Readers looking for a broad introduction to the many facets of planning, financing, and building a K-12 school will be well served by Building Type Basics for Elementary and Secondary Schools by Bradford Perkins with Raymond Bordwell [Amazon citation]. Part of the series “Building Type Basics” from John Wiley & Sons (other titles are in areas such as healthcare, museums, housing, colleges and universities), the book reads like one designed for a graduate course for faculty, administrators, and board members who may be charged with building new facilities. This is not a criticism, as the text covers a lot of ground, with discrete chapters that may serve as a wonderful reference when one needs a quick refresher on points to consider for such details as wayfinding, building codes, or lighting.
The text is laid out in discrete chapters that will be useful should the reader need to revisit something, or to provide to a specialist on your design team. Interested in HVAC and plumbing? Chapter 8, Mechanical Systems is for you. Thinking about refurbishing a building? Check out Chapter 16, Renovation. From the pre-planning phase through financing, you will find something of value. Project Managers, CFOs, CIOs, Business Managers, Board Chairs and other who need a broad view will find the scope useful, and others with more focused interests may be directed to appropriate sections. A list of chapters demonstrates the utility of this book:
- Predesign
- Circulation
- Design Concerns and Process
- Site Planning
- Codes
- Sustainable Design Issues
- Structural Systems
- Mechanical Systems
- Electrical/Communications Systems
- Technology and Special Equipment
- Materials
- Acoustic Control
- Lighting Design
- Interior Issues
- Wayfinding
- Renovation
- International Design Issues and Opportunities
- Operations and Maintenance
- Cost Issues
- Financing
