(James H. Berchert Photography, via Hutton Architecture Studio)
What do we think of when we hear “Sustainability?” More often than not we will begin to think of our country’s limited resources and how they must support our rapid rate of consumption and growing population. We think of electric cars, solar-powered homes, wind turbines, and many more energy-efficient ways of living. What about sustainable schools?
Students in Mosca, Colorado are experiencing this phenomenon first-hand with the newly constructed Sangre de Cristo K-12 School. According to Paul Hutton, a sustainability consultant, “The new [school] offers plenty of natural daylight and other design features intended to create a better learning environment while reducing energy costs for the school district.”
In addition to specially designed rooms that allow more natural sunlight to be let in, reducing the need for lights, the school employs a “geo-exchange system” that uses underground pipes to heat and cool the building without using fossil fuels. The project was funded by the recently launched BEST (Building Excellent Schools Today) program. According to Ted Hughes, the BEST program director, “the program received $122 million in the last fiscal year, 85 percent of which came from oil and gas companies that operate on state lands.” Even though this is a great step in the right direction, there are only 30 schools across the nation that are as sustainable as Sangre de Cristo. With any luck this kind of sustainable architecture will begin to spread, along with the influence of the BEST program, in the interest of a more sustainable future.
Below is a video that features various people talking about
their construction of an energy efficient school.
References:
1. Witkin, Jim. "From Oil and Gas Revenue, the Greenest of Schools." New York Times October 14, 2011. n. pag. Web. 3 Nov. 2011.
I think it's great that schools are taking initiative to "go green". They are undoubtedly saving a lot of money, which can be put towards more beneficial uses for the students.
ReplyDeleteI also think this can be a great experience for the children. They can learn sustainable practices while they are growing up. This hopefully will stick with them and pass through generations.
Finally, as I was reading this post, I was constantly thinking of the ARC. I know that the ARC keeps many of the lights off during the day, allowing sun light to keep the facility lit. It makes me wonder if it was built this way intentionally. These giant buildings like schools and gyms should continue to cut down on energy use by constructing buildings that allow sunlight to illuminate the facility.
I think this is a very interesting topic to talk about. When thinking about "going green" many times we also only think of big company buildings but we rarely think of how much electricity is used in schools. There is so much that goes into consideration when engineering a school, having the proper lighting and ventilation so children don't get tired throughout the day is one just one thing that is important but thinking about being sustainable should be just as important. I also agree with Paige that it is important that children learn the importance of being sustainable and not wasteful so this can be carried on to the future generations when it will be even more important.
ReplyDeleteThis is a great example of what can be accomplished when a group of people think in a sustainable way. I wonder if this will start catching on with other schools across the country. This type of change can save school districts a lot of money as well as lower their environmental impact. I think that BEST is doing a great job and pioneering a new field. Making this changes to buildings is good for the students, staff, and wallets of the tax payers. I like that the design incorporates more natural light. I think natural light is vital to create a good learning atmosphere. Our classroom in the Armory doesn't have any windows and sometimes it feels like we have class in a dungeon. I hope that this idea becomes a trend across the country!
ReplyDeleteSo interesting, Cody! And 85% of the moneys came from occupying oil and gas companies--I wonder about their agreement with the state. It seems such a good private/public partnership when states can demand capital investment into sustainable public projects such as this! Of course, those agreements must be binding and encourage good corporate citizenship as we will all learn on Thursday!
ReplyDeleteThis is really interesting! I love the idea of making schools sustainable not only because they are large structures that can use a lot of energy, but also because it exposes our children to the idea of sustainability early. If we can continue to build sustainable schools, we can expose thousands of children to sustainable living.
ReplyDeleteI also think it is important to make our school cafeterias more sustainable, producing healthier more local and organic foods. If we can do both of these things, perhaps we can change the way the younger generation thinks.
I found this to be quite interesting. You are right, whenever I think of sustainability I only focus on limiting resources. However, I believe by developing a sustainable school, students will then learn how to be more sustainable.
ReplyDelete