The architect and schoolhouse planning: comprehensive architectural services

Abstract

Comprehensive Architectural Services are feasible with respect to schoolhouse planning and development. The scope of the services, however, may not be as all inclusive as it is with some building types due to the "built-in" educational planning team situations prevalent in many school-communities. But what do architects and educators and community leaders think about this emphasis on expanding architectural services? The objective of this thesis is to evaluate the present scope and sequence of architectural services as related to public schoolhouse planning and development and to study the feasibility and desirability of expanding these services. In "The New Role of the Architect" series many building types have been discussed with respect to the possibility of expanded architectural services. Also several new service areas have been presented in detail, such as: project analysis location analysis and site selection and building programming. A study in the area of schoolhouse planning and development, however, has not been published to date. The writer has chosen to investigate this specific building type. In addition, the writer has designed this thesis to take advantage of his professional experience and his graduate academic program. It should reinforce the writer generally in the popular area of the Comprehensive Architectural Services and specifically in the area of schoolhouse planning. If a broader approach in either of these two areas had been pursued, it is felt that the result necessarily would have been so generalized that the practical value would have been limited. This study has been most rewarding and it is hoped that the results will have some value, if only to stimulate further study in several closely related areas. Some of these areas are: architectural education, professional registration and practice based on these expanded services; excellence in architecture and problems of communication.