A new wave is passing over the traditional educational facilities culture. It is perhaps new to people working in school facilities planning in the 1980s through the present, but not so new to those of us that predate the age of Disco. Bellenger in a commentary entitled “Forging the Path” found in the January 2011 issue of Today’s Facility Manager advocates a fresh look at collaboration.
According to this article, 98% of construction dollars in the United States are spent on existing buildings, where the demand to become energy efficient takes precedent. Hence, the standard for the Design of High-Performance, Green Buildings (USGBC) sets the stage for “going green” and using collaboration as a tool to achieve the high performance needed to decrease energy consumption.
The buzz term is “integrated design.” What this means for school leaders (the proxy owners of schools) is that they must come to the table with design professionals, contractors, engineers, facility managers, and developers. Finally, it is being recognized that the recent approach (I hesitate to use the term traditional approach) where the architect designs the building’s shape, orientation, and envelope, and then transmits the drawings to engineers and owners for their approval, is the silo approach that misses the rich opportunities for optimizing a building’s performance through collaboration from the beginning.
This presents a cultural shift in the building industry to transform the design process, but, according to Lynn G. Bellenger, it has to be done if the goal of net-zero-energy buildings can be realized. "As I have noted for many years, unsuccessful projects can be traced to failure of communication among architects, engineers, owners (educators and community stakeholders), and contractors"(After Bellenger).
In education, too frequently, the educational community has given design for efficiency, learning, and teaching over to architects, contractors, and engineers, assuming they know more about educational learning spaces than the educators themselves. Regardless of what happens in the design process, we should consider value engineering that includes the variable of how much the green building really influences teaching and learning. What are the pluses and minuses of "going green" for learning and teaching?
To ensure success for everyone, it is imperative to cultivate stronger communication skills and demand collaboration among the design team’s members as they work to enhance building performance. Why not also include building performance, student performance, and teaching efficacy as they relate the physical environment in the larger equation for success? Educators; however, can only work productively with the design team when they have been trained in educational facilities planning, design, and management that is based on sociophysical principles and characteristics. It is time too reinvent this component of the university curriculum for educators. Research in the area is beginning to flourish across many universities, worldwide. Educator participation and collaboration in planning and design of places and spaces for teaching and learning can again become robust.
Collaboration with equal influence on the design team is a new challenge and opportunity for education!
Lots of time and money is being dedicated to green construction in the name of efficiency. While I feel that is valid I would like to see more discussions revolve around how these green building techniques impact achievement. We must move past prior studies which look at indoor air quality and chemical use and really examine how we use a green structure to enhance instruction and student performance.
ReplyDeleteRegardless of whether sustainable/green/high performance design impacts (directly or indirectly) student achievement or worker morale; if the building saves the district financially, then it is worth the build. Still, this research is scarce and the paucity of cases (schools built to be net zero, etc.) in which to study has limited the analysis of the benefits of green building. We are going to the CEFPI conference in Tennessee, Sept. 14-17, where Greg Kats will present on the benefits of going green. Kats is touted as a leading expert in cost-benefit analysis according to sustainable design and also has a publication specifically aimed at schools...should be interesting!
ReplyDeleteAugust, 2011 is the projected opening date for the largest net-zero educational facility in the nation. Lady Bird Johnson Middle School, in Irving, Texas, is expected to produce as much energy as it uses. The 152,200-sf facility's energy-reducing strategies include: a geothermal HB+VAC system, passive solar interior daylighting, and a high-efficiency kitchen. Energy costs are expected to be reduced by 50% due to the on-site solar panels and wind turbines.
ReplyDeleteSource:
http://www.bdcnetwork.com/article/sustainability-tops-syllabus-net-zero-energy-school-texas
http://www.cleanenergyauthority.com/solar-energy-news/solar-will-light-nation-s-largest-net-zero-school-021011/
J. Barron, TSU
While discussing the collaboration of a project of this nature you stated the recent or traditional approach to design as being left up to the architects and designers, but in another blog I read requirments of an Educational Plan that involves more district planning and seems to me would directly affect the student achievement. I would like to see results in the near futue of these sustainable/green structures and achievement linked.
ReplyDeleteThe architect and the design team working along with our school board and administration and stakeholders help make our transitions on building a new green building all worth the educational planning time.
ReplyDeleteJ. King TSU
In response to Denea's comment, too often projects are being built green to suit the current status quo and focus more on being PC rather than really looking at the impact, yes dollars and cents, but also whether these new technologies affect student outcomes for the better. If skylights and solar heated water make student achievement go up, great! But we should not be building green unless there is great cause for the extra expense. There is a building in the community in which I live that is at most 2000 square feet and due to its green construction it cost around 1 million dollars. Now, that building is going to have to be around for a very long time to recoup the added green building costs.
ReplyDeleteJ. Purser-TSU
I think the most important plus is the learning environment created for students. The environment and structure of a school effects how students feel when entering the building.
ReplyDeleteF. Granados (TSU)
Studies show that teacher satisfaction and retention is related to the adequacy of school facilities. In one study, approximately 75% of principals indicated that school facilities impacted teacher attitudes, teacher recruitment and teacher retention. Studies show that teachers working in schools with satisfactory facility conditions are significantly more likely to express positive attitudes about their classrooms than teachers in unsatisfactory buildings. Poor facilities affect the health and productivity of teachers and make retention of teachers difficult. These factors should be considered by any national agenda that focuses on supporting teacher quality.
ReplyDelete(C. Scott -- TSU)
I would love to tour the school in Irving. The cost analysis would also be interesting to see.
ReplyDeleteB. Irick (TSU)