Sustainable Design: Time for a Reset?
After 50+ years of trial and error, how close are we to ensuring our school buildings adequately protect the environment? We’re entering the cusp of a new era in which the sustainable design and functionality of a school have become indelibly intertwined with the health and welfare of students, staff, surrounding communities, and the planet. As school administrators and facilities directors look at new ways to ensure a healthy interior environment, building envelope projects need to be evaluated not only on the immediate benefits for students but on their environmental impact over the next several decades of the building’s life.
This informative paper discusses the common pitfalls that have limited the effectiveness of “green” building initiatives in the past and looks to the future with a more holistic definition of sustainability that includes measurement of short- and long-term benefits through Life Cycle Assessment.