, as the Heery Millennium School Survey demonstrated, teachers hardly need to be told this and their responses to the survey rated "climate control [including ventilation] and adequate lighting as the top two classroom design elements" while proceeding to match the list of requirements to the research findings down the line (McMorrow 9).
The importance of the built environment to art students is, if anything, even more important than in other studies. There are, of course, numerous special demands made in terms of equipment, storage, and size of spaces. But researchers in other academic areas have also found that with the increase in "self-paced, project-based learning" there is a greatly increased need for "incidental social spaces" that facilitate the development of a sense of collegiality and community among students who spend a great deal of time on individual pursuits (Loeffelman 62). As Calcara suggests, interior public spaces, especially when they are equipped for the use of portable technolo...