Howe Dell Primary in Hatfield could well be the UK’s most eco-friendly school. It has toilets that flush using rainwater, sedum roofs made of plants and vegetation, and classroom sink-tops made from recycled yoghurt pots. But the school’s design doesn’t just help protect the environment, it also uses nature to improve children’s academic performance and behaviour. — theguardian.com

The Hebei Academy of Fine Arts in China’s Hebei Province has constructed a new campus in Xinle City that, rather than resembling local architecture, adheres more to Gothic and European styles. Specifically, it bears a striking resemblance to the Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry. [...]

But the new building is actually called “Cinderella’s Castle,” and was modeled on structures from medieval Europe. Unfortunately, the building has little to do with Cinderella or Hogwarts. — Entertainment Weekly

The architecture school run by the Frank Lloyd Wright Foundation will try to raise $2 million before the end of 2015 to ensure its future as an independent organization, the foundation announced on Monday, having approved a possible path toward the school’s incorporation. [...]

The foundation’s board had initially decided not to incorporate the school separately, for fear of losing control over its operations. But objections from school supporters prompted the board to reconsider. — artsbeat.blogs.nytimes.com

Architect Frank Gehry courts curves and controversy, and the deputy vice-chancellor of UTS admits to a degree of trepidation. A first look inside reveals whether those fears were justified [...]

The city’s first building by the controversial architect is part of a larger $1.1bn masterplan for the University of Technology Sydney (UTS), but is already attracting a lot of attention. — theguardian.com

The Frank Lloyd Wright Foundation has approved a possible path toward independent incorporation of its architecture school – providing fund-raising targets are met, Sean Malone, the foundation’s president and chief executive, said in a note sent Wednesday evening to people involved in the school. — artsbeat.blogs.nytimes.com

The North Korean government has approved plans by two Norwegian artists to open an art academy in the country. Henrik Placht and Morten Traavik travelled to North Korea together for the first time in August to flesh out the proposal and to look for potential sponsors. So far they have received financial support from the Prince Claus Fund. [...]

“One of the reasons for us going to North Korea is that we don’t believe in sanctions and the boycott of art,” Placht tells The Art Newspaper. — theartnewspaper.com

The architecture school run by the Frank Lloyd Wright Foundation on Wednesday criticized a decision by the foundation’s board that will result in the school losing its accreditation.

Last week, the Higher Learning Commission, a Chicago-based nonprofit that accredits universities and colleges, told the school it would lose its accreditation in 2017. — artsbeat.blogs.nytimes.com

Got a day to spend in London this summer? Go and immerse yourself in the Royal Academy of Arts’ Summer Exhibition 2014 which opened to the public last month.

The annual event — held every year without interruption since 1769 — prides itself as the world’s largest open submission exhibition. The program aims to provide an international platform for emerging and established artists in various disciplines ranging from painting to printmaking, photography, sculpture, architecture and film. — bustler.net

Due to plummeting enrollment and a troubled district, vacant school buildings—heck, just vacant buildings—are none too rare in Detroit. After 19 years of abandonment, the Nellie Leland School, however, is no longer vacant—it, as abandoned urban buildings are want to do, is back in session as condos. [...]

Today, the school is known as Leland Lofts, a set of expansive condos in the Lafayette Park neighborhood near downtown Detroit, where a 1,465-square-foot, one-bedroom loft goes for $175K. — curbed.com

Following Apple's success, many companies are finally starting to recognize the crucial role design plays in building a desirable (and profitable) product. Yet very few companies are actually founded and led by designers. Here to change that is 30 Weeks, a new program by a powerhouse team of New York design schools--Parsons, Pratt, School of Visual Arts, and The Cooper Union--in collaboration with the education company Hyper Island and Google. — fastcodesign.com