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Water-Tech: Making Green Greener

Green cleaning for hard surfaces has progressed on a continuum from reducing toxic chemistries to eliminating them wherever possible. Now technology and cleaning science have helped us to return to the most essential of cleaners and solvents — water

A Small Footprint

A design strategy was developed to maintain an exceptionally compact building footprint, maximize shared public spaces, utilize renewable and recyclable building materials and incorporate teaching tools within the architecture. The new campus supports the

Water-Tech: Making Green Greener

Green cleaning for hard surfaces has progressed on a continuum from reducing toxic chemistries to eliminating them wherever possible. Now technology and cleaning science have helped us to return to the most essential of cleaners and solvents — water

Keys for Successful District Master Planning

Master planning begins with creating appropriate standards for world-class facilities. A comprehensive condition and educational suitability assessment will bring focus to district facilities that fail to meet these standards. The condition of a single fa

Learning Green

From energy economics and sustainable building designs to water conservation and biofuels made from algae, sharply higher numbers of UC San Diego undergraduates are opting for majors and minors, classes, internships, and research projects that emphasize e

A Sign of the (Green) Times: The Rise of E-Cycling

As the use of technology grows, we have enjoyed increased capabilities, global networks and faster results within personal, professional and educational realms. Unfortunately, this shift to a technologically based global culture has introduced one of the

Designing With an Eye On Security

In the wake of the tragic event at Virginia Tech, there have been significant changes at the University, as well as other institutions of higher learning, and also within the architecture profession. Among the lessons of the Virginia Tech tragedy, archite

Developing Confident Learners Through Movement

We all know young children learn through play and discovery. The coordination of intellectual and physical development, with guided play and fun activities, is vital to their development and must be one of the focal areas of elementary schools. Good movem

Mercy College: Mentoring Programs and New Degrees Boost Enrollment

Mercy College recently announced a notable expansion in enrollment for the 2009-2010 academic year, as its total number of quality students approaches 10,000. Deirdre Whitman, vice president of enrollment management, cited a number of reasons for this gro

Not Just Black and White

Numerous studies have indeed shown that, under some circumstances, a building's air conditioning-related energy consumption can be reduced through the use of reflective roofing. These studies, along with some overly enthusiastic marketing efforts, ha

High Performance Schools Lead the Way

During the last 10 years, the modern high-performance schools movement has invited design elements focusing on energy conservation and occupant comfort. Multi-level lighting systems have allowed teachers to switch lights on only when needed, day lighting

Using All Resources Available

In security, risk minimization is everything. You can never completely eliminate the possibility of a school shooting or other types of breakdowns in security, but you can make the system as secure as possible by using your resources efficiently and using

Take Another Look at Energy Efficiency

The pursuit of energy efficiency and sustainability is a major focus in the U.S. today, influencing our choice of everything from automobiles to windows to the foods we eat. The higher education community is immersed in this drive toward environmental res

Green School Design: Sustainable, Teachable, Promotable

What can be learned from a school building that earned the first sustainability award of its kind from the U.S. Green Building Council? School administrators are increasingly aware that sustainable buildings can reduce an institution's water and ener

The Commitment to Change: Leading the Charge

Through the American College & University Presidents' Climate Commitment (ACUPCC) network, more than 675 institutions have come together to provide leadership-by-example for other sectors by pledging to take immediate actions, create longer-term

Reducing the Likelihood of School Fires

Recently I was asked how many fires really occur in kindergarten through high school occupancies. The context of the question was in relation to how much time should be spent on fire and life safety issues in schools given all the other responsibilities o

In Their Own Hands

Aware students are secure students. Is your campus doing enough to encourage and empower student safety groups? And can there be too much of a good thing?

Invest Time in Fire Safety Training

Fire safety programs have seen dramatic changes during the last year because of budgets. Fewer people, the same amount of work, and in most cases, more work, were comments heard from attendees from all geographic regions. All were optimistic that they wou

Sustainable Design and Construction: Collaboration Is Key

When it comes to designing and building a green school, relationships are critical to delivering a 21st century facility, which is valued by the entire community. River Crest Elementary in Hudson, Wis., is a prime example of the power of solid collaborati

IT Is Easy Being Green

There's a quiet revolution occurring within information technology departments on some college campuses. They are taking notice of the energy used to power desktops and data centers and they are starting to make adjustments to shift the burden.

Staying Green

While green movement is gaining steam in the education sector, even simple changes can make a difference.

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