Although learning can take place anywhere, the school itself can be as important as the subject matter taught. Understanding this distinction is a critical first step to creating environments where students are not only encouraged, but empowered. Architects and engineers who grasp the challenges facing staff and students can combine that knowledge with resource and design strategies to create classrooms that are nurturing, educationally powerful, and eco-friendly.

Using sunlight in the educational environment is one well-documented way to enhance the learning experience. The National Renewable Energy Laboratory confirms this: “School children and teachers can benefit from integrating and managing daylight properly,” the organization notes in a recent report available at www.nrel.gov. “Reported benefits include reduced utility costs for school districts, improved student attendance and academic performance, and a less stressful environment for students.”

Natural benefits
At The Hope Academy, for example, natural light encourages attendance, improves student performance, and provides a less stressful environment for students. This charter high school, located on the campus of The Fairbanks Addiction Treatment Center in Indianapolis, IN, is committed to the sobriety, academic success, and personal growth of its recovering students. Each day, they are welcomed by an atrium filled with natural light, and a suspended glass sculpture representing the school’s core values reflects sunlight and bathes the foyer in color. The entrance reinforces the belief that by combining educational excellence, effective schools, and an achievement-oriented curriculum with the promotion of sobriety and health, students can graduate sober and ready for higher education or the workforce.

Using abundant sunlight is a well-documented way to enhance the learning environment, as shown above at The Hope Academy in Indianapolis, IN.

Learning empowerment
Adjacent design also plays a critical role in student success. Arranging core academic areas in a manner that supports and encourages a variety of organizational structures—from formal and practical to informal and comfortable—enhances learning.

When officials at Manchester College in North Manchester, IN, decided to build a new science facility, their design needed to accentuate the school’s hands-on approach to science. The Manchester College Science Center empowers learners by providing informal areas for students and faculty to interact.

The building’s design emphasizes the informal aspects of learning, creating a comfortable atmosphere for students and faculty. Corridors are punctuated with study alcoves and equipped with large tables and wireless Internet access to facilitate team interaction. Study lounges are strategically situated near laboratories, faculty offices, and around the atrium on all floor levels to promote spontaneous encounters and serve as venues for informal gatherings and unstructured learning opportunities. Similarly, laboratories can be reconfigured to meet changing curriculum needs and provide ample space for collaboration.

The U.S. Department of Energy estimates that the nation’s schools spend an average of $175 per student per year on energy costs. Use of eco-friendly design strategies, however, can cut costs down to as little as $122 per student, according to the agency.

The Manchester College Science Center exercises good stewardship of resources by using eco-friendly materials and energy- efficient systems. Simple features that allow for comfortable, cost-effective learning environments include the use of motion-activated light fixtures, plumbing fixtures that reduce water consumption by 30 percent, reflective membrane roofing for cooling efficiencies, and low-emissivity coated window glass that allows maximum sunlight penetration with no heat-producing radiation.

Planners can also use sustainable, eco-friendly design strategies outside the buildings. Franklin Community High School in Franklin, IN, is a prime example of an enhanced open-air learning experience. An outdoor educational lab, which incorporates the means to capture surface water from parking surfaces for filtration and disposal, was designed as part of the facility. The captured water is passed through a series of natural habitats so it can be cleaned and managed before it is safely released into local waterways.

Andrew N. Costlow, R.A., and Daniel Rawlins, R.A., are principals and senior project managers with InterDesign in Indianapolis, IN. Reach them at acostlow@interdesign.com and drawlins@interdesign.com.