When architects discuss the educational facilities of the next century and beyond, the conversation turns to collaborative spaces. They envision flexible and fluid spaces that will encourage creative and critical thinking, and free students to communicate clearly about the task at hand. While these are admirable ideals, there are some fundamental questions that administrators and educators should discuss among themselves before engaging in any new building project. The goal of this article is to imagine how spaces can be designed to support, inspire, and motivate K-12 students as they acquire knowledge and master skills as part of a community of learners. This is the first of a two-part series looking at how to design collaborative spaces for schools, written by an architect with extensive experience in the field. [For the second part of this two-part series, "Design for the Ages," see EJ1008750.]