Its first fire lit in December 2008, Middlebury College's biomass gasification plant is the result of several years of study, research, and collaboration between the College's students, faculty, staff, and trustees.
- By Christine Beitenhaus
- 05/01/09
If LEED states that commissioning is the key to acquiring a building that performs as intended, what about building systems that were never commissioned? Short of a substantial system failure, can we assume optimal performance? The answer is absolutely no
- By Michael Della Barba
- 05/01/09
Metro Nashville Public Schools (MNPS) has 14 million sq. ft., 5,000 classrooms, 187 structures, and 75,000 students. With rising energy costs and aging equipment, how were district administrators to save money on energy costs? With a little help from thei
While colleges and universities implement improved building design concepts, top-flight security camera systems, and truly amazing access control technologies, it is equally important to improve the awareness of students as a means to create the human sup
Despite numerous federal, state, and local codes requiring routine testing and documentation NFPA 101, International Fire Code, and International Building Code to name a few mandated testing of emergency lighting units remains a "hit or
To reduce cyber bullying, multiple strategies must be employed. The collective efforts of staff, students, and parents are needed to protect all children. In addition, educators and parents need to teach students the pro-social behaviors they will need th
- By Michael Dreiblatt
- 05/01/09
As Web 2.0 tools grow in popularity among school-age children, the inevitable step for schools is to incorporate the collaborative technology into the learning environment. A study conducted by the Consortium for School School Networking (CoSN), released
- By Christine Beitenhaus
- 05/01/09
For a wide portion of the country, hail presents an additional weather challenge, one that can be extremely costly. Hail damage to roof assemblies within the United States and worldwide results in millions of dollars of economic loss each year.
- By Tom Hutchinson, Jim D. Koontz
- 05/01/09
In today's market, the cost of adding a sloped metal roof system over an existing roof is, in most cases, less than the cost of removing a flat roof, placing the removed materials in a landfill, and replacing it with a built-up roofing (BUR) or modif
Tests show how certain roofs hold up to hail storms.
- By Tom Hutchinson, Jim D. Koontz
- 05/01/09
Some say that interactive Websites aimed at the college crowd have crossed a line but just who isn't lying awake at night fretting this may startle you.
- By Julie Sturgeon
- 05/01/09
Many of our schools were better prepared for this possible pandemic, their emergency plans having been dusted off after the threat of the avian (bird) flu and SARS a few years back. . Given the human tendency to look on the bright side, my guess is that m
The Pell Grant program, originated in 1965, is seeing some changes lately. It received a boost in funding from the ARRA, and could see more changes with the proposed 2010 budget. Increasing the maximum grant awarded will help open up access to post-second
- By Christine Beitenhaus
- 05/01/09
School facilities managers and maintenance staff have the difficult task of balancing the relationship of use, maintenance, quality, and budget. Safety concerns, vandalism, age of the development, user complaints, poor visual appearance, and lack of maint
Despite numerous federal, state, and local codes requiring routine testing and documentation NFPA 101, International Fire Code, and International Building Code to name a few mandated testing of emergency lighting units remains a "hit or
Since children spend most of their time in schools, daycare facilities, or at home, it is important to reduce their exposure to environmental pollutants as much as possible. Statistics show children receive the majority of their chemical exposure indoors
- By Henning Bloech
- 05/01/09
Gustavus Adolphus College is a private liberal arts college of the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America in St. Peter, MN. In an integrated and conscious effort to promote sustainable efforts, choices such as reusable to-go containers, high-efficiency wa
- By Tom Lany, Charles Owens
- 04/01/09
With the green movement gaining momentum, it is still a surprise to some at just how few districts have stepped up and committed to green resolutions for their schools. In Orange County (CA), slices of green can be found within several districts. At Brea
Building Green and educational environments for special-needs students.
- By Cathy Purple Cherry
- 04/01/09
A survey published in a recent issue of USA Today asked average Americans how likely they were to shop for environmentally responsible products during the economic downturn. The answer surprised me. Thirty-four percent were more likely to, and only eight
The National Commission on Teaching and America's Future (NCTAF) recently released Learning Teams: Creating What's Next, a report detailing an impending wave of teacher retirements and new solutions to address the supply of teachers in our natio
- By Christine Beitenhaus
- 04/01/09