Great Schools

The American Architectural Foundation (AAF) has announced a major initiative aimed at transforming the way America's public schools are planned and designed. More than 55 million Americans, one-fifth of the population, spend their days in our nation's elementary and secondary school buildings,

many of which are in disrepair. The U.S. spends $20 billion each year to renovate and build urban schools, and the need is rising. In addition to fixing outdated and dilapidated schools, 6,000 new facilities must be built nationwide in the next decade simply to keep pace with population growth.

"We've heard from architects, school board members, superintendents, teachers, mayors, and manufacturers that there is an absence of good communication between the various stakeholders in school design," explained Ronald Bogle, President and CEO of the AAF.

Great Schools by Design has two major goals. The first is to be a resource to school and community leaders and inform them about leading edge thinking in school design. The second goal is to create a national forum to think creatively about the larger issues affecting the design and construction of schools.