A new school building is one of the biggest, long-term expenditures a district will make. For some districts, opening multiple new schools each year is routine, others only a need a new building every 50 years or so.

Regardless of the quantity, the design of the school will affect the quality of the education and services provided there for years to come. And despite some design disasters from past decades (think open classrooms), we’ve recently learned a few things about how the built environment impacts students and their learning. I’ve discussed a few of these in October’s cover story, “Building the Perfect School.”

No, we really don’t believe there is a “perfect” formula for building a school—but there are some elements that can be incorporated into any building, anywhere, and will likely stand the test of time.

Recent research shows that physical elements such as natural light, good acoustics, and intimate spaces for small learning groups can have a significant impact on academic achievement. And we know indoor air quality affects students’ and teachers’ health and their ability to learn.

School architects also realize that today’s biggest trend in teaching or classroom design may be replaced by something entirely different tomorrow, so they’re finding ways to make spaces more flexible. For instance, they’re building classrooms in a variety of sizes with retractable walls and furnishings that can be easily rearranged.

And, for better or worse, the long, gray, institutional lockers are slowly being replaced by other means of storage.

Joetta Sack-Min, Associate Editor