This course is part of the Education Academy

This course will look at 2016 K–12 building type studies and project overviews focusing on innovative and environmentally friendly design practices, strategies, methods, and materials used to enhance a broad variety of learning facilities in the United States and abroad.

East Harlem Center for Living and Learning
A charter school with an ambitious urban mission stands out with stately simplicity.
Suzanne Stephens

European School Frankfurt
Modular construction yields a surprisingly fresh aesthetic in a school for young children.
Mary Pepchinski

GEMS World Academy Lower School
A private day school in downtown Chicago makes the most of its park-side southern exposure to bring light into the building.
James Gauer

The Ewing Marion Kauffman School
A charter school for an underserved community balances rigor with flexibility.
Beth Broome

The MOPI School
An innovative school reflects its lush rain forest surroundings and creative pedagogy through its form and materials.
Tom Hennigan

Burntwood School
Unifying old and new buildings on a girls school campus creates a fresh identity—and wins the Stirling Prize.
Hugh Pearman

Ilima Primary School
A remote Congolese village promises to protect the rain forest in exchange for an innovative school building.
Laura Raskin

Toyo Ito Libraries in Japan and Taiwan
The Pritzker Prize-winning architect entices visitors to both explore and linger at a pair of libraries in different countries.
Naomi R.Pollock

Gohar Khatoon Girls' School
In Focus: A sustainable campus in Afghanistan raises the bar for women’s education.
Linda C. Lentz

Happy Trailers at Riverdale Country School
ARO makes the best of a temporary site with bright graphics and playful design.
Rebecca Seidel

The Kibera School in Nairobi
A new school in the sprawling Nairobi slum of Kibera stands in striking contrast to the informal settlement that surrounds it.
Jake Bittle

A New Chapter for the Sandy Hook School
On August 29, just under 500 students will start their academic year at the new Sandy Hook School in Newtown, Connecticut.
Miriam Sitz

MAD Architects Transforms Home into Whimsical, Cave-like Kindergarten
Ma Yansong may be known for creating hallucinatory architectural forms—from a mountain-inspired residential complex to a horseshoe-shaped hotel—but now the architect has put a kid-friendly spin on his approach.
Anna Fixsen

Photo: Iwan Baan

Icynene-Lapolla is a leader of high performance building material innovations aimed at optimizing the building envelope and maximizing energy efficiency. Available in more than 31 countries, Icynene-Lapolla is a global manufacturer and supplier of spray polyurethane foam for insulation and roofing applications, reflective roof coatings and equipment. Serving architects, builders, contractors and homeowners, Icynene-Lapolla’s solutions enhance residential and commercial structures, in both new and retrofit construction. www.icynene.com/