I would argue beauty and function aren't actually completely separate things, especially in educational institutions. A beautiful environment leads more people to want to be in that environment (a positive function for the institution), and also has a passive positive effect on the mood of people in the environment, which in turn has a minor beneficial effect on their productivity (a positive function for those in the environment).

My school had a mix of classic brick buildings as well as steel and glass. I preferred the steel buildings mainly because they were better-maintained and they let in a lot more natural light.