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To
some people, green schools (i.e., schools specifically
designed to minimize energy consumption and maintain
sensitivity to the environment) are a fad, the
design world's equivalent of the Beanie Baby,
Pokemon card or Razor Scooter. But 9 are green
schools really just a passing fad? Or will the
concept behind them help revolutionize the way
schools of the future are designed and built?
As
an educational architect, I have seen several
educational design fads pass out of popularity.
For example, the infamous "open classroom"
fad has literally taken decades to undo. And,
of course, there was the energy-efficient- design
fad brought on by the oil crisis of the 1970s.
While significantly cutting energy consumption,
this fad also had the unfortunate side effect
of practically eliminating natural daylight from
schools.
Green
schools seem different from these two fads, however.
Though I won't pretend to be an expert on the
subject, I have made a concerted effort to learn
as much as I can about it. My conclusion: The
green school philosophy incorporates some good,
sensible approaches to the environment that educational
architects - and the school administrators who
employ us - should take seriously. First some
background.
What's
in a Name?
Green
schools are such a new concept that the very name
of the movement keeps changing. Green school design
has also been referred to as "Sustainable
School Design" and "Environmentally
Sensitive (or Responsible) Design." More
recently, terms like "High Performance Schools"
and "High Impact Learning Centers" have
been used to highlight the positive attributes
of green schools and encourage broader support.
Nevertheless, a green
school is an environmentally sensitive facility
that minimizes energy consumption, while ensuring
that the needs of today's students are fully addressed.
While one could argue that all schools incorporate
some green qualities, a truly green school incorporates
many different features. In particular, green
schools:
·• Incorporate an energy-efficient
design;
·• Use building materials that are
non-toxic, recycled and renewable;
·• Conserve water and other natural
resources;
·• Emphasize waste management;
·• Promote a healthy indoor environment,
including indoor air quality; and
·• Demonstrate energy-efficient design
principles
In short, green schools
- like the Walker Elementary School I toured recently
in McKinney, Texas -are clean, healthful, energy-conscious
and environmentally sound. In fact, the Walker
Elementary School, designed by SHW Architects
and named to the 1999 Earth Day Top 10 List for
environmentally responsible design projects by
the American Institute of Architects, is an excellent
example of green schools at their finest. Here
are a few reasons why.
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A
Site for Sore Eyes
Obviously,
it is easier to design a new green school than
to renovate or retrofit one, particularly when
it comes to placing the building on the site.
Site orientation is a basic design principle that
should always be a primary concern on any project.
For example, the site orientation for Walker Elementary
School was deliberately chosen so that the numerous
light monitors used to bring natural daylight
into the facility could face south. However, other
site issues -many of which are incorporated at
Walker Elementary -should also be taken into account,
including:
·• solar orientation and prevailing
winds;
·• preserving existing trees and topsoil;
minimizing impervious material (i.e., reducing
concrete and asphalt paving areas);
·• providing walking/biking paths
to the school;
·• selecting a new site in close proximity
to public transportation; and
·• planting vegetation that requires
minimal irrigation and maintenance.
Discarding
Our "Throw-Away" Mentality
Often
we are quick to discard our existing schools instead
of renovating them. Generally, the rationale is
that the renovation cost is close enough to the
cost of new construction, so why not simply build
a new school? However, for the Brecht Elementary
School, in Manheim township School District, Pa.,
the decision was made to renovate an existing
school even though the renovation cost was very
close to the cost of new construction. (Renovation
cost: $92 / sq., ft. as compared to $110/ sq.
ft. for new construction in 1999.) The cafeteria
addition even included higher-cost products like
stone and exposed timber, so there would be a
seamless transition between existing construction
and new construction.
One of the easiest ways
to wake an impact on any school renovation project
is to make sure the contractor salvages and recycles
building materials that are demolished. For example,
concrete, rock, asphalt and brick (CRAB) can be
very costly to dispose of due to their weight.
On the plus side, however, each of these materials
is easy to recycle. As a result, CRAB can be crushed
and re- used as base material on-site or taken
to a concrete recycling company. So, too, can
the materials used in doors and windows be recycled
rather than hauled to a landfill. In fact, some
contractors specialize in recycling building materials,
so be sure to incorporate the proper language
in your specifications to pro- vide adequate on-site
monitoring and contractor certification.
Selecting
Building Materials and Mechanical Systems
Selecting
and incorporating green building materials should
be an important part of any project. Some relatively
new products - like wheat board and "waterless"
toilets - are well worth considering due to their
negligible effect on the environment. But even
firms like carpet manufacturers are making their
products greener by incorporating a greater amount
of recyclable materials. Ideally, of course, products
should be reviewed and evaluated based on their
"cradle to grave" impact. In other words,
all stages of a product's life cycle should be
analyzed for their environmental impact. For example:
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·•
How are the raw materials extracted and processed
to make the product?
·• What effect does transportation,
installation and maintenance of the product have
on the environment?
·• Ultimately, how will the product
be disposed of or recycled?
Of course, these are questions
that can be answered only by the products' manufacturers
and will prpmote a greater response the more often
the questions are asked.
Another
way to significantly affect a new or existing
facility's overall performance is to select the
right mechanical system. For example, in many
parts of the country, a geothermal system is ideal.
In fact, after officials reviewed no fewer than
seven different systems, geothermal became the
preferred choice of Walker Elementary School (although
cost concerns and the potential long- term payback
eventually moved it to second place.) On the other
hand, the Manheim Township School District (PA)
mandates geothermal systems in every renovation
project it does. The first school district in
Pennsylvania to go geothermal, Manheim Township
will soon rely on geothermal energy for four of
its nine schools.
Daylighting
Is a Bright Idea
Studies
demonstrate that natural daylight has a positive
effect on learning. Scholastic performance and
attendance increase noticeably when natural daylight
is incorporated into a school's design. Plus,
health benefits (e.g. less tooth decay) can be
partly attributed to the natural vitamins present
in sunlight. Of course, energy conservation is
another benefit of relying on natural daylight.
At Walker Elementary School,
for example, daylighting is a prominent design
feature. Every classroom has a large light monitor
in the center of the room. (These monitors look
a lot like large windows on the roof.) Via these
monitors, natural light is directed into each
room in such a way that electric lighting is used
as little as possible. And what artificial lighting
is required is kept to a minimum through dimmer
switches and occupancy sensors. Naturally, incorporating
these features added to the overall cost of the
building, but ultimately helped provide a very
bright, cheerful environment while conserving
energy.
Creating
a Learning Environment
Perhaps
the most exciting aspect of green schools is their
potential as an educational tool. By exploring
a curriculum around the green school concept itself,
students get a first-hand look at the positive
effects of environmentally sound architectural
design. As a result, the entire school becomes
one huge lab- oratory for learning that helps
spur the students' imagination and curiosity.
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