School architecture

Japanese: 学校建築 - がっこうけんちく

In the broadest sense, school architecture includes school facilities, including outdoor playgrounds and outdoor environmental improvements, as structural elements. The term "school facility construction" is also often used. However, in the narrow sense, it refers to buildings consisting of school buildings, auditoriums, and indoor playgrounds, and it can be said that school building architecture is the core of school architecture. School facilities are necessary for the implementation of public education, and inevitably involve financial planning, which is often at odds with the ideal of school architecture. The nature of school architecture should be determined and evaluated based on its suitability for educational purposes, goals, and methods, curriculum, and student organization methods, and the nature of school architecture should not unilaterally determine educational methods, etc. Therefore, while ensuring the educational functions that school facilities should have as much as possible, it is necessary to resolve the problems that arise from the conflict with financial planning that accompanies them when planning architecture.

[Kenji Kasama]

Planning Considerations

Construction planning begins with deciding the type of school, selecting the site, determining the necessary facilities, and establishing a financial plan. The following points should be noted during this process:

(1) Appropriate locations for school sites will be selected taking into consideration commuting distance, topography and geography, disaster prevention, and the natural and social environment.

(2) Consider the adaptability and flexibility of facilities and equipment by predicting new demands on the content and form of school education that may arise in the future due to changes in educational thought and social conditions, as well as future trends in the number of children and students.

(3) In order to promote the health and educational efficiency of children and students, emphasis will be placed on health and sanitation facilities and equipment, such as heating, ventilation, lighting, illumination, and sanitation.

(4) The structure and facilities of school buildings must take into consideration earthquake resistance, fire resistance, and evacuation, as well as the prevention of dangers and injuries that may arise from the daily collective activities of children and students.

(5) Make an efficient plan to achieve the ideal content as much as possible within the limited budget.

[Kenji Kasama]

Classroom organization types

Classrooms are basic school facilities where teaching and learning take place, and are the core of school life for children and students. How to enrich the content of these classrooms must be considered from the perspective of the students' stage of mental and physical development and the implementation of the educational curriculum, but as educational content becomes more specialized, the issue of how to handle the large number of special classrooms that are required becomes an issue in relation to the overall plan for school architecture. School architecture is required to (1) improve the quality of facilities, (2) increase the pure rate (the percentage of the special classroom that is used for its intended purpose), and (3) increase the utilization rate (the percentage of the time that the special classroom is actually used compared to the time it can be used). There are the following practical methods.

[1] Combined regular classrooms and special classrooms In addition to the number of regular classrooms that corresponds to the number of classes, there are several special classrooms. This is a type that is commonly seen in Japanese schools. It has the advantage that children and students can have a stable homeroom, there is less movement, and when they do move, there is less luggage to carry. On the other hand, as the number of special classrooms increases, there is the problem that regular classrooms are empty when the special classrooms are in use, and the overall utilization rate decreases.

[2] Subject-specific classroom model: There are no regular classrooms; all classrooms are set aside for specific subjects. Teachers are assigned to each subject classroom, so children and students move around from one subject to another. While this model can increase the number of students in each classroom, it can also lead to noise and confusion as students move around with their belongings. This model is common in middle and high schools in Europe and the United States, and there are schools in Japan that adopt this model as well. In particular, in junior high schools and above that have subject-specific teachers, adopting this model can increase the effectiveness of teaching in each subject.

[3] Comprehensive classroom type Each class has its own classroom, which is fully equipped so that all subjects can be taught there. In other words, it is an all-purpose classroom. Therefore, there are no special classrooms. The total number of classrooms is the same as the number of classes, and utilization rates can be increased, but the balance between building costs and improving the quality and equipment of each classroom becomes an issue, and even when this type is adopted, it often ends up being similar but not the same. However, this type is suitable for the lower grades of elementary school, and examples of this type can be seen in the UK and other countries.

