This CE Center article is no longer eligible for receiving credits.
Keeping students, teachers, and staff safe and healthy in schools is always a concern, but even more so in the era of a pandemic’s influence. Architects are being tasked to address how to keep schools clean, well ventilated, and healthy. Doing so has ripple effects on other parts of school design too. Some of these effects include impacts on how students, teachers, and visitors are safely separated or allowed to work in enclosed spaces. Other impacts come from allowing more fresh air and better ventilation, all while still meeting the need for controlling the use of energy in school buildings. Then there are concerns about keeping surfaces clean and addressing non-classroom spaces, including rest rooms and locker rooms, corridors, entrances, assembly spaces, gymnasiums, cafeterias, food service areas, staff areas, nurses’ offices, and clinical spaces. This course looks at some of the ways that these issues of health and safety are being balanced with school operations and energy performance.
Photo courtesy of Mitsubishi Electric Trane HVAC US (METUS)
Schools are facing new challenges related to health and safety, which architects are rising to meet in appropriate and sustainable ways.
Designing Safer Schools
Schools have received a lot of attention during the COVID-19 pandemic, and appropriately so. Bringing large groups of students, teachers, and staff together on a daily basis and then having them return to their own households has been well understood as a recipe for spreading diseases. The response in many locations has been to use technology as the answer, fostering a surge of online teaching and learning. However, that has not proven to be an effective solution for many, as access to computers and the internet is not equal across different socio-economic levels of society. Teachers and parents have also weighed in with concerns about the differences between the online learning experience and the in-person/in-building experience.
The American Institute of Architects (AIA) quickly recognized that there are changing needs not only in the ways that school buildings are now being operated but also designed and renovated. As a result, during 2020, AIA established a team of architects, public health experts, engineers, and facility managers to assess and prepare the built environment for reopening during outbreak cycles of the pandemic. Ultimately, a report was issued titled “Reopening America: Strategies for Safer Schools,” which is available for free online at www.aia.org. This AIA report, as we will refer to it throughout this course, first identifies the basic health issues and some operational actions that could be considered. From there, the focus turns to physical issues in a wide variety of different types of rooms and spaces typically found in school buildings. One of the spaces discussed in detail is the classroom.
Photo courtesy of NanaWall Systems
Flexible classrooms that use opening glass walls can connect directly to the exterior when open, providing ventilation and access to outdoor programming, while also still providing daylight and views when closed.
Flexible Classroom Spaces
Perhaps the biggest impact of protecting people from spreading disease related to school design is the need to spread students further apart from each other. Fundamentally, this means more square footage is needed per student and perhaps per classroom. Some school administrators have addressed this by staggering students so that only a portion of each class meets in a classroom at one time; the remainder meets at another time after the classroom is cleaned. This has worked in some locations but clearly requires a lot of effort and coordination to be effective.
An alternative approach is recommended by the AIA report based on allowing classrooms to be opened up so they are combined with either another classroom or with a common space. In this way, the number of students in a classroom can be maintained so full classes can be taught together. Depending on the individual circumstances, some scheduling adjustments may still be required, but if the adjacent space is not being used for other activities, then this may work quite well. The means to accomplish this approach is found in recommendation 3.2.2 of the AIA report, which states: “Increase floor area by opening movable partitions.” In schools, such a movable partition or operable wall incorporates glass so that views, daylight, and visibility can be maintained or controlled. When the operable walls are open, the classroom space is larger, desks can be spread apart, and everyone in the classroom can have a reduced risk of infection as a result.
Similarly, in locations where the weather and climate are favorable, the AIA report makes two specific recommendations for classrooms: “(3.3.5) Utilize natural daylight where possible, and (3.6.1) Utilize operable windows for outside air intake if possible.” Operable glass walls can allow these measures to be incorporated as well. When opened fully or even partly, ventilation is increased into the classrooms, again helping to reduce the risk of infection and disease being spread. When the operable glass walls are closed, they create the appropriate weather barrier as part of the building enclosure but still allow for daylight and views into the classrooms. Specifying operable glass walls that are shown to perform well in terms of energy conservation along with their daylight and views capability means that they can be effective components of a school project that is intended to be green and sustainable. If the flex space also means an overall lower footprint, as it often does, then the design can actually reduce the building square footage and achieve the related energy and cost savings associated with that reduction.
