MODERN SCHOOLS: A Century of Design for Education

The thoughtful architectural design and development of K-12 schools as a recognizable building type is a relatively recent phenomenon that parallels the development of the modern educational system. Only in the past century has the relationship between architecture, education, and design of contemporary learning environments been fully realized together. That relationship has happened in concert with the development and maturation of modern architecture. Modern Schools: A Century of Design for Education (John Wiley & Sons; February 2011; $145.00) by R. Thomas Hille is a comprehensive survey of modern K-12 schools from the twentieth and early twenty-first centuries, from Frank Lloyd Wright to Morphosis, with key school design paradigms and in-depth case studies of projects for today’s architects to learn from.

            Part architectural history and part applied lessons for the design of today’s schools, the book’s focus is on the underlying design themes and characteristic features that support and enhance basic aspects of learning and, in the process, create a meaningful architectural expression. Modern Schools is a remarkable survey and project study—the first of its kind—an essential and important sourcebook for architects, school planners, educators, and those that admire modern architecture. Presentation material includes more than 900 contemporary and historical photographs, mostly in color, and more than 200 detailed architectural plans drawings of schools by many of the outstanding design architects of the modern era. The book is divided into three parts: Part I is an overview of school design, Part II and III present key paradigms of school design and in-depth case studies of projects, with applicable lessons for today’s architect. Critical factors evaluated include:

• the influence of contemporary educational ideas and practices
• related architectural design concepts and strategies
• the resulting impact on real environments for learning

            Modern Schools features the work of more than 60 architects worldwide, including twentieth century masters Frank Lloyd Wright, Alvar Aalto, Marcel Breuer, Le Corbusier, and Eliel and Eero Saarinen, as well as contemporaries such as Morphosis, Coop Himmel(b)lau, Behnisch & Partners, and Patkau Architects, among many others. The body of work presented, which is international in scope, underscores the unique architectural potential of this important project type, and highlights design themes that remain fundamentally relevant for architects and designers today.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR:

R. Thomas Hille (Seattle, WA) is an architect in Seattle with more than 25 years of experience, including more than 12 years designing award-winning schools. He had taught at the University of Michigan, MIT, the Catholic University of Chile, and the Royal Danish Academy of Fine Art. As a practicing architect, he has designed a number of award-winning schools, including White River High School in Buckley, Washington, winner of CEFPI's 2005 James D. McConnell Award for Architectural Excellence.  

MODERN SCHOOLS: A Century of Design for Education; Published by John Wiley & Sons, Inc.

Publication date: February 22, 2011; $145.00; Hardcover; 528 pages; ISBN: 978-0-470-57526-0  

PLEASE NOTE:

Modern Schools is one of four books recently published by Wiley for architects and designers of K-12 schools. All written by experts on the design of schools, together, these four books comprise the most comprehensive and up-to-date information on school design. Please visit http://www.wiley.com/go/schooldesign for these additional books on the architectural design of schools:

• Building Type Basics for Elementary and Secondary Schools, Second Edition by Bradford Perkins of Perkins Eastman Architects, 978-0-470-22548-6
• Evidence-Based Design for Elementary and Secondary Schools: A Responsive Approach to Creating Learning Environments by Peter Lippman, 978-0-470-28910-5
• Sustainable School Architecture: Design for Elementary and Secondary Schools by Lisa Gelfand with Eric Corey Freed, 978-0-470-44543-3