Over the years, this column has taken a lighthearted look at some of the unique—and sometimes strange—education facilities and business happenings.
One such item that was filed under the heading “What were they thinking?” received a lot of feedback from readers. Seems a 47-story skyscraper in Benidorm, Spain, was built without one very important facilities design element: an elevator. In the rush to complete the edifice, all parties involved in the construction project neglected to update plans to include the necessary elevators required for a 47-story facility.
While not specifically an education facility, the example does offer an “education” in what not to do in the planning, design and construction of a school or university facility.
Another item that stood out was Utah Valley University’s “texting lane” on a stairway in its Student Life & Wellness Center. While the lighthearted traffic-control approach for its tech-connected students was not meant to be taken seriously, it does acknowledge that technology is an important aspect of student life and must be recognized, accepted and embraced.
More recently, a school board candidate running unopposed for election in a small Iowa town failed to earn any votes. In fact, he did not even have the time to vote for himself—giving new meaning to the concept of a disengaged electorate.
The candidate is expected to still be appointed by the board to fill the seat he was running for. Hopefully he will find the time to serve. But as he had no time to even drive to the polls and vote for himself, it will be interesting to see how effective he will be in his new role if his schedule doesn’t open up a bit.
And speaking of “What were they thinking?”, in McLean, Va., a gun store set up shop next door to an elementary school. While legal, one must wonder about the shop owner’s judgment in selecting that particular site.
Have a unique or strange piece of education facilities or business news you’d like to share? Drop me a line at [email protected].