In the exterior approach of opening to the outdoors, operable glass walls can become a tool for enhanced learning. In fact, the AIA report recommends to “(3.1.3) provide outdoor programming spaces” both as a learning enhancement and a means to help reduce infection risk by being outdoors. In the interior approach of flexible spaces, the ability for teachers to collaborate or combine their classrooms directly with activities in an adjacent space allows for more variety and creativity in the teaching and learning process. It also allows resources to be shared and used more efficiently through the course of the school day. All of these approaches are allowing architects to look at more options in classroom design.
Photos courtesy of NanaWall Systems
Large communal spaces in schools can benefit from operable glass walls that allow the safety of separation into smaller spaces while still offering the flexibility to open back up when needed or appropriate.
Keeping students, teachers, and staff safe and healthy in schools is always a concern, but even more so in the era of a pandemic’s influence. Architects are being tasked to address how to keep schools clean, well ventilated, and healthy. Doing so has ripple effects on other parts of school design too. Some of these effects include impacts on how students, teachers, and visitors are safely separated or allowed to work in enclosed spaces. Other impacts come from allowing more fresh air and better ventilation, all while still meeting the need for controlling the use of energy in school buildings. Then there are concerns about keeping surfaces clean and addressing non-classroom spaces, including rest rooms and locker rooms, corridors, entrances, assembly spaces, gymnasiums, cafeterias, food service areas, staff areas, nurses’ offices, and clinical spaces. This course looks at some of the ways that these issues of health and safety are being balanced with school operations and energy performance.
Photo courtesy of Mitsubishi Electric Trane HVAC US (METUS)
Schools are facing new challenges related to health and safety, which architects are rising to meet in appropriate and sustainable ways.
Designing Safer Schools
Schools have received a lot of attention during the COVID-19 pandemic, and appropriately so. Bringing large groups of students, teachers, and staff together on a daily basis and then having them return to their own households has been well understood as a recipe for spreading diseases. The response in many locations has been to use technology as the answer, fostering a surge of online teaching and learning. However, that has not proven to be an effective solution for many, as access to computers and the internet is not equal across different socio-economic levels of society. Teachers and parents have also weighed in with concerns about the differences between the online learning experience and the in-person/in-building experience.
The American Institute of Architects (AIA) quickly recognized that there are changing needs not only in the ways that school buildings are now being operated but also designed and renovated. As a result, during 2020, AIA established a team of architects, public health experts, engineers, and facility managers to assess and prepare the built environment for reopening during outbreak cycles of the pandemic. Ultimately, a report was issued titled “Reopening America: Strategies for Safer Schools,” which is available for free online at www.aia.org. This AIA report, as we will refer to it throughout this course, first identifies the basic health issues and some operational actions that could be considered. From there, the focus turns to physical issues in a wide variety of different types of rooms and spaces typically found in school buildings. One of the spaces discussed in detail is the classroom.
Photo courtesy of NanaWall Systems
Flexible classrooms that use opening glass walls can connect directly to the exterior when open, providing ventilation and access to outdoor programming, while also still providing daylight and views when closed.
Flexible Classroom Spaces
Perhaps the biggest impact of protecting people from spreading disease related to school design is the need to spread students further apart from each other. Fundamentally, this means more square footage is needed per student and perhaps per classroom. Some school administrators have addressed this by staggering students so that only a portion of each class meets in a classroom at one time; the remainder meets at another time after the classroom is cleaned. This has worked in some locations but clearly requires a lot of effort and coordination to be effective.
An alternative approach is recommended by the AIA report based on allowing classrooms to be opened up so they are combined with either another classroom or with a common space. In this way, the number of students in a classroom can be maintained so full classes can be taught together. Depending on the individual circumstances, some scheduling adjustments may still be required, but if the adjacent space is not being used for other activities, then this may work quite well. The means to accomplish this approach is found in recommendation 3.2.2 of the AIA report, which states: “Increase floor area by opening movable partitions.” In schools, such a movable partition or operable wall incorporates glass so that views, daylight, and visibility can be maintained or controlled. When the operable walls are open, the classroom space is larger, desks can be spread apart, and everyone in the classroom can have a reduced risk of infection as a result.
Similarly, in locations where the weather and climate are favorable, the AIA report makes two specific recommendations for classrooms: “(3.3.5) Utilize natural daylight where possible, and (3.6.1) Utilize operable windows for outside air intake if possible.” Operable glass walls can allow these measures to be incorporated as well. When opened fully or even partly, ventilation is increased into the classrooms, again helping to reduce the risk of infection and disease being spread. When the operable glass walls are closed, they create the appropriate weather barrier as part of the building enclosure but still allow for daylight and views into the classrooms. Specifying operable glass walls that are shown to perform well in terms of energy conservation along with their daylight and views capability means that they can be effective components of a school project that is intended to be green and sustainable. If the flex space also means an overall lower footprint, as it often does, then the design can actually reduce the building square footage and achieve the related energy and cost savings associated with that reduction.
