Offsetter Clare, USA | Discovering 5 Ways To Get Sustainability in Education Buildings ...

Our Offsetter Clare, lives in Washington, USA and keeps us updated with snippets of her exciting stories and findings while she's there.  She recently attended a Master Class, held by Ed Mazria, which focused on the design of a fictional middle school, in effort to get architects thinking more sustainably ...

Ed Mazria
©(2010)MetropolisMag

It was really exciting to hear Ed Mazria would be holding a design class.  Known to American architects for his 2030 Challenge to clean up the environment through sustainable practices, I discovered he was going to join a select members of the DLR Group, an architect design firm, in Washington to help them design six fictional middle schools.


The project formed part of the the DLR Group's annual educational event, who this year are focussed on building skills to meet the 2030 reduction targets, through proposing six different designs to suit six different educational buildings.

The six teams began by sitting in different rooms, where they set their goals.  A previous University Lecturer, Mazria entered the first team’s room and observed quietly from his stool, in a laid-back, professorial manner, offering brief-specific advice:

"... in the hot, dry Phoenix climate, are you considering natural ventilation?"

In response to the team’s use of Ecotect Weather Tool, which employs climate-specific data to generate their building’s optimal orientation, Mazria warned them about taking generalized recommendations “too literally.” Instead, he said,

“You can still do different things... You can bring in daylight from the roof. You can break the structure into smaller parts.”

His enthusiasm was evident, as he took visible pleasure in the design process, eagerly watching reactions to his suggestions as teams adapted and changed their ideas accordingly.

Ed Mazria's Master Class
©(2010)MetropolisMag

Working with another DLR team, who had finished the initial goal-setting unusually quickly and were already debating specifics like energy-saving strategies, Mazria, although refrained from commenting, began to question assumptions.  Later he explained his reticence saying that as the group was already committed to their decisions, they would have had trouble adapting his suggestions easily, which in turn, “confirms what I thought about how architects work,” implying that the first 3D images are sometimes developed from incomplete information.

A Chart of Architects 2030's Goals
©(2010)MetropolisMag

This is precisely a flaw which Mazria’s non-profit organization aims to remedy, by developing tools to increase the starting vocabulary of solutions that designers can draw from, and encourage them to commit to efficiency and energy reduction at the earliest stage, when they have the most creative control.

But it wasn't only design advice DLR teams were eager to hear about, they were also curious to learn how Mazria conveys his passion for sustainable building to clients, particularly when an owner’s budget and risk tolerance often determine whether certain technologies or materials are eventually used.  His answer was slightly glib: In 35 years of practice, he said,

“No client has ever asked me to design an inefficient building.”

Mazria pointed out that designers should be more assertive and make energy efficiency their status quo.  Designers have to learn to adjust other variables so as to stay within budget without compromising on ultimately reducing waste.

The interior of Ed Mazria's New Mexico home, designed by Mazria's own Firm. The masonry walls and floors in the dining and living areas absorb heat and provide cool interior surfaces in summer and warmth in the winter.
©(2010)MetropolisMag

In my opinion, there are few who could be both designer and advocate effectively and without being "preachy".  His firm but positive approach is unquestionably a necessary weapon for the massive change we need to deal with climate change.

Having said that, one conversation still stands out from the day, where a team member, giving in to his reluctance to add a specific solar shading technology to his group’s design, muttered half-jokingly,

“well … cost is no object [in this assignment], so we’ll go for it.”

Ultimately, the day's event was about the method of analyzing a site and coming up with the most elegant solution to formal, functional, and environmental necessities.

Hopefully, this experience will help convert the 60 participants – all previously well versed in sustainable design – into catalysts in their 22 home offices, and that each local team will be able to work further towards the firm’s 2030 commitments and, ideally, to win both colleagues and clients to their "green" side in the process!

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SO WHAT DID WE LEARN??

Despite popular belief, eco-friendly building design in schools is not costly. The complete cost increase over standard design is less than 2%. Decreased energy use on it’s own can swiftly counter these costs. Buildings that are sustainable benefit the public, the children, and the world in many ways. Start your district on the path to environmentally friendly schools, today!

Here are five cost-cutting ways to improve our school buildings:

1. Photoluminescent Safety Signs: School districts pay thousands of dollars every year operating and maintaining school emergency exit signage.

Significant ways to reduce these costs include the use of photoluminescents. These types of signs are powered solely by the ambient light from standard fluorescent lighting.  There are no electrical parts.  Furthermore, there are no toxic, self-luminous agents. These sustainable exit signs are 100% recyclable and reduce CO2 emissions by nearly 500,000 pounds annually, per 100 signs installed.

2. Smart and Eco-Friendly Roofs: Easy high-reflection roofing has higher durability over that of regular roofing, and it also allows a bounce-off impact of direct sunlight, cutting cooling bills.  Green Roofs, or full roof gardens, lower the costs of air conditioning further, boost roofing longevity by 30-50 years, and produce valuable “green space” for students to take advantage of and enjoy.

3. Fresh Air Flow Design:  Previous generations didn’t give thought to opening a classroom window. In the rush to build inexpensive schools that meet a baseline of building codes, the simple operable window has virtually disappeared.  Air flow in typical schools is managed through the reuse of current in-building air supplies, distributing cold and flu viruses through the school.  Greener technology brings back the open window, pulls clean air through roof venting, and uses heat energy from stale, exhausted air to cut energy costs. Wellness financial savings to the community can add up to millions.

4. Solar Power Energy:  Active solar panels positively lower emissions and energy expenses. Solar power also permits schools to earn money by supplying excess power back into the public grid. Passive solar power, through use of large windows and skylights, is another way to conserve. This specific technology utilizes the pure warmth of sunlight to lessen the need for powered fixtures and mechanical heating.

5.  Gathering Rain:  One average-sized school will save 2 million gallons of water and 1,000 pounds in nitrogen runoff when utilizing rainwater collection. Tank-stored rainwater is typically used to power flush toilets, irrigate school grounds and, when correctly filtered, produce tap water for the entire building. Yearly it could save tens of thousands of dollars.


Claire (Offsetter).

Our ”Offsetters” are a group of writers, comprising of anyone who has a personal passion for ethical development.

Why not contribute to our blog and networking pages through short updates? Inspire our readers to be ethical by giving them a taste of exciting people and news you’ve come across, and tell us about all the interesting, ethical things going on we don't know about!  Email charlie@offsetwarehouse.com to find out more.