[4] Platoon type This was implemented in Michigan, USA, in 1916, and was motivated by the desire to increase classroom utilization by adjusting facilities and curriculum as a measure against overcrowding. All school classes are divided into two groups, and while one group uses regular classrooms, the other uses the playground, gymnasium, or special classrooms, and the two groups alternate at the same time, for example, during lunch break. The "static" group, which uses regular classrooms, stays in each classroom, while the "active" group, which uses special classrooms and the playground, moves within the group every hour (for example, from the special classroom to the playground). This type requires fewer classrooms and also improves the quality of the special classrooms. In Japan, several schools (Yamagata City Fifth Junior High School, Meguro Ward First Junior High School, Tokyo, etc.) tried this during the classroom shortage period after World War II. However, due to the difficulty of creating a schedule that uses facilities half and half and securing an appropriate number of teachers, this type is no longer seen today.

[5] Dalton Model This model was created by the American educator Helen Parkhurst (1887-1973) and was implemented in a high school in Dalton, Massachusetts from 1920. The educational method is similar to a credit system, with extremely loose boundaries between grades and classes, allowing students to choose their own subjects and progress, and moving on to the next course when they finish one. Classrooms of various sizes are provided, as the number of students varies depending on the subject and year. It was introduced and implemented as an educational method in Japan during the Taisho period (for example, at Seijo Elementary School, a private elementary school in Tokyo), but had little impact on facilities. Today, this model can be seen in universities.

[Kenji Kasama]

Playground

In the broadest sense, school buildings include both indoor and outdoor athletic fields. Today, as school education expands into various areas beyond the teaching of intellectual subjects in classrooms, the role of athletic fields is becoming more and more important. They are not only a place for practical physical education, but also a free playground for children, and are also used for special activities and school events. As of 2000, the School Education Law Enforcement Regulations require athletic fields to be a mandatory facility for schools. Therefore, athletic fields must be planned and installed in accordance with the educational needs of the school as a whole. Outdoor athletic fields require an area appropriate to the size of the school, and are best located on the south side of the school building to avoid being shaded. In addition to facilities for various sports, playground equipment is also required, and environmental improvements such as surrounding planting belts and grass are also desirable. Indoor athletic fields are generally called gymnasiums, and the required area standards are set for them as targets for national subsidies. Gymnasiums are often used as auditoriums, and in addition to facilities for sports, facilities for movies, plays, music, lectures, etc. are also required.

[Kenji Kasama]

History of school architecture

Modern school architecture began with the "School System" of 1872 (Meiji 5). The existing Kaichi School in Matsumoto City, Nagano Prefecture (now the Education Museum) is a representative example of the "School System" principle of "striving for perfection." It was a Western-style school building with classrooms on both sides of a central corridor, and was a symbol of civilization and enlightenment in the region. However, due to the need to quickly build many schools under the poor financial circumstances of the time, school architecture thereafter became common practice as a public building with the lowest unit price, based on the basic policy of "paying attention primarily to school economy...eliminating ostentatious appearance and making it simple and sturdy" ("Elementary School Facilities Guidelines" 1891). In 1895 (Meiji 28), the Ministry of Education issued the "School Architecture Drawings and Design Outlines," which detailed the layout of school buildings, classroom shapes, area standards, etc., along with model blueprints. At the same time, there was a debate over whether the layout of one side of the corridor should be on the north or south side, but the report of the "Survey on the Sanitary Interests of School Buildings" (1902) decided that the corridor should be on the north side from a sanitary standpoint, and school buildings began to become more standardized in terms of their floor plans as well.

[Kenji Kasama]

Uniform school architecture

After this, based on the experiences of the Great Kanto Earthquake (1923) and the Muroto Typhoon (1934), the Ministry of Education issued an instruction "Regarding the Repair and Preservation of School Buildings" in 1934 (Showa 9), which led to the implementation of disaster prevention measures for schools, completing the standardization. School buildings before World War II were almost uniformly dominated by floor plans with wooden one- or two-story school buildings, straight-line or L-shaped school buildings located in the northern corner of the grounds, classrooms of 4 ken (about 7.3 meters) x 5 ken (about 9 meters) = 20 tsubo (about 66 square meters) lined up along the northern corridor, and the teachers' entrance and administrative departments (principal's office, staff room, etc.) located in the center of the building, and at the same time, this also spurred the standardization of educational methods.