In the exterior approach of opening to the outdoors, operable glass walls can become a tool for enhanced learning. In fact, the AIA report recommends to “(3.1.3) provide outdoor programming spaces” both as a learning enhancement and a means to help reduce infection risk by being outdoors. In the interior approach of flexible spaces, the ability for teachers to collaborate or combine their classrooms directly with activities in an adjacent space allows for more variety and creativity in the teaching and learning process. It also allows resources to be shared and used more efficiently through the course of the school day. All of these approaches are allowing architects to look at more options in classroom design.
Photos courtesy of NanaWall Systems
Large communal spaces in schools can benefit from operable glass walls that allow the safety of separation into smaller spaces while still offering the flexibility to open back up when needed or appropriate.
Controlled Isolation
A second realization regarding schools and health is the need, in some cases, to make spaces smaller to isolate students, teachers, or visitors. Some of this is driven by the general health guidelines to avoid large group gatherings. Hence, larger communal spaces in schools are either being underutilized or avoided, or they can be broken temporarily into smaller spaces. This view is being reinforced by administrators and teachers who are indicating that they are trying to change large rooms into smaller classrooms but would like the flexibility to open the spaces back to their original size in the future. In these cases, operable glass walls can provide a solution as well. They can be installed to break up large areas when needed and then fold or slide back out of the way when not required. Designing this flexibility into new school buildings allows for optimizing the ways that this is done. Nonetheless, it is possible to retrofit school buildings very successfully with operable glass walls for this purpose as well.
In other cases, there may be a need to directly isolate or quarantine students at risk or to separate any visitors to the school from students and staff. The AIA report addresses nurses’ offices or clinic areas directly in this regard. It suggests that not only should social distancing be practiced, but temporary spaces may also need to be created. Specifically, the recommendations include: “1) Identifying a space to temporarily and comfortably isolate a symptomatic student or staff member that is separated from non-symptomatic occupants, including students who need to obtain other medical care; 2) Creating a self-contained medical room just outside the main school facility; and 3) Establishing a “nurse’s zone” treatment area and integrating minimum social distancing between resting cots and using privacy curtains between beds.”
In these situations, operable glass walls can be used to address all of these needs. They can be installed in an existing space to separate and isolate people when needed and then opened back up when a larger space is more appropriate. This approach is clearly useful all of the time, regardless of the disease or condition that is being protected against. Therefore, retrofitting or including such a flexible nurse/clinic area into a school will provide a well-designed solution for limiting the spread of disease for the full life of the school building. This approach can also be less costly than constructing permanent partitions with doors, etc., so it is worthy of consideration on several fronts.
Improved HVAC Systems
All discussions of wellness in today’s buildings usually include a focus on HVAC systems. In fact, the AIA report identifies one of the commonly recognized risks as “aerosolized transmission of virus droplets.” Hence, the report goes on to recommend “recommissioning and enhancing ventilation systems.” Attention to these systems should include the ways in which the building is heated and cooled as well as how it is ventilated. Furthermore, the energy use impacts of these systems is always critical in school buildings, so this factor plays a critical part as well.
With the above in mind, we look at two types of HVAC systems that are relevant.
Photos courtesy of Mitsubishi Electric Trane HVAC US (METUS)
Variable refrigerant flow (VRF) heating and cooling systems are available in different sizes and configurations for schools, providing greater design flexibility, more precise comfort control, and quiet operation.
Variable Refrigerant Flow (VRF) Systems
While schools have incorporated many different types of heating and cooling systems, considerable success has been found in recent years by using variable refrigerant flow (VRF) systems. VRF systems move conditioned refrigerant directly to the zone requiring heating or cooling, allowing the temperature of that area to be more precisely controlled. They can simultaneously cool some zones while heating others or just provide conditioning to zones that are in use. VRF systems provide educational buildings with efficient, personalized comfort and can meet the needs of a wide variety of spaces within schools: classrooms, lecture halls, administrative offices, athletic facilities, and others. The quiet operation of VRF systems also makes them ideal for environments like libraries and classrooms where students need to focus on their studies.
