BLDD Architects, Inc., is pleased to announce the recipients of the annual Because Life Deserves Design Scholarship: Madelyn Beck, Katherine Minch and Declan Markel.

In the ever-evolving landscape of education, the importance of fostering creativity and artistic expression has never been more pronounced.

School athletics are at the core of building and fostering a community. But despite the enthusiasm for high-school and collegiate athletics, many schools face similar challenges with outdated athletic facilities. Having access to modern, flexible athletic spaces for students and community members has become a priority for many schools.

​​​​​​​Agriculture is a staple of the rural education curriculum, and while a majority of students are involved in those programs, there is often little funding and inadequate spaces to support them. The future farmers and agribusiness leaders are frequently taught in regular classrooms or modified shop rooms, without access to the tools and resources they need.

For more than 10 years, the Waltham Elementary School District in North Utica, Illinois, dreamed of having one building for all their K-8 students who had been spread among two outdated elementary schools. Serving a student population of fewer than 250, the project goal was never to redesign how education environments are used. Instead, the objective was much simpler: to ensure this small, rural countryside town near Starved Rock State Park could remain viable. 

To celebrate Read Across America day, we wanted to highlight the current innovative trends that are bringing school libraries and media centers to LIFE. Once a quiet museum for books, school libraries are transforming to support the whole student.