A Holistic Approach to High Performance and Healthy Schools
K-12 education planners, designers and facility operators are leaving no stone unturned to reduce energy consumption in schools today. We are working in harmony to meet more stringent energy standards and an overall mind shift toward increasingly energy efficient buildings. But does this approach to cost and environmental savings provide an unintended consequence?
We must remain focused on the reason we design schools in the first place: to provide a safe, healthy and comfortable environment for students to learn. Without this, we risk inhibiting productivity and wellbeing in the name of energy conservation.
DLR Group recently presented a more holistic view of healthy and energy efficient buildings at two industry events, including the ASHRAE IBPSA Building Simulation Conference in Atlanta and the Midwest Facilities Masters Conference in Wisconsin Dells, Wis. We told our story by using a case study of Rockford (Ill.) Public School District 205.
Our example was more than a review of physical condition data in the District’s existing Master Plan; we also evaluated energy consumption of each of the 45 buildings and conducted a comprehensive data collection and analysis process that graded the Thermal Comfort, Indoor Air Quality, Acoustics and Visual Comfort of each facility. What we found was insightful. Some of the most energy efficient schools were not providing adequate learning environments due to poor indoor environmental quality, which limits the adequacy of the learning environment itself. Our findings informed the Board of Education and a revised Educational Facility Master Plan was created for the District moving forward.
The WELL Building Standard, the first standard that focuses solely on the health and wellness of occupants, echoes our beliefs stating that “the time has come to elevate human health and comfort to the forefront of building practices and reinvent buildings that are not only better for the planet – but also better for people.” Similar to LEED, the WELL Building Standard offers the opportunity to become Certified, Silver and Gold by earning points from their predetermined list of 102 performance metrics under their seven categories of wellness; Air, Water, Nourishment, Light, Fitness, Comfort and Mind.
This holistic approach to evaluating the health of a building is essential to future school designs. Our buildings have a direct impact on the occupants that inhabit them. As the largest K-12 design firm in the country, the onus is on us to provide environments where students can perform to their fullest abilities.
By adopting building standards that respond to occupant comfort and human health in a building, such as LEED, Green Globes, The Living Building Challenge and especially The WELL Building Standard, we will lead the way to high performing and healthy buildings. Now is the time to challenge ourselves and our clients to think differently and holistically so we can truly elevate the human experience through design.