There are a range of product types and sizes available that can be used to suit the needs of different school buildings or even different parts of a larger facility. Manufacturers offer a variety of indoor units that can be discreetly located without the need for ducting. On the exterior, compressor units can be air-source or water-source heat pumps that optimize energy usage through very high efficiency. They can be designed to operate in a zoned manner as an energy-efficient method of providing improved comfort control to indoor environments. Zones can be defined as single- or multiple-room spaces that are conditioned to a set temperature and operated independently from other rooms within the same structure. This allows facility managers to control multiple zones or defined areas within a building independently (instead of the full building all at once).
Ventilation Systems
Coupled with heating and cooling systems, ventilation of school buildings is required by the American Society of Heating,
Refrigerating and Air-Conditioning Engineers (ASHRAE) minimum standard for ventilation rates per Standard 62.1-2010. Proper ventilation in schools is a priority but is escalated further during times of viral outbreaks. Other ASHRAE guidelines specific to schools address daily air flushing, temperature ranges (68–78 degrees Fahrenheit), and relative humidity in rooms (between 40–60 percent).
Ventilation systems are commonly installed separately from heating and cooling systems. However, manufacturers may provide both types of equipment, which is preferable for initial design, pricing, and installation. Using a single manufacturer for all equipment streamlines ongoing service and maintenance as well. Ventilation systems need to be ducted to move air and are designed to exhaust air from inside the building and replace it with fresh air from the outside. Removing the conditioned air and replacing it with unconditioned outside air requires energy to ensure that the proper temperature and/or humidity level is met. As such, with high volumes of air brought in for conditioning, it is critical that ventilation equipment operates in an energy-efficient manner.
With the above understanding, there are two major types of commercial ventilation systems that need to be kept in mind:
- Dedicated outdoor air systems (DOAS): As a premier solution for conditioning outside air for commercial buildings, DOAS is designed to handle up to 100 percent outdoor air. This type of product offers premium features that can be ideal for handling ventilation air, particularly when coupled with VRF systems.
- Energy-recovery ventilators (ERVs): The ability to exhaust indoor air and precondition incoming outside air is the primary role of an ERV. The technology to do this varies a bit between manufacturers, but some are based on using a low-maintenance, cross-flow core that prevents the inbound air and exhaust air from intermingling. Essentially, this means that the exhausting air passes through multiple chambers with a high surface area, while the incoming air passes by the other sides of those chambers to pick up or release heat. The result is that the incoming air is partly conditioned by the outgoing air, thus decreasing the heating and cooling load of the spaces.
Photos courtesy of Mitsubishi Electric Trane HVAC US (METUS)
Ventilation equipment used in schools can include dedicated outdoor air systems (DOAS) or energy-recovery ventilators (ERVs) with the capability to provide energy efficiency and highly filtered air.
Air Filtration
All ventilation systems are compatible with air filters to capture and remove particles in the air. Such filters are categorized based on their minimum efficiency reporting values (MERV). While the minimum MERV rating is 8, a filter with a MERV rating of 9–12 is expected to capture particles of one micrometer or larger, which includes most dust and common pollutants. A MERV rating of 13–16 is considered hospital-level air quality and capable of capturing very small particles, including those that are hazardous to human health. ASHRAE guidelines note that schools should install MERV 13 filters or higher for optimal student wellness. Where airborne viruses are a concern, it is advisable to specify up to MERV 16 filters.
Both VRF and its ventilation offerings (DOAS, ERVs) are available in compact units that allow flexibility in design. Certain models also do not require the addition of dampers and adapters. These high-performing systems can offer educational facilities both high indoor air quality and optimal energy use. This all makes it easier to coordinate the rest of the building with these systems and still achieve the desired aesthetic. For architects, VRF systems with ERVs mean flexibility in design, quiet operation, and the ability to modify the systems as needs change during the design or life cycle of the building.
Durable, Clean Surfaces
It is clear that the threat of virus transmission via airborne aerosols or particles has been a primary focus of the means to protect people from infection. In addition to direct airborne transfer, however, the AIA report has also identified the risk of “virus transmission through contact of shared surfaces.” Since airborne particles could land on any surface or since infected people could touch or sneeze and cough anywhere, it makes sense that the AIA report recommends that “all contact surfaces should be considered.”
What does this mean as a practical matter? The report recommends “implementing increased cleaning and maintenance protocols to reduce virus transmission. Building facility staff should frequently disinfect all high-touch spaces, surfaces, hardware, furnishings, and classroom tools, at a minimum, per CDC guidelines.” While this may sound like it is purely an operational concern, the reality is that it is also a design concern.
