Also eye-opening, he says. "Only 27 percent learn at school. More showed the park and the dining room table." Who do they learn from? The pictures showed parents and Uncle Fred and the zookeeper; 24 percent showed their teacher. As for where they sit, no one brought in a photo of a desk. "Kids think they learn better other places than their desk."

Besides creating the collaborative learning spaces, says Gerry Nichols, president of architect firm NJRA, the designers also keep safety in mind, including visibility for both staff and students. They fold in brain stimulation and environmental health such as healthy air flow. And as the price of construction keeps rising, cost is a major factor. New schools, he says, are more energy efficient (thanks in part to that natural lighting).

North Star Elementary School was one of the first in the Salt Lake School District built with many of the new concepts, back in 1999. "It's light and bright and full of color," says principal Earl Arnoldson.

The school is divided into four pods, each shaped differently and containing students from all six grades. The pods are part of the "community of caring" concept promoted by Eunice Kennedy Shriver, embracing teamwork and a sense of family. It reduces bullying in school, while promoting responsibility and respect, he says. "If there's competition, it's between pods and not kids."

Still, the school's not perfect. He craves more storage and parking, not uncommon laments.

Gathering input

Architect Nichols says he spends a lot of time in schools, just watching how they work, noting the ebb and flow of students during the day. He also attends community meetings to "determine what, within their eyes, fits properly."

All the architects describe a process of gathering suggestions and keenly observing surroundings. Salt Lake City School District is among those that have formalized the process, since most of its schools are being built or rebuilt in established neighborhoods, says Larry Turner, district preconstruction compliance supervisor. The school has to meld with its surroundings.

Each school's design begins with about four months' work by a building committee that includes teachers from different grades at the school, the principal or a counselor, someone from the PTA or school council and others, including neighbors. Turner serves on each school's committee, charged with "keeping everybody on task, within the program and the square footage." There are certain set features. For instance, new elementary schools are consistently built for 550-student capacity.