After the Second World War, JIS (Japanese Industrial Standards) were established for wooden school buildings (1951) and steel-framed school buildings (1955). However, these standards were not used much after that, and reinforced concrete school buildings became mainstream instead. In 1950 (Showa 25), a standard design was created in cooperation with the Ministry of Education (now the Ministry of Education, Culture, Sports, Science and Technology) and the Architectural Institute of Japan, and since the Ministry of Education designated and encouraged model schools, schools were often planned and built based on this standard design until the 1980s. It consisted of 7m x 9m classrooms lined up along a single 3m-wide corridor, which conformed to the floor plan of conventional wooden school buildings and did not greatly change the way of thinking about school architecture. However, one characteristic of the postwar period was the establishment of related laws such as the "National Treasury Subsidy Law for Compulsory Education School Facilities Expenses" (1958), which led to the establishment of a system of national treasury subsidies for local government school construction, which was useful for quantitative development. On the other hand, however, this policy of prioritizing quantity over quality led to the standardization of school architecture, resulting in the creation of a large number of school buildings that lacked individuality and consisted only of regular classrooms and a few special classrooms. It is undeniable that this policy also led to the loss of the cultural and regional characteristics that architecture should inherently possess, and dictated the nature of educational activities.

[Kenji Kasama]

Innovation in school architecture

Therefore, since the 1980s, there has been a strong demand for innovation in school architecture. The background to this is a reflection on the over-standardization and standardization of school architecture, and new educational demands: (1) nurturing students' ability to think, judge, and learn independently, (2) individualizing learning instruction that respects the individuality, abilities, and interests of students, and (3) promoting lifelong learning for all people. There has also been a reflection that traditional school architecture, based on straight lines and made of concrete and glass, has a dry and closed-off feel and places psychological pressure on children. Already since the 1970s, new school architecture has been emerging, such as school buildings with spatial configurations that combine classrooms and open spaces (open schools), school buildings with large atrium halls and lobbies and lounges for students, and school buildings with sloping roofs that are conscious of harmonizing with the streetscape. On the other hand, from the administrative side, national subsidies began to be provided for multi-purpose spaces in 1984, and recommendations were made such as school facilities with a cultural character (Ministry of Education, "On creating a cultural environment in school facilities", 1982) and school facilities that could respond to the diversification of educational methods, etc. (Ministry of Education, "On the form of school facilities that can respond to the diversification of educational methods, etc.", 1988).

This movement can be characterized roughly from the following perspectives. First, it is from the perspective of school facilities responding to the diversification of educational methods. Open spaces and multi-purpose spaces are created by removing the walls between corridors and classrooms, and between classrooms, and are configured as visually and spatially continuous spaces (emphasis on spatial continuity), and are intended to accommodate a variety of functions rather than a single one. Furthermore, as well as enabling a variety of learning activities and learning styles (dynamic learning activities and flexible organization of students according to purpose), they are also used as media centers with a variety of learning media arranged in an open manner.

The second is the viewpoint of treating school facilities not only as places of learning but also as places of living, and developing them as environments that foster rich humanity and healthy bodies.

(1) Creating a spacious environment. This includes creating a lobby, lounge, and terrace, creating spaces with varying volumes such as an open-air hall, and planting trees on campus.

(2) Creating an environment that encourages communication. This includes the installation of halls, indoor and outdoor bench corners, front gardens, courtyards, terraces and balconies.

(3) Creating an environment that is in tune with human senses: color schemes, interior use of wood and wallpaper, carpeted floors, wooden ceilings, outdoor environments rich in trees, etc.

Additionally, efforts have been made to create an environment in which children can develop their bodies through play, such as by creating small hills in the playground, installing play equipment and athletic fields, and making use of the courtyard.

