Getting to High Performance

It's not just devoted environmentalists and architects specializing in sustainable schools who are becoming more cognizant of these issues. The American School & University 35th annual Official Education Construction Report surveys chief business officials at the nation's school districts and colleges. When asked "Are green/sustainable concepts important in determining the types of materials/products used in your construction projects?," 70.7 percent said yes. They reported incorporating "green" decisions about lighting and controls (86 percent), HVAC systems (77.3 percent), building materials (61.6 percent), roofing (56.3 percent), and flooring and carpeting (54.1 percent).

Every guideline and list of what makes a school truly "high performance" may differ a bit, but most experts would agree on the basics: a high-performance school is healthy and productive, safe and sustainable, and ideally the elements of the building itself can be used to teach lessons about sustainability.

When designing a brand new school, each of the essential strategies for achieving these goals can be optimized and built in from the beginning, and an overall whole building approach can integrate the strategies for maximum performance. When approaching an existing school, constraints are built in with every aging window, roof, wall, fixture and furnace. But the goals and the basic strategies remain the same, often implemented with new products and technologies - and imaginative design solutions.

Daylighting: abundant natural light, views to the outside, visual comfort, and energy efficiency.
Key improvement products: high performance window units with flexible replacement options, advanced shading either external or internal, advanced lighting control systems, greater expanses of interior glass (if chosen carefully for fire and impact safety).

Healthy and Productive Indoor Environment: thermal comfort in all seasons, acoustic performance, excellent indoor air quality and energy efficiency. Key improvement products: highly efficient HVAC systems and electronic controls, and new high-performance interior walls, carpets, flooring, paints and other environmentally preferable materials.

Safety and Durability: safe, secure, accessible, durable structures with long life cycles and high energy efficiency. Key improvement products: high-performance interior safety glass, and new energy-efficient and long-lasting roof and wall cladding products.

Sustainability: All of the above, plus on-site renewable energy production where possible.
Key improvement products: usually not off the shelf! But definitely do-able in school modernizations. For example, local grants for renewable energy in schools such as Pacific Gas and Electric Company's Solar Schools Program often include money for solar panels, as they can be easily installed and used as teaching tools, too.

Buildings that Teach: Here is where new schools have been most imaginative, with everything from exposed structural elements and systems (in a Texas school it's the sprinkler system) to teach kids how they work, to constructed wetlands teaching them about conserving resources and sustaining our environment. But imaginative updates of existing schools can include these, too, although once again, not likely to be an off-the-shelf solution. However, for inspiration, consider that New York City's P.S. 216 in inner city Brooklyn is turning its asphalt parking lot into an edible schoolyard!

Every classroom should have abundant natural light and views to the outside. Good daylighting contributes to almost every aspect of student and teacher performance. Here, the view through the new high-performance windows in West Elementary School in Laurel, Montana. Photo: Pella Commercial