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Design PrinciPle 3: Be environmentally resPonsiBle, clean anD green

Charter School Patterns of Innovation A Building Better Communities Project

3.3.70UTILIZE THE LEARNING ENVIRONMENT AS AN EDUCATIONAL TOOL

Design Pattern 3.0: Utilize the Learning Environment as an Educational Tool

Problem:Many schools do not celebrate their facility’s environmental features such as photovoltaic panels, wind turbines, or water collection systems. Other school buildings hide their unique structure, building systems, or do not emphasize their material rich facades. These unique environmental/architectural marvels are useful in regards to the function of the building but are not aiding in the direct access/hands on learning for the students.

It is important to look at the potential of the building to be used as a teaching text. Ask what lessons can be learned by exposing the structure of the building, or revealing the energy consumption, for instance. Consider how the building is cared for as well, allowing students to become familiar with its complex workings and to help sustain its “life.” Also, consider that not only do sustainable green features such as photovoltaic panels, water collection systems, and solar chimneys aide in energy and cost conservation, but they become excellent teaching tools for students and teachers in the school’s curriculum. They can be dynamic models to teach architecture, engineering, construction, and environmental science. This allows the building and landscape to become a learning textbook.

Every element of a school building can provoke learning for those within. By exposing the building’s utilities technology infrastructure and sustainable systems we support our children’s future well being and their daily education. Visible building systems that harness the sun’s and wind’s energy, conserve energy , and use water effectively and efficiently help students understand the local, regional, and global interconnections of ecosystems.

At Sidwell Friends Middle School “students learn about green technologies in the field of photovoltaic panels. The roof also includes a green roof garden where students and teachers can go to learn about ecosystems on a tangible scale. Classes take responsibility for the care of the plants and the photovoltaic cells. Though the panels are not particularly cost effective (they account for about 5% of the building’s overall energy use), they are an excellent tool for educating students and the community about alternative energy sources. By employing this and other green technologies, the school was able to make a statement of sustainability to the community.” (Sidwell Friends Middle School website)

Solution:Look at the potential of the building and environment to be used as a learning textbook. Not only do sustainable green features such as photovoltaic panels, wind generated power, water collection systems, green roofs, and solar chimneys aide in energy and cost conservation, they become excellent teaching tools in the school’s curriculum. By integrating environmental aspects of the building into the program, students understand and observe first hand the principles of ecology and interdependence.

Best PracticesSidwell Friends Middle School• Sidwell Friends Middle School utilizes its

rooftop surfaces and courtyard as a teaching tool. It provides an excellent example of how building and environmental features aide in both the school curriculum and as a catalyst for communities that are in the process of engaging in “green” initiatives and environmental conservation. The virtual tour of Sidwell Friends Middle School has a thoughtfully scripted narrative about each of the sustainable features of the school that is written and spoken by students. The importance placed on using their school as an educational textbook is well illustrated in this web based, interactive teaching tool.

Ben Franklin Elementary School• At Ben Franklin Elementary School

courtyards between the classroom wings are landscaped with native plants and irrigated by rain water collected from the schools butterfly roof. Roll up garage door openings provide easy access to these outdoor learning labs.

Charter School of the Dunes• At the proposed Charter School of the

Dunes, architecture students Matt Goyak and Matt VanSoest were aware of the continuous blowing sand and its impact on the building, in particular outdoor decks. The architects envisioned students regularly sweeping away the sand, almost as a daily ritual, as they become stewards of the land and responsible for their school’s upkeep/maintenance. Learning how sand dunes form and the sand’s reaction to different wind patterns is a wonderful way to connect this environment to science class.

Denver School of Science and Technology• Exposing a building’s structural and

mechanical systems is both cost effective and stimulating. DSST has exposed to the eye the building’s system which are in turn used as teaching tools.

Thea Bowman Leadership Academy• The proposed Thea Bowman Leadership

Academy in Gary, Indiana contains courtyards that were originally designed only for natural sunlight and natural ventilation. It has been suggested to them to utilize these spaces to support outdoor activities such as Science Olympiad’s outdoor experiments. The courtyard, a building design feature, will foster outdoor work spaces.

Figure 3.3.0.1: Sidwell Friends Middle School is used as a 3D learning textbook with its solar chimneys, green roof, wetlands courtyard, and photovoltaic panels all accessible to the students and integrated into their learning agenda.

Figure 3.3.0.2: Building as a 3D learning textbook diagram.

A New Architecture for a New Education Ball State University

Design PrinciPle 3: Be environmentally resPonsiBle, clean anD green

3.3.71

Design Recommendations • Provoke inquiry and understanding among

the students and faculty by exploring strategies that make visible the systems of a “living building.”

• Utilize empty roof top areas for running and walking tracks. This is especially important for schools that do not have a lot of land for athletic/exercise fields or enough money in the building budget for large gymnasiums. Utilize these spaces for physical education or fitness training classes.

• Design rooftop gardens that allow students to plant and grow flowers and vegetables. Utilize these spaces for home-economics, biology, and cooking classes.

• Allow both physical and direct access to building envelop details like light shelves, louvers, and sunscreens. Design spaces that can accommodate a group of students to view such features.

• Allow the school and its environmental features to become a catalyst for communities that are trying to be “green.”

• Celebrate the building’s shading devices such as louvers, awnings, and sunscreens and utilize them in science class when discussing/studying solar energy, microclimate, sun angles, etc.

• Structural details, HVAC systems, electrical and plumbing conduits and pipes can be left exposed to aide in science and technology classes and discussions about how buildings work.

• Celebrate the building’s water collection system, create bioswales, cisterns, rain gardens, and retention ponds. Integrate these devices into biology and natural systems classes. Hold outdoor classrooms at these places and give students hands on access to water cisterns, downspouts, and other water holding and distribution devices.

• Incorporate wind turbines and photovoltaic panels and their energy analysis into math classes with quantitative models/questions regarding how much energy is saved via wind and how much energy can/will be sent back to the electrical grid of the nearby community.

UTILIZE THE LEARNING ENVIRONMENT AS AN EDUCATIONAL TOOL

Figure 3.3.0.4: Diagrammatic pattern showing how gray water and rain water can be used throughout a site.

• Give children small tasks such as picking vegetables from rooftop gardens or managing sunscreens. This allows them to take a sense of ownership in the day to day caretaking management of their school.

• Design spaces within the school’s wetlands, forests, riverbeds, and environmental amenities. The natural surroundings that encroach upon the students can act as a scene or back drop for learning.

• Orchards and planted forests, in close proximity to the school, not only help to shade the facility but create a unique microclimate for outdoor classroom use.

Figure 3.3.0.3: Sidwell axonometric diagram of the systems that are a part of the 3d learning textbook design integration.

Figure 3.3.0.5: Students learning about solar energy as they view and monitor the solar photovoltaic panels on top of the school roof of Sidwell Friends Middle School.

Figure 3.3.0.2: With the use of native plants in their courtyard, this space is easily maintained with rainwater collected and becomes a learning opportunity for students as well.