The third point is the viewpoint of school facilities that are symbolic and cultural and open to the community. In terms of symbolism and culture, attempts are being made to give school facilities a cultural character through the adoption of beautiful designs with symbols that reflect the cultural accumulation of the region (the history and traditions of the region and the school), as well as through the use of building decorations such as murals, reliefs, and stained glass, as well as the display of sculptures and paintings. In terms of schools being open to the community, attempts are being made in the floorplan and design to make gymnasiums, athletic fields, and special classrooms available for use by local residents at night and on holidays.

[Kenji Kasama]

Today's school architecture

Except for a period in the early Meiji period, school architecture in Japan has long maintained the purity of its purpose as a school facility. However, since the 1980s, with the backdrop of recommendations from the government (Ministry of Education, "On the Composite Construction of School Facilities" 1991), there have been cases, especially in urban areas, where schools have been constructed as composite facilities with social education facilities. In the case of existing school buildings, attempts have been made to convert spare classrooms into social welfare facilities. In addition, efforts are being made to create environmentally friendly school facilities (eco-schools) by equipping them with solar power generation equipment, etc., in order to reduce the burden on the environment. Since the 1990s, "intelligent school" has become a catchphrase in particular (Ministry of Education, "On the Intelligent Construction of Educational Facilities" 1990). This is an extension of the intelligent building concept, which brings together the best of the latest science and technology, to the field of education, with the aim of making educational facilities multifunctional and highly functional. Regarding the ideal form of school facilities, in addition to the two issues of the 1980s, namely, securing flexible learning spaces and creating a rich environment as a place of living, there is a plan to promote the creation of schools that can fully function as centers of lifelong learning in the region, in line with the trend of "transition to a lifelong learning society" (Provisional Education Council report), by creating schools that can respond to the highly information-oriented society seen in the introduction of computers, etc. However, it is an issue that must be considered whether the intelligentization of schools, which aims to optimize teaching and learning conditions, is something that can be welcomed wholeheartedly for the development of children and students who must go through the process of solving real problems through trial and error.

In any case, today's school facilities, including the development of outdoor environments, are not simply containers, but are being developed into rich educational environments with educational functions in themselves, and as bases for learning and information activities for local residents.

[Kenji Kasama]

"Architecture Series 32: Schools and Sports Facilities," edited by the Architecture Series Editorial Committee (1975, Shokokusha)" ▽ "History of Japanese School Architecture," by Kanno Makoto (1973, Bunkyo Newssha)" ▽ "Open Plan Schools," edited by the Society for 21st Century Education (1974, Kodansha)" ▽ "Architecture Planning 8: Schools I," by Aoki Masao (1976, Maruzen)" ▽ "New School Plans: Diversification of Educational Methods and School Facilities, edited by the Ministry of Education, Educational Facilities Department (1990, Gyosei)" ▽ "Nostalgic Wooden School Buildings," by Takeda Nobuo (1992, Sakuhinsha)" ▽ "Planning for Open Schools," by Nagakura Yasuhiko (1993, Shokokusha)" ▽ "School Architecture of the Future: Creating Space to Support Educational Reform," by Ueno Jun (1999, Iwanami Shoten)

Former Kaichi School Building
This old elementary school building was completed in 1876 (Meiji 9). It is a two-story wooden building modeled after Kaisei School in Tokyo (the predecessor to the University of Tokyo), with an octagonal tower rising in the center. It is one of the most representative examples of Western-style school architecture. It was moved to its current location in 1964 (Showa 39) and is used as an educational museum. National Treasure Matsumoto City, Nagano Prefecture © Shinshu-Nagano Prefecture Tourism Association ">

Former Kaichi School Building

Examples shown in "School Architectural Drawings, Explanations and Design Outlines"
©Shogakukan ">

The "School Architectural Drawings, Explanations and Design Outline" shows that...

