Departments – Learning By Design Magazine

The Coalition for the Advanced Understanding of School Environments

Fall 2026

The Tension of Transparency in Schools

If there is one thing I should know about school design, or one thing every classroom should have, what is it? My answer is always the same. Windows.

Association of University Interior Designers

Fall 2026

K-12 Technology Levies

A significant portion of public school budgets are spent on technology using funds raised through local bond elections and levies

Association of University Interior Designers

Fall 2026

Combining Resources, Expanding Possibilities

In 2024, Virginia Tech completed a new building housing dining and education facilities. Hitt Hall is special in many ways.

American Institute of Architects: Committee on Architecture for Education

Fall 2026

The Benefits of Biophilic Design in Learning Environments: An Invitation

This is the second article of a two-part series by the American Institute of Architect’s (AIA) Committee on Architecture for Education (CAE) sharing insights from recent AIA Educational Facility Awards.

The Coalition for the Advanced Understanding of School Environments

Fall 2026

Facilities Master Plans

Our public school districts are stretched thin and the pressures facing them are mounting. By the numbers, the last three State of Our Schools publications (2016, 2020, 2026 – 21st Century Fund) estimates that between 2016-2026 public K–12 enrollment fell 1%, the gross square footage of our nation’s school buildings grew 15%, construction cost per square foot rose 90%, and the annual gap between what districts need to maintain their facilities and what they can actually fund increased by over 260%.

The Coalition for the Advanced Understanding of School Environments

Fall 2026

Letter from the Chair

When resources become constrained, enrollment patterns change, operational costs rise, technology advances, or public support becomes uncertain, how do educational communities protect the vision that guided their work in the first place?

Editorial

Fall 2026

Designing Forward: Turning Education’s Challenges into Opportunity

When preparing each edition of Learning By Design, I pause to reflect not only on what is happening now, but also on what lies ahead for the future of educational space design. How will societal shifts, emerging technologies, workforce demands, and demographic changes shape the work of our readers?

The Coalition for the Advanced Understanding of School Environments

Spring 2026

What Gets Measured Gets Better: Part 4

This installment of ‘What Gets Measured Gets Better’ explores the impact of noise and acoustics on our students, educators, and staff in new and existing K-12 school buildings.

School Bond Update

Summer 2026

K-12 Bonds: Meeting Modern Requirements Beyond “Bricks and Mortar”

Nationwide data from SchoolBondFinder indicates continued prioritization of capital investment, successful strategic planning, and focus on modernizing educational facilities.

Association of University Interior Designers

Summer 2026

Beyond the “Icing on the Cake”: Rethinking the Role of FF&E in Educational Design

It’s a typical Friday afternoon when the emails start hitting the Association of University Interior Designers (AUID) listserv.

American Institute of Architects: Committee on Architecture for Education

Summer 2026

Trends and Best Practices in Exemplary Educational Facilities

The Association for Learning Environments

Summer 2026

Changing Spaces: Rethinking Privacy in Locker Rooms

Traditional locker rooms, defined by open benches, shared showers, and minimal privacy, have long been accepted as part of school culture. Yet these environments can cause some of the most challenging experiences in school life, increasing anxiety, discomfort, and social tension.