If the surface materials used in schools are not easily cleaned, this is a problem since they could become sites of virus transfer. On the other hand, if the surfaces can be cleaned but are not durable enough to handle the repeated cleaning without fading, wearing, or otherwise degrading prematurely, this needs to be addressed as well. Of course, schools are busy places with a lot of people and equipment moving daily. This means the interior finishes can readily get rubbed, bumped, banged, or even abused and start to show signs of wear quickly. If these interior surfaces become physically damaged, they can become problem spots that are not only difficult to clean but could also be prime locations for germs and bacteria to collect and build up, ready to be transferred to the next person who touches or brushes by them.
In light of the above considerations, the addition of durable, cleanable, protective interior surface treatments has become a significant consideration. Some of the options and choices are discussed as follows.
Photos courtesy of Inpro
Protective wall coverings can be designed into schools using a variety of materials, finishes, and details that provide durable solutions that are easy to clean and inhibit the spread of disease.
Interior Wall Protection
Interior walls are at the forefront of the need for durability in a school. Corners, edges, and other aspects of an interior design are subject to wear and tear from moving people or equipment. Therefore, adding products specifically designed to protect these areas is common and makes sense for many school situations. The best approach is referred to as targeted wall protection, where a specific set of products is used that is designed to absorb impact and protect the underlying portion of the wall. By targeting the most vulnerable areas, protection can be added by using corner-guard or wall-guard products specifically where they are needed. These can include horizontal rails across targeted sections of the walls as well as vertically installed corner guards. Since many of these products can be specified with materials that are not only durable but also easy to clean, they help protect the building as well as the people in them.
Taking the concept of wall protection further, sheets of rigid wall covering have been used where large surfaces need to be made more durable and easier to clean. Usually produced in sheets or rolls, rigid vinyl extruded wall cladding comes in several standard thicknesses. For medium-duty installations, 0.028 is used when flexibility is needed, such as wrapping a column. A slightly heavier 0.040 can be used to eliminate re-painting where repeated scuffing wears through the top layer of drywall. For heavier-duty locations, 0.060 is used to protect against gouging of the wall, while 0.080 is used for maximum protection, often installed on top of cement board or fire-rated plywood. Most of these products offered in the United States are Class A fire rated with many choices of product types, finishes, and colors to enhance, rather than detract from, an interior design scheme.
For wall areas that need specialized protection, there are also some specialized choices. These include hygienic wall cladding that is ideally suited for kitchen or laboratory spaces. Coupled with stainless-steel corner guards and wall base, this provides a very durable and cleanable surface that is designed to inhibit growth of organic substances. There are also solid-surface wall claddings that are nonporous, long lasting, easily repairable, and available in many different colors. By working with manufacturers of wall cladding and targeted protection systems, the best solutions can be determined for different locations within schools. Adding this material to new or existing facilities can not only enhance interior designs, but it can also help them stay cleaner and more resistant to wear over time.
Photo courtesy of Inpro
Printed wall-protection systems can be used in schools for education programs, social distancing, wayfinding, or to promote school spirit, all while helping to keep walls clean and durable.
Printed Interior Wall Surfaces
One of the more creative choices for schools to consider is the use of printed wall protection. In this case, the protective covering is clear and backed with a choice of standard or custom graphics, such as logos, artwork, mottos, or mascots. This approach can also be used to help with wayfinding and demarcation of social-distancing points along a corridor or other locations. It has also been used for educational messaging purposes.
Printed wall-protection systems are commonly made using clear, rigid sheet plastic with crisp digital imagery printed on the reverse side. This creates greater durability since the rigid sheet protects the image from scratches, dirt, and other hazards, including impacts from backpacks, utility carts, etc. The clear sheet also allows the surface to be cleaned regularly without affecting the graphic image. This durability can be evidenced according to the ASTM D4060 Abrasion Resistance test, while stain resistance and clean-ability can be verified based on the ASTM D6578 test.
From a design standpoint, the possibilities are virtually unlimited in terms of the colors and images that can be printed. Logos, mascots, school mottos, beautiful artwork, or any other type of vibrant imagery is possible. Ultimately, the beauty of these systems is that they help create a design feature that doubles as wall protection that is easy to clean and durable.