Source: Shogakukan Encyclopedia Nipponica About Encyclopedia Nipponica Information | Legend

Japanese:

学校建築をもっとも広くとらえれば、屋外運動場や屋外環境整備を含めた学校諸施設がその構造要素として含まれる。学校施設づくりという用語もたびたび使用される。しかし、狭義には校舎、講堂、屋内運動場から構成される建築物をさし、なかでも校舎建築が学校建築の中心部分を占めるといってよい。学校施設は公教育の実施上必要とされるものであり、必然的に財政計画を伴うことになるが、それは往々にして学校建築の理想と対立する。学校建築の性質は、教育の目的・目標や方法、教育課程、児童・生徒の編成方法などへの適合性によって決定、評価されるべきものであり、学校建築のあり方が教育方法などを一方的に規定するものであってはならない。したがって、学校施設がもつべき教育機能を可能な限り保障しながらも、それに伴う財政計画との対抗関係から生じる問題の解決が、建築計画に際して要請される。

［笠間賢二］

計画上の留意点

建築計画は、学校の種類の決定、校地の選定、所要施設の決定、財政計画の樹立などを経て行われるが、その際の留意点は以下のとおりである。

(1)校地は通学距離、地形や地勢、災害防止、自然的・社会的環境などを考慮して適切な場所を選定する。

(2)教育思潮や社会状態の変化に伴って将来おこりうる学校教育の内容や形態上の新たな要求、また児童・生徒数の将来的推移を予測して、施設、設備の適応性や融通性を考慮する。

(3)児童・生徒の健康増進と教育的能率向上のために、暖房、換気、採光、照明、衛生などの保健衛生上の施設、設備を重視する。

(4)校舎の構造や設備には、耐震、耐火、避難のための考慮、ならびに児童・生徒の日常の集団活動から惹起(じゃっき)されやすい危険や傷害の防止のための配慮が払われる必要がある。

(5)限定された費用内で、なるべく理想に近い内容整備が図れるように効率的な計画をたてる。

［笠間賢二］

教室の組織づけの類型

教室は教授・学習が行われる学校の基礎的施設であり、児童・生徒にとっての学校生活の中核的な場である。これを内容的にどう充実させるかは、彼らの心身の発達段階や教育課程実施上の観点から考慮されなければならないが、教育内容の専門的分化にしたがって、数多く要求される特別教室をどのように扱うかが、学校建築の全体計画との関連で問題となる。建築費を抑えつつも、(1)施設の質を高め、(2)純粋率（その特別教室が本来の目的のために使用された割合）を高め、(3)利用率（特別教室の使用可能時間に対して実際に使用された時間の割合）を向上させることが学校建築に求められる。実際には次のような方法がある。

〔1〕普通教室・特別教室併用型　学級数と一致する普通教室のほかにいくつかの特別教室をもつ。これは日本の学校で普通にみられる型である。児童・生徒にとって安定したホームルームをもつことができ、移動が少なく、移動の際にも荷物が少なくてすむという長所がある。しかし反面、特別教室の充実に伴い、特別教室使用中は普通教室があいており、また全体の利用率が低下するという問題点をもつ。

〔2〕教科教室型　普通教室をもたず、すべての教室が特定教科のために設けられる。教師は各教科教室に固定化されるので、児童・生徒が時間ごとに移動することになる。各教室の純粋率を高めることができる反面、生徒の荷物を携えた移動による喧騒(けんそう)や混乱を招きやすい。欧米の中・高校ではこの型が普及しており、日本でもこの型をとる学校が存在する。とくに教科担任制をとる中学校以上では、この型の採用により、各教科の教育効果をあげることができる。

〔3〕総合教室型　各学級がそれぞれ固有の教室をもち、しかもそこで全教科を実施できるように設備を充実させる、いわば万能型教室から構成される。したがって特別教室はない。教室総数は学級数と同じですみ、利用率を高めることができるが、各教室の設備の充実、質の向上が建築費との兼ね合いで問題となり、この型が採用されても往々にして似て非なるものになることが多い。しかし小学校低学年にはこの型が適しており、イギリスなどではこの例がみられる。

