In all debates on school system reform, teaching methods, care facilities for young children or individual funding opportunities, educational objectives are almost always at the fore. The more often issues of all-day schooling and inclusion are dealt with, the more important spatial concepts and aspects of aesthetics become. Results of international performance tests and findings from the field of developmental psychology have revealed the considerable influence that quality architecture exerts – from professional handling of design, colours, light and more to one’s ability to learn, including self-determined learning and working.

Therefore, the time has come for architects to deal with these issues and to familiarise themselves with the appropriate design principles. In addition to brief theoretical asides, the latest volume from the “best of Detail” series provides a wide range of completed projects – from crèche to high school and community centres for children to youth centres – that demonstrate fascinating solutions for diverse construction projects for children and adolescents.