Locker Room Showers
The AIA report identifies another area of concern related to transmission risk of disease, specifically in shared rest rooms and school locker rooms. Shared locker rooms and showers have previously been the focus of concern regarding health and spread of disease. In these cases, attention has been placed on different types of bacteria. Methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA; pronounced “mer-sah”) is a bacterium of concern here. MRSA is classed by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) and the medical profession as one of the deadly “superbugs” with infections considered extremely serious. There have been outbreaks of this bacterium in a variety of sports locker rooms that have prompted a number of recommendations for cleaning and disinfecting them regularly. The recommendations also include avoiding tile and grout that can be damaged and harbor bacteria. Instead, the use of alternative materials, particularly in shower areas, has been viewed as an effective way to avoid potential MRSA buildups and facilitate cleaning.
Photo courtesy of Inpro
Private shower stalls with private changing areas, all made out of solid-surface materials, offer safer, healthier alternatives to gang shower arrangements in schools.
Shower Stall Design
School gymnasiums with locker rooms and showers have been common programmatic elements of educational facilities. For decades, the norm has been to provide communal or gang showers in schools. The concept made sense in years gone by since multiple showering “stations” within a given space increased efficiency and capacity while reducing mechanical first costs in new construction. But times have changed. Recent cultural shifts regarding gender and privacy have directly influenced locker room design, causing architects and designers to think less about large school locker rooms with ganged fixtures and more about providing greater privacy and gender-neutral options. Such creative solutions can defuse otherwise contentious situations between students, administrators, the public, and even lawmakers.
One answer for increased privacy in showering is to use separated shower stalls or compartments instead of gang shower arrangements. To be effective, they need to include not only showering space but also adequate dry-floor changing space that allows bathers to disrobe and get dressed within the space. In designs where space may not allow the combined shower and changing area, then at the very least, individual showering spaces that afford privacy should be used.
As noted, selecting the material for the shower and changing stalls can be important in the health of students. One of the keys in combatting disease transfer as well as mold and mildew is to employ nonporous surfaces. Even better are surfaces that do not promote the growth of bacteria. With tile and grout, the porous grout is usually where the first black splotches of mold start growing. Where grout cracks or falls out, there is risk of water getting behind the tile, leading to tiles failing or moisture seeping into the gypsum board or other substrate. Cleaning and resealing tile means more work for maintenance staff and leaves room for error.
A preferred alternative is to use solid-surface panels, which are regarded as an excellent choice as a shower enclosure material. Since solid surface is nonnutritive, it does not promote the growth of mold and mildew, and it resists bacterial growth. From a design perspective, there are numerous color and pattern options, and the 1⁄4-inch or 1⁄2-inch sheets can be installed right over existing tile, making them ideal for retrofit/rehabilitation. S-curve (wavy) edges provide a good seal, and their fit maintains a flat, flush seam where the wall may fluctuate. Large-sheet sizes mean fewer seams where dirt can accumulate, and recessed soap dishes or soap shelves can be easily incorporated into the shower surround.
Shower receptors (i.e., shower floor with drain) can also be made from solid surface and are available in squares and rectangles of numerous sizes. Integral nonskid surfaces help prevent slips and falls, and accessible edges and ramps can ease the transition from floor to receptor. Drain locations can be set to match existing plumbing, and trench drains are also an option.
From an installation standpoint, solid-surface panels mean quicker turnaround compared to traditional tile. From start to cured finish, solid-surface showers can be ready to use in as little as four to five days. Traditional tile can take up to 12 days, including mortar bed prep and curing, grouting and curing, and finish seal cure. Similarly, solid-surface receptors can be installed in as little as 1 hour versus a tile pan that can take up to three days to finish.
Overall, creating shower stalls and receptors, preferably with private changing areas, all constructed out of solid-surface materials will reflect the best current practices in this regard.
Conclusion
Implementing the recommendations and information from the AIA report “Reopening America: Strategies for Safer Schools” includes a full range of specific items on which to focus. Incorporating operable glass walls that can increase access to the outdoor fresh air or help isolate people from each other has been shown as a successful design strategy. Addressing the HVAC systems with updated cooling and heating systems as well as energy-recovery ventilation systems is also a clear strategy. Paying attention to the ability of surfaces to be easily cleaned in public areas, including restrooms/locker rooms, while having the durability to hold up over time applies to all school facilities. These approaches and others can be worked into school designs to create educational settings that directly address the health needs of students, teachers, visitors, and administrators related to viral infections.
Peter J. Arsenault, FAIA, NCARB, LEED AP, is a nationally known architect, consultant, continuing education presenter, and prolific author advancing better building performance by design. www.pjaarch.com, www.linkedin.com/in/pjaarch