〔4〕プラトーンPlatoon型　これは1916年からアメリカのミシガン州で実施されたもので、過密学級対策として、施設と教育課程とを調整して教室の利用率を高めることに動機があった。全校の学級を2分団に分け、一方が普通教室を使用している間、他方は運動場、体育館、特別教室を使い、たとえば昼休み時間を挟んで両分団が一斉に交代する。普通教室を使用している「静」の分団は各教室に固定されるが、特別教室や運動場を使用している「動」の分団は時間ごとに分団内を移動する（特別教室から運動場へ移動するというように）。この型では教室総数が少なくてすみ、また特別教室の質を高めることもできる。日本でも第二次世界大戦後の教室不足の時代にいくつかの学校（山形市立第五中学校、東京都目黒区立第一中学校など）で試みられた。しかし、施設を半々に使用する時間割の組み方や適切な教師数の確保が困難なため、現在ではこの例をみることはできない。

〔5〕ドルトンDalton型　アメリカの教育家ヘレン・パーカーストHelen Parkhurst（1887―1973）によって創始され、1920年からマサチューセッツ州ドルトンのハイスクールで実施された。教育方法としては、学年や学級の枠をきわめて緩くし、生徒が自ら教科やその進度を選択し、そのコースが終われば次のコースに移るという、いわば単位制に近いものである。教室は、生徒数が教科によりまた年度により異なるので、大小さまざまの大きさのものが用意される。日本では大正期に教育方法として導入され実施されたが（東京の私立成城小学校など）、施設面への影響はほとんどなかった。現在では大学にこの型がみられる。

［笠間賢二］

運動場

学校建築をもっとも広くとらえれば、屋外・屋内運動場も含まれる。学校教育の範囲が、教室での知的教科教授に限定されないさまざまな領域に及んでいる今日、運動場の役割はますます増大している。それは単に体育の実技の場であるだけでなく、子供の自由な遊び場でもあり、また特別活動や学校行事にも活用される。2000年（平成12）現在、学校教育法施行規則によって、学校にかならず設けなければならない施設となっている。したがって運動場は学校全体の教育要求に対応して計画・設置される必要がある。屋外運動場は学校規模に応じた面積が必要とされ、位置は日陰にならないよう校舎の南側配置が適当である。また各種競技用の設備のほかに遊具設備も必要であり、また周囲の植樹帯や芝生などの環境整備も望まれる。屋内運動場は一般に体育館とよばれ、国庫補助の対象として必要面積基準が示されている。体育館は講堂と兼用されることが多く、競技用設備のほかに、映画・演劇・音楽・講演などのための設備も必要とされる。

［笠間賢二］

学校建築の歴史

近代的な学校建築は1872年（明治5）の「学制」に始まる。現存する長野県松本市の開智(かいち)学校（現在は教育博物館）は「完全ヲ期ス」という「学制」の原則の代表例で、中廊下両側教室配置の洋風校舎で、地方における文明開化のシンボルでもあった。しかし、当時の劣悪な財政事情のもとで多数の学校を早急につくる必要から、以後の学校建築は、「主トシテ学校経済ニ注意シ……外観ノ虚飾ヲ去リ質朴堅牢(けんろう)ニシテ」（「小学校設備準則」1891）という基本方針のもとに、公共建築物としてもっとも単価の安い建物として常識化していった。1895年（明治28）には文部省から「学校建築図説明及設計大要」が令達され、モデル設計図とともに校舎の配置法、教室形状、面積基準などが詳細に示された。また、同時に示された廊下の片側配置をめぐって、それを南北いずれの側とするかの論争があったが、「校舎衛生上ノ利害調査」報告（1902）により、衛生上の観点から北側廊下に統一され、学校建築は平面的にも定型化が進行していった。

［笠間賢二］

画一的な学校建築

これ以後、関東大震災（1923）や室戸台風（1934）の経験から、1934年（昭和9）に「学校建築物ノ営繕並ニ保全ニ関スル」文部省訓令が発せられ、学校防災上の措置がとられるに至り、定型化が完成した。木造の平屋か2階建校舎、一文字型・L字型校舎の敷地内北隅配置、北側廊下に沿った4間（約7.3メートル）×5間（約9メートル）＝20坪（約66平方メートル）の教室の直列、校舎中央部の教員用玄関、管理部門（校長室、職員室など）配置という平面計画が第二次世界大戦前の学校建築をほぼ画一的に支配し、同時に教育方法の画一化にも拍車をかけた。

