September 16, 2009
HEADLINE NEWS
New Coalition Launches Green Schools Initiative
The Coalition for Green Schools – the first national alliance of its kind – has begun efforts to have all U.S. children in healthier, green schools within a generation. Led by the U.S. Green Building Council (USGBC), the Coalition for Green Schools aims to improve air quality in educational facilities, enhance natural lighting, and promote students' overall health and well-being. States aiming to accomplish these goals can use their funding share from the nearly $9 billion allotted to them via the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009 (ARRA) - which applies to schools and colleges/universities.
According to the ARRA legislation, signed into law by President Barack Obama in February, states receive a total of $8.8 billion “for public safety and other government services, which may include assistance for elementary and secondary education, and for modernization, renovation, or repair of public school facilities and institutions of higher education facilities, including modernization, renovation, and repairs that are consistent with a recognized green building rating system.”
USGBC and the Coalition for Green Schools consider an investment in green educational facilities a sound long-term strategy – green schools save $100,000 per year, the organizations say in a release, “which could pay for two new teachers, buy 100 new computers, or purchase 5,000 new textbooks.”
Members of the Coalition for Green Schools include the National School Boards Association (NSBA – co-publisher of LEARNING BY DESIGN with Stratton Publishing & Marketing), National Education Association (NEA), National PTA, American Federation of Teachers (AFT), Association of School Business Officials International (ASBO), American Association of School Administrators (AASA), and the Council of Educational Facility Planners International (CEFPI).
For more information, go to www.usgbc.org.
BIM Technology Offers Efficient Design
The demand for efficiently designed educational facilities is boosting the widespread use of Building Information Modeling (BIM) technology. Because BIM allows project stakeholders to collaborate virtually, educators, architects, engineers, and anyone involved in the design and construction process can collaborate before a hammer ever hits a nail. Plus, BIM data can help architects more accurately predict the facility's energy use, a feature that is particularly valuable in the design and construction of green educational facilities.
The American Institute of Architects (AIA) is keeping step with BIM’s increasing popularity and use among its members, and has produced two substantive publications on the topic—The BIM Handbook and Green BIM: Successful Sustainable Design. The AIA also is hosting a virtual event on September 24 called “BIM Beyond Documentation: Improving Process and Workflow.” For details, go to www.aia.org.
The National Clearinghouse for Educational Facilities (NCEF) has a resourceful collection of articles on BIM technology as it pertains to educational facility design. Here are some of the resources noted on the NCEF Web site, www.edfacilities.org:
“Building Information Modeling: A Natural Progression of Technology”
By Paul Portal
www.dcd.com/insights/insights_mayjun_2_2009.html
This article describes how one design firm migrated to building information modeling (BIM), using their approach to designing a high school as an example.
“Getting Started and Working with Building Information Modeling”
By Dana Smith
www.appa.org/files/FMArticles/FM%20MayJuner09%20Smith.pdf
This article recommends strategies for getting started and presents the particular advantages to large portfolio operators, such as school systems and universities.
“Finished in a Flash”
By Julie Sturgeon
www.universitybusiness.com/viewarticle.aspx?articleid=1198
By Sturgeon, Julie
This article discusses BIM in the context of fast-tracking construction and bundling projects for higher education construction.
Deadline Approaches for Top Design Competition
In just two weeks, the nation's top competition for educational facility design will close its 2010 Call for Entries. LEARNING BY DESIGN already has received hundreds of outstanding entries for its General Excellence edition, publishers say, and predict they'll get many more before the final September 30 deadline. Each year, LEARNING BY DESIGN bestows several prestigious awards for the best in educational facility design and construction - from early childhood to colleges and universities. Plus, in 2010 LEARNING BY DESIGN will roll out a new Special Edition focused on green design and technology.
LEARNING BY DESIGN expanded its frequency in 2010 in response to reader research that confirmed increased interest in the magazine and educational design best practices. Additionally, the expanded design competition gives architectural firms that specialize in educational facilities two opportunities in 2010 to showcase their best work and gain national recognition.
If your firm is thinking about submitting a project by the September 30 deadline for LEARNING BY DESIGN’s General Excellence edition (published in April 2010), keep in mind that only Reservation Forms are due by September 30 lbd@strattonpublishing.com. Questions? Contact Phyllis Hurdleston, 717.560.6706 or Carrie Wood, 703.914.9200 ext. 25.
Read about and see photos of the 2009 LEARNING BY DESIGN award recipients.
FEATURE ARTICLES
College Design Delivers Visual Appeal
Everyday at Coastal Carolina Community College in Jacksonville, North Carolina, thousands of students are being served by the new Math & Science Building in a visually spectacular way. A project of Smith Sinnett Architecture, the building is among the outstanding projects featured in the Green Special Section of the latest edition of LEARNING BY DESIGN.
Among the building's features, the lobby is entirely glazed to project a luminous reflection and serves as a campus beacon when viewed from the heavily traveled boulevard. Natural daylight is prevalent in the classrooms, with light shelves and passive solar shading throughout the building. The mechanical system is composed of water-source heat pumps with a geothermal source.
Read more
Middle School Creates Urban Educational Park
Central Middle School is at the center of a thriving new urban educational park in Columbus, Indiana. A project of Perkins + Will and CSO Architects, the school features substantial green spaces in a downtown location and as well as abundant natural light. Winner of a 2009 Citation of Excellence Award from LEARNING BY DESIGN, Central Middle School serves 978 students in grades 7-8.
Also among the schools features, an L-shaped plan efficiently organizes the general and specialized classrooms in one wing, and shared facilities - such as music, performing arts, gymnasium, and library – in the other. At the junction of these two wings is a two-story commons, which opens onto an outdoor U-shaped courtyard.
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