Phipps Conservatory and Botanical Gardens

Project Snapshot

PROJECT: Healthy Sustainable Classrooms
LOCATION: Pittsburgh, Pa.
COMPANY NAME: Mohawk Industries
WEBSITE: www.mohawkind.com

Healthy Sustainable Classrooms

The SEEDclassroom: Classroom of the Future Stresses Sustainability and Healthy Students SEEDclassrooms are a healthy and sustainable alternative to standard portable classrooms. These modular, hands-on learning spaces conform to Living Building Challenge standards, and their exposed systems make them the ultimate teaching tools. Phipps Conservatory and Botanical Gardens in Pittsburgh, PA, recently completed a SEEDclassroom with red list-free carpet tile by Mohawk Group. Not only is the carpet a highly sustainable product, but students even helped design the flooring layout as part of learning about healthy spaces. Mohawk Group flooring offers multiple solutions in the SEEDclassroom, calling attention to the importance of healthy learning environments.

THE CHALLENGE

Standard portable classrooms provide quick solutions for expansion but rarely offer adequate natural light or ventilation and may contain materials with high levels of toxins. “SEEDclassrooms are a space solution with a positive learning impact,” says Stacy H. Smedley, co-founder of the SEEDcollaborative and preconstruction manager and sustainable initiative lead for Skanska USA Building. “We want to find ways to educate and inspire students to see the importance of sustainability and the role buildings can play in our lives, while also providing the classroom space needed.”

THE SOLUTION

The SEEDclassroom at Phipps and one under construction in D.C. use flooring by Mohawk Group, which has dedicated the last decade to leading the building product manufacturing sector in sustainability and transparency. “Mohawk’s vast inventory of red list-free products is why we were selected to be part of this important and exciting initiative,” says Rochelle Routman, Mohawk’s vice president of sustainability. The International Living Future Institute compiles the “red list” of harmful chemicals as part of the Living Building Challenge, a rigorous building certification program to which SEEDclassrooms adhere.

Healthy Sustainable Classrooms

IMPACT ON LEARNING

According to Routman, “The carpet tile used in the Phipps SEEDclassroom — Lees Sequences II Collection — is one of more than 490 Mohawk products that are red list-free. Sequences II also features EcoFlex NXT, which is a PVC-free backing that is lighter than similar PVC products. This makes the tile easier to install and reduces the carbon footprint in shipping.” The Phipps SEEDclassroom shows students what a healthy space looks like. Students even helped design the floor — they wanted it to look like water, explains Smedley, “So we used carpet tiles with the colors of water to create a beautiful landscape on the floor. With Mohawk, we have a custom carpet that we know is healthy for students.”

Editor’s Review

The U.S. Department of Education’s report, “A Summary of Scientific Findings on Adverse Effects of Indoor Environments on Students’ Health, Academic Performance and Attendance,” states that there is evidence poor environments in schools due to the effects of indoor pollutants adversely affect health, performance and attendance. By using red-list-free carpet tiles, the designers helped ensure that everyone in the SEED classrooms would remain healthy.

Also, by including the students in the design process and using appropriate colors, etc., the school decision makers have done their best to provide an environment that should enhance student achievement, teacher effectiveness and staff efficiency.

This article originally appeared in the issue of .

Featured

  • Fellowes Launches New 3D Modular, Product Configurators

    Contract interiors and architectural solutions provider Fellowes recently announced the launch of new 3D modular and product configurators for several of its product lines, according to a news release. The new products offer SIF file integration and pricing for the Volo, Markerboards, Sena, and Rising product lines in connection with 3D Cloud, which provides 3D product visualization and 3D digital asset management.

  • Epson Receives Seven AV Industry Awards

    Projectors manufacturer Epson recently announced that it received multiple awards across the Higher Ed AV Awards, SCN Stellar Service Awards, and InfoComm 2025, according to a news release. The company was recognized for three projectors from its PowerLite L-Series line, accessories, installation process, and its customer support team.

  • old university building with visible aging signs, overlaid with digital data graphics like thermal maps, charts, and system icons

    Modernizing Higher Education Infrastructure: Why Smarter Facility Management Is Essential to Protecting Aging Schools

    Schools now have the opportunity to adopt smarter, more strategic approaches to futureproof operations and enhance the on-campus experience.

  • Addressing the Housing Affordability Crisis Through Creative Campus Development

    Many Southern California college and university campuses are living amidst surging housing costs, driving the need to house more of their populations on campus. Especially for community colleges, the need to support millions of unhoused and housing insecure students has become a prominent issue that lawmakers and institutions alike are trying to solve.

Digital Edition