　第二次世界大戦後は、木造校舎（1951）、鉄骨造校舎（1955）それぞれについてJIS(ジス)（日本工業規格）が制定された。しかしこの規格はその後あまり使用されず、かわって鉄筋コンクリート造校舎が主流となった。これについては1950年（昭和25）に、文部省（現、文部科学省）と日本建築学会との協力により標準設計が作成され、文部省がモデル校を指定し奨励したこともあって、以来1980年代まで学校はこの標準設計に基づいて計画、建築されることが多かった。それは、7メートル×9メートルの教室を幅3メートルの片廊下に沿って並べるものであり、従来の木造校舎の平面計画に準拠していた点で、学校建築に対する考え方を大きく変えるものではなかった。ただ戦後の特徴として、「義務教育諸学校施設費国庫負担法」（1958）など関係諸法令の整備により、地方自治体の学校建設に対する国庫補助の制度がとられ、これが量的整備に役だったことに注目しておきたい。しかし一方では、質よりも量を重視したこうした施策が学校建築の定型化を進行させ、普通教室と若干の特別教室だけから構成される個性のない校舎を大量につくりだす結果を招いていった。また、建築が本来もつべき文化性や地域性を失わせ、教育活動のあり方をも規定していったことは否めない。

［笠間賢二］

学校建築の革新

そこで、1980年代以降は学校建築の革新が強く求められるようになった。その背景には、定型化され、画一化されすぎた学校建築への反省と、新たな教育要求――(1)児童・生徒の自ら考え、自ら判断し、自ら学習する力の育成、(2)児童・生徒の個性や能力、興味や関心を尊重した学習指導の個別化、(3)すべての人々が生涯にわたって学び続ける生涯学習の推進、など――がある。また、直線を基調とした、コンクリートとガラスから造られた従来の校舎建築は無味乾燥な閉鎖性をもち、子供に心理的圧迫を加えているとの反省も聞かれるようになった。すでに1970年代から、教室とオープンスペースを融合した空間構成をもつ校舎（オープン・スクール）、大きな吹き抜けのホールや児童・生徒用のロビーやラウンジを備えた校舎、町並みの景観との調和を意識した傾斜屋根をもつ校舎など、新しい学校建築が出現するようになっていた。一方、行政サイドからも、1984年（昭和59）に多目的スペースに対する国庫補助がなされるようになり、文化性を備えた学校施設（文部省「学校施設の文化的環境づくりについて」1982）、教育方法などの多様化に対応する学校施設（文部省「教育方法等の多様化に対応する学校施設の在り方について」1988）などの提言もなされるようになった。

　こうした動きには、おおよそ次のような観点からその特徴を認めることができる。第一には教育方法の多様化に対応する学校施設という観点である。廊下と教室、教室と教室との壁を取り払ったオープンスペースや多目的スペースを設置し、これを視覚的にも空間的にも連続したスペースとして構成し（空間の連続性の重視）、単一の機能ではなく多様な機能に対応させようとするものである。また、多様な学習活動や学習形態（動的な学習活動や目的に応じた児童・生徒の弾力的編成）を可能にするとともに、さまざまな学習メディアを開放的に配置したメディアセンターとしても活用されている。

　第二は学校施設を学習の場だけではなく生活の場としてもとらえ、豊かな人間性を育む環境、健やかな身体をつくる環境として整備するという観点である。具体的には次のような試みがなされている。

