Sustainability


Articles

  • New Kent State Academic Building Earns LEED Silver Certification

    Kent State University in Kent, Ohio, recently announced that its newest academic building, Crawford Hall, has earned a LEED Silver certification from the U.S. Green Building Council, according to a news release. The facility was recognized for its innovative design, water conservation technologies, energy-efficient systems, and sustainable construction materials, among other features.

  • University of Kentucky Sees Positive Results from Energy Efficiency Program

    The University of Kentucky in Lexington, Ky., recently announced the results of its Energy Program in Facilities Management, put into place eight years ago, according to a news release. Between the fiscal years of 2017 and 2025, the university’s campus grew by 13.6% while the energy use per square foot dropped by 19.2%.

  • Key Considerations for Office-to-Higher-Education Facility Conversions

    Since the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic, office-to-alternative-use conversions have become a recurring subject of urban development discourse. Office utilization rates across major U.S. cities remain below 50%, with vacancy rates exceeding 27% in San Francisco and 16% in New York. Higher education facilities present programmatic and spatial use cases that align readily with the typical characteristics of commercial office buildings.

  • Ancient Resilience: How Indigenous Intelligence Shapes the 4Roots Education Building

    As climate change intensifies, educational spaces must evolve beyond basic sustainability toward true resilience – we must design environments that can adapt, respond, and thrive amid shifting, and intensifying, climate hazards. Drawing on indigenous wisdom and nature-based strategies, integrating resilient design offers a path to create learning environments that are not only functional but deeply in tune with their natural surroundings.


Podcasts

  • PCM and Energy Savings in Schools

    This episode’s guest is Michael Dunn, Technical Sales Manager for Energy Saving Ceilings & PCM at Armstrong World Industries. He’s here to talk about how Phase Change Material (PCM) can help provide energy savings in schools. You’ll learn why many K¬–12 schools are on the hunt for a new HVAC solution and the practical applications of PCM ceiling panels in regulating temperature without driving up energy costs. He’ll also share the results of the case study at a New Hampshire high school that demonstrated the technology’s effectiveness. This episode is sponsored by Armstrong World Industries.

  • You Can’t Build Your Way to Net Zero

    This episode’s guest is Lori Ferriss, architect with the Boston firm Goody Clancy and Chair of the AIA Committee on the Environment. We’ll discuss how colleges and universities can’t just build their way to net zero in the quest for carbon neutrality—it’s impossible to achieve carbon neutrality without reducing the operational emissions of existing buildings.

  • Shedding Light on the Benefits of Daylight

    Our guest today is Dr. Neall Digert, Vice President of Solatube International, Inc., who’s here to tell us about the benefits of daylight in education spaces. Neall has over thirty years of consulting and education experience working in the energy, lighting, daylighting design, and research fields, specializing in the design and application of advanced lighting and daylighting systems for commercial building applications. We’ll talk about the physiological and psychological effects of daylight; daylighting’s impact on student wellness and academic performance; the sustainability effects of daylight; its use as a disinfectant; and much more.


Webcasts


Whitepapers

  • Elevate Campus Air Quality & Efficiency with ERV

    Discover how Energy Recovery Ventilation (ERV) is setting new standards for healthy, cost-effective campus environments.

  • ClassMate® by Airedale: IAQ Solution for Today and Tomorrow

    Read this case study about heating, cooling, and ventilation solution for a school district in Danville, Illinois. The ClassMate® by Airedale proved to be the ideal choice, meeting the schools’ requirements for comfort, energy efficiency, quiet operation, and ease of maintenance. Implementing these units resulted in cost savings and improved air quality, providing a successful solution for enhancing the learning environment in the schools.

  • Sustainable Design: Time for a Reset?

    How close are we to ensuring our school buildings are adequately protecting the environment? School design and functionality have become indelibly intertwined for the health and welfare of students, staff, and the planet. This paper discusses pitfalls limiting the “green” building and looks forward at achieving short- and long-term sustainability.


Digital Edition