Excerpt from School Architecture: Principles and Practices
When the necessity for a comprehensive book of this kind was realized by the writer, it was his first intention to offer a treatise on the planning of school buildings, written wholly from the architect's point of view. After a few months of effort it dawned upon him that in order to make the most thorough use of such information, it would be more valuable to both architect and schoolman if the organization of American schools were first discussed and emphasized as a basis for the discussion of the architectural features. Thus the application of modern school architecture to modern school development could be concisely and logically shown. This plan has been followed. Information on the organization of schools was very much needed by the writer when he first turned his attention to the architecture of school buildings, and, no doubt, such a need is felt by many others who are now approaching the subject.
It must be realized that the old school, even that of five years ago, has passed just as surely as the little red school-house that once stood on the hill. In its place has already appeared the new, throbbing, spirited institution, receiving its impulse from the heart of industry, commerce, and society, which, in turn, are looking to the school for practical aid in the solving of their accumulating problems of trade, employment, and American citizenship. But this new school cannot stand alone; it must rest on the foundations and traditions of its predecessor, just as the nation depends on the securely anchored constitutional footing given to it by its founders. It is this transition which the schoolman and the architect, working together and in sympathy, must bring about with saneness and economy.
The organization of the school, through the extension of its branches, has become very complex to many who are out of touch with it; to those intimately associated with it, it is seen as a clearly unified development. The writer understood, that, if the organization was to be properly presented, it should be described by those who know it best. Therefore, the collaborators were selected with much care, and their contributions are a very important part of the book. A deep debt of gratitude is felt for all the assistance these associates have given; they have entered into the work with a zeal and interest that has surpassed all anticipation. The conferences and discussions have been a great pleasure and an education in themselves.
Particularly has the author profited in discussing the problems of the school with Mr. William F. Ewing, formerly Director of Business Affairs of the Technical High School, Oakland, California, whose vision of the school of the future is most delightfully hopeful; and with Dr. Edna Watson Bailey, Head of the Science Department of the University High School of the same city, who is eminently successful in arousing the interest of her students.
Acknowledgment is due for the encouragement and aid so cheerfully extended by Mr. William C. Bruce, Editor of the American School Board Journal, and by Mr. W. H. Crocker, Editor of the American Architect, whose splendid journals have often been a source of valuable information; also to Mr. George M. Thiriot, Head of the Academic Department of the Technical Continuation School, Oakland, California, for his valuable assistance in editing the manuscript prepared by the writer.
The author is deeply grateful to his fellow architects who have so kindly furnished photographs and drawings of their work. He hopes the book will be helpful in providing plans for schoolhouses in which the highest ideals of the American school may be more effectively realized.
About the Publisher
Forgotten Books publishes hundreds of thousands of rare and classic books. Find more at www.forgottenbooks.com Это и многое другое вы найдете в книге School Architecture (John Joseph Donovan)