The purpose of educational specifications is to define the programmatic, functional, spatial, and environmental requirements of the educational facility, whether new or remodeled, in written and graphic form for review, clarification, and agreement as to scope of work and design requirements by the architect, engineer, and other professionals working on the building design.

Educational specifications must begin with a thorough, in-depth explanation of curriculum goals and instructional activities that occur within the learning environment.

A detailed description of the educational program enables complete and accurate descriptions of functional and spatial needs and – in the end – successful design.

Minimum Standards for Educational Specifications

• Philosophy Statement. A philosophy statement covers the building as a whole and each instructional program.
• Program Goals. The educational goals of each instructional program are clearly defined. This includes learning objectives and the psychological and emotional concerns of students, when appropriate (as in the guidance suite and exceptional education rooms).
• Program Activities. Well-defined program activities determine functional need and ultimately the design of a successful learning environment. Remember the saying, "form follows function." Program activities, whether in the classroom, media center, or administrative area, determine the "function" of the learning environment.
• Student Population. The projected enrollment of the entire building and the maximum capacity needed for each space are important in defining spatial requirements.
• Space Summary. Itemizing each functional space and determining square footage allocations is essential in determining total building square footage and establishing a realistic construction budget.
• Instructional Technology. New applications of instructional technology planned of the near future and considered for the distant future should be described program by program and in terms of building-wide plans.
• Functional Relationship. Each program space should be described in terms of its functional relationship to other activities. Functional relationships should also be established between department, such as math and science, English and the media center, and administration and guidance.
• General Conditions. In addition to the general program requirements identified above, many educational specifications describe internal building requirements in detail, including but not limited to:

  • Heating and air conditioning
  • Windows
  • Floor coverings
  • Water
  • Lighting
  • Acoustics
  • Access for people and vehicles
  • Security

Educational specifications as a Master Plan

Educational specifications documents can also serve as master planning documents for school districts/ long-term development and investment in the learning environment if they also cover:

• Existing-building condition analysis
• Existing-building functional analysis
• Detailed descriptions of new instructional technology
• Community use and accessibility
• Site feasibility studies
• Energy consumption guidelines
• Security plans
• Detailed budget analysis

More detailed description of these in ITTE’s Facility Planning book

In this Module:

In the Toolkit: