Many school jurisdictions are faced with upgrading facilities or building new to accommodate an expanding student population. Building green does not have to be more expensive, as a recent slate of winning school designs demonstrates.
Architecture for Humanity makes the case for green school design with its most recent Open Architecture Challenge. In locales all over the world, designers convened with community groups to design innovative schools on small budgets. Being green was an essential part of the equation.
Case for Building Green Schools
A number of studies have demonstrated the correlation between higher test scores and green school environments. This is partly explained by the use of daylighting strategies. Schools designed to sustainable standards typically have more natural light, which improves concentration and overall learning.
A less frequently cited benefit is the collaborative nature of sustainable design. Green schools bring everyone to the table: designers, teachers, maintenance staff, parents and students. A school that belongs to the community is a place where children are more likely to learn.
A third benefit is the healthy interior air quality of sustainably-designed schools. Whether built to a local community budget or aiming for LEED certification, green design emphasizes a higher standard for air quality.
By controlling sources of contaminants from building materials and finishes and supplying proper ventilation, sustainably-designed educational facilities improve air quality. That results in fewer student sick days and increased average daily attendance.
Cost of Building Green
An immediate result of sustainable design is lower operating costs for structures. Schools that are built green not only use less energy, they tend to be built more durably. Increased building life is a real plus for cash-strapped school boards.
LEED Silver-certified buildings are estimated to cost two to five percent more than their conventional counterparts. In fact, judicious use of local natural resources—materials and knowledgeable tradespeople—can help keep costs low even in a LEED project.
Smart site orientation that takes advantage of the microclimate and existing vegetation can diminish the building’s energy budget. Passive solar orientation is one of the first and most-effective ways to reduce operating costs and improve indoor thermal comfort.
The winning schools featured in the Open Architecture Challenge for 2009 are proof that green does not have to cost more. One nonprofit group, the Waldorf Educational and Social Corporation proposed upgrades to a school for children in a poor area of Bogotá. Designed for a shoe-string budget, the project includes a green roof with a garden for nourishing the children.
Innovation in School Design
When communities become involved in the design of sustainable schools, everyone ends up more knowledgeable about energy-efficient design. Schools are supposed to encourage a love of learning, and a green school contributes to this process.
Innovations that are commonly found in green schools include curricula concerned with establishing a connection between students and the natural world. They learn where food and energy come from, how to protect the environment and how to live in a more energy-efficient way.
For people who live in poverty, the participatory design process associated with green design can be especially powerful. In the Bogotá example cited above, the school provides an enriched program of art, music, dance and weaving to enhance learning. Innovations like these are possible when a whole community collaborates for the wellbeing of its children.
Building schools costs money, time and resources, but building green should never be treated like an option. The sustainable design process affirms a community’s purpose and results in schools that tread lightly on the environment. Everyone wins in a green school.
Andree Iffrig - Andrée Iffrig LEED AP is a writer and award-winning graduate architect. She uses her broad background in environmental design and ...
