CHAPTER


General Considerations

IN PLANNING any school materials center, the school admin-
 istrator, the materials personnel, and the architect will face
 several problems common to all materials centers, whether in
 elementary, junior high, senior high, or twelve-grade schools.
 Ventilation and fenestration, lighting and sun control, the use of
 color in decoration, and sound control are problems to be con-
 sidered in terms of producing a materials center that will fit the
 needs of the particular school. The suggestions that follow are
 guides to solving these problems. Those involved in planning
 school materials centers should find them helpful.

 Ventilation and Fenestration
 Facilities designed simply for natural ventilation are prefer-
able, taking maximum advantage of prevailing breezes to pro-
vide effective cross-ventilation. While the arrangement of window
areas is primarily a natural lighting consideration, fenestration
requirements will include adequate provision for natural venti-
lation and wall space needed for shelving and storage.

 Lighting and Sun Control
 As in classroom design, it is essential to provide optimum
natural lighting conditions including:
 1. An adequate level of natural illumination
 2. An even distribution of natural light
 3. Minimum glare or brightness contrasts
 4. Complete, positive sun control
 Not only must careful study be given the design of built-in or
architectural control of direct sunlight; the possibilities of sky
glare and reflected glare conditions from adjacent wings or
buildings must also be considered.
 The extent of a facility's nighttime as well as daytime use may
affect its artificial lighting requirements. Efficient fixtures, con-