Monday December 05, 2005

Humane architecture = better SATs?

Meanwhile, over at the Washington Post, they're profiling a new school in Manassas Park, Va., where "the design of this building does in fact have a measurable effect on student achievement and student behavior."

I see a town-hall fistfight in the near future if their school board is anything like corporate America. Nonetheless, you've gotta dig their enthusiasm. If seasonally-affective disorder is an honest-to-goodness example of what happens when your day's a little too grey, there's no reason why gloomy buildings and forgotten interiors can't have a similar downside.

"We have examples of kids whose schools were dark and dank and crumbly, and when their new school opened, morale increased, the community came together, teachers stayed longer. Even the football team got better," Judy Marks (associate director for the National Clearinghouse for Educational Facilities) said. "There are those anecdotal stories that can give you a glimpse, but trying to look for solid research on that is a little trickier."

( Dec 05 2005, 05:46:44 PM PST ) Permalink Comments [0]

Can you hear me now? No. Great!

Fascinating audio device described in the NYT:

"The device, called the Mosquito ("It's small and annoying," Mr. Stapleton said), emits a high-frequency pulsing sound that, he says, can be heard by most people younger than 20 and almost no one older than 30. The sound is designed to so irritate young people that after several minutes, they cannot stand it and go away."

...'Course if you can't afford a Mosquito, there's always champagne music. ( Dec 05 2005, 05:34:10 PM PST ) Permalink Comments [0]