(1)ゆとりをもてる環境づくり　ロビー、ラウンジ、テラスの設置、吹き抜けのホールにみられるようなボリュームの変化をもたせた空間の創造、校内の植樹など。

(2)コミュニケーションを促す環境づくり　ホール、屋内外のベンチコーナー、前庭、中庭、テラス、バルコニーの設置など。

(3)人間の感覚になじむ環境づくり　色彩のくふう、木材や壁紙を使用した内装、カーペットの床、板張りの天井、樹木豊かな屋外環境など。

　また、運動場に小山を造成したり、遊具やアスレチックフィールドを設置したり、中庭を利用するなど、遊びのなかで身体を育てる環境づくりのくふうもなされている。

　第三は象徴性・文化性をもち、地域に開かれた学校施設という観点である。象徴性・文化性という点では、地域の文化的蓄積（地域や学校の歴史・伝統）を反映したシンボルをもつ美しいデザインの採用、また壁画、レリーフ、ステンドグラスなどの建物装飾や彫刻、絵画の展示など、学校施設への文化性の付与が試みられている。地域に開かれた学校という点においては、体育館や運動場、特別教室を夜間や休日に地域住民の利用に供することができるように、平面計画上も設計上もくふうすることが試みられている。

［笠間賢二］

今日の学校建築

日本の学校建築は、明治初年の一時期を除き、長く学校という施設目的の純粋性を保ってきた。しかし、1980年代以降は、行政サイドからの提言（文部省「学校施設の複合化について」1991）を背景に、とくに都市部において、学校を社会教育施設などとの複合的施設として建設する事例がみられるようになった。既存校舎の場合も余裕教室を社会福祉施設などに転用することが試みられている。また、環境への負荷の低減を図るために、太陽光発電設備を備えるなど、環境を考慮した学校施設（エコスクール）づくりも進められている。1990年代以降はとくに「インテリジェント・スクール」が標語として用いられるようになっている（文部省「文教施設のインテリジェント化について」1990）。これは、最新の科学技術の粋を集めたインテリジェント・ビル構想を教育の領域に及ぼしたものであり、文教施設の多機能化と高機能化を目ざしたものである。学校施設としてのあり方についても、1980年代の課題であったフレキシブルな学習スペースの確保、生活の場としての豊かな環境づくりの2点に加えて、コンピュータの導入などにみられる高度情報化社会に対応した学校づくり、「生涯学習社会への移行」（臨時教育審議会答申）という動向のもとで、地域の生涯学習の拠点として、その機能を十分に発揮できる学校づくりを進めていこうとする構想がある。しかしながら、教授・学習状況の最適化を図ろうとする学校のインテリジェント化は、試行錯誤によるリアルな問題解決過程を経なければならない児童・生徒の成長にとって、手放しで歓迎できるものかどうかは検討しなければならない課題であろう。

　いずれにしても、今日の学校施設は屋外環境の整備も含めて、単なる器ではなく、それ自体が教育機能をもつ豊かな教育環境として、また地域住民の学習・情報活動の拠点として整備されつつある。

［笠間賢二］

『建築学大系編集委員会編『建築学大系32　学校・体育施設』（1975・彰国社）』▽『菅野誠著『日本学校建築史』（1973・文京ニュース社）』▽『21世紀教育の会編『オープンプランスクール』（1974・講談社）』▽『青木正夫著『建築学計画8　学校Ⅰ』（1976・丸善）』▽『文部省文教施設部編『ニュー・スクール計画――教育方法等の多様化と学校施設』（1990・ぎょうせい）』▽『武田信夫著『懐かしの木造校舎』（1992・作品社）』▽『長倉康彦著『「開かれた学校」の計画』（1993・彰国社）』▽『上野淳著『未来の学校建築――教育改革をささえる空間づくり』（1999・岩波書店）』

[参照項目] | 運動場 | オープン・スクール | 学校 | 教室 | 生涯学習 | ドルトン・プラン

旧開智学校校舎
1876年（明治9）竣工の旧制小学校校舎。東京の開成学校（東京大学の前身）を模した木造2階建て建築で、中央には八角塔がそびえる。擬洋風学校建築を代表する建造物の一つである。1964年（昭和39）に現在地へ移築、教育博物館として利用されている。国宝　長野県松本市©信州・長野県観光協会">

旧開智学校校舎

「学校建築図説明及設計大要」に示された…

出典　小学館　日本大百科全書(ニッポニカ)日本大百科全書(ニッポニカ)について　情報 | 凡例

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