Committee on Architecture for Education

Thank you Brian for sharing this article.
All too often in the US, "old" buildings are torn down in favor of what is 'at that time' considered "new". In our country, 'new is better' has been far more the mantra than respect and appreciation for history. Tearing down historic schools removes the culture of the past and provides a continuous tabula rasa, erasing memory. I wonder how many historical schools have been torn down in the EU to make way for brand new schools?
I think the nuances and challenges of working the new into the old are important to our heritage.
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Linda Keane AIA
Professor of Architecture/Architect
The School of the Art Institute of Chicago Dept. of Architecture
Shorewood WI
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While preserving old schools may seem a creditable idea, many times it is simply not practical. Even re-purposing the old buildings may be unreasonable.

Consider that "historical" buildings in the USA are typically no more than 150 to 200 years old. So, in the context of history, they are still quite new. Also, consider that schools of 100 years ago served a different purpose than curriculae require today, and that we now have building code and supplemental codes to protect all school  occupants.

Schools in our part of the country have issues with mold growth, for example, due to the extensive use of conditioned air and high humidity. The current method of dealing with mold is to remove its food sources, which abound in many older buildings.

I, too, enjoy the well designed and well crafted buildings of yore, but like the horse and wagon, sometimes old buildings are simply not practical on the roadways of the 21st century.
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Charles Graham AIA
Architect
O'Neal, Inc.
Greenville SC
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