https://www.scribd.
com/doc/48931367/Architectural-Thesis-Proposal
http://trace.tennessee.edu/cgi/viewcontent.cgi?article=2715&context=utk_gradthes
http://www.dpwh.gov.ph/pdf/PGBC-5.pdf
http://www3.cec.org/islandora-gb/en/islandora/object/islandora%3A1075
http://www3.cec.org/islandora-gb/en/islandora/object/islandora%3A1075/datastream/OBJ-EN/view
https://www.google.com.ph/search?q=concept%20diagram%20for%20green
%20architecture&tbm=isch&tbs=rimg
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P1n4qEgn_1Iq9bVIrPMhF0jkQ3dCCGXioSCRGrIDbw2YN8ERb-
imrjwpXE&tbo=u&bih=662&biw=1366&ved=0ahUKEwigws6GwbXPAhUCGZQKHW2JCn0Q9C8ICQ#imgrc
=8aFyNMa1oZ7lvM%3A
http://www.slideshare.net/waleedliaqat/leed-2009-applied-to-a-mixed-building
ABSTRACT
The importance of school buildings has been recognized as a fundamental element of modern society.
Today, roughly a quarter of America’s population, including our youngest citizens, spend the majority of
their days in school buildings. Still, many of our nation’s schools are in disrepair, with systems in need of
repair or replacement. Over the years, strong evidence and research have shown that school building
impact student’s health and their ability to learn. Green schools mean healthier environments for
students and staff. Pragmatically, we also know that green schools save money. Energy efficient
buildings help reduce energy costs, which in turn frees up money for crucial academic and student
support services. This thesis proposes a study in which a combination of green school design and
educational goals set the stage for the attributes of green schools to become teaching tools that help
children develop a conscience of sustainability and complexity of living and built systems around us.
Assuming that school facilities, whether functioning well or not, serve as powerful pedagogical
instrument, one may argue that if the power of these attributes as three-dimensional textbooks was
connected, the impact on learning for the next generation of students would be limitless. School
buildings could then provide students with opportunities to connect with themselves, their community
and their local environment. Through hands-on, real world learning experiences children could see their
learning as relevant to their world, take pride in the place they live and grow to become concerned and
contributing citizens. Through the exploration of themes of sustainable design, ecological schoolyards
and environmental education, along with case studies, I will gather creative ideas which schools have
successfully developed on their grounds to create opportunities that encourage children to explore the
natural environment and learn about sustainability. Finally, the goal of this thesis will be to demonstrate
how architecture can become an important part of educating our children about stewardship and
sustainability, setting them to create a sustainable future.
PREFACE
Today our environment suffers from the growing demand of human consumption and waste. As
population number rises and resources are depleted, alternative sources of energy and smarter use of
resources are imperative to sustain the quality of life we have. Still, changing people’s attitudes to the
environment is a difficult task. The challenge facing all people concerned with sustainability is how to
educate the public about the problems facing the world and create an understanding of the importance
of the environmental issues we face. And, while it is hard for adults to adapt and change, environmental
education to children and younger people, who are still searching for ideals and principles they wish to
follow in their lives may be the best solution to our environmental challenges.
INTRODUCTION
The Sustainability Agenda
Green is the new gold. “The term ‘sustainable development’ has generated popular appeal because it
implies that the production and consumption of goods and services, and the development of the built
environment, can be achieved without degrading the natural environment” (Berke et al, 2006). As Song
and Knaap (2007) put it, “smart growth, New Urbanism and sustainable development have now become
common terms in the dialogue among urban scholars, land-use policy makers, and the public at large”.
Still, no consensus among scholars has been reached on how to measure sustainable urban
development and researchers continue to study the best ways to counter the impacts of both
urbanization and sprawl.
Much research and many publications can also now be found on sustainability issues from politics to
business-related interests. As Esty and Wiston analyze in their book ‘Green to Gold - How Smart
Companies Use Environmental Strategy to Innovate, Create Value, and Build Competitive Advantage’,
companies are now realizing that the environmental lens is not just a nice strategy tool or a feel-good
digression from the real work of a company. It is an essential element of business strategy in the
modern world and smart companies now seize competitive advantage through strategic management of
environmental challenges (Esty & Wiston, 2006).
Attention on sustainability and climate change issues is rapidly growing in diverse areas of the
international agenda too. Evidences of this new ‘green wave’ are Vice President Al Gore and the U.N.’s
Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change first winning an Oscar 2 award for best documentary film
and then receiving the 2007 Nobel Peace Prize for the creation of worldwide awareness of issues of
climate change and the measures that need to be adopted.
DEFINING SUSTAINABILITY
Sustainability is considered a global issue and one which requires a sense of global responsibility in
relation to ensuring the sustainability of the earth’s natural resources. While the concept of
sustainability existed long before the 1990s and has been defined in many ways, the most frequently
quoted definition is from “Our Common Future”, also known as the Brundtland Report , released in 1987
by the World Commission on Environment and Development (WCED):
The report further states that “...the strategy for sustainable development aims to promote harmony
among human beings and between humanity and nature. ... The pursuit of sustainable development
requires:
- a political system that secures citizen participation in decision making,
- an economic system that is able to generate surpluses and technical knowledge on a self-reliant and
sustained basis,
- a social system that provides for solutions for the tensions arising from disharmonious development,
- a production system that respects the obligation to preserve the ecological base for development,
- a technological system that can search continuously for new solutions,
- an international system that fosters sustainable patterns of trade and finance, and
- an administrative system that is flexible and has the capacity for self correction.”
Why Sustainability Matters
Today our environment suffers under the growing demand of human consumption and waste. As
population number rises and resources are depleted, alternative sources of energy and smarter use of
resources are imperative to sustain the quality of life we have. Still, changing people’s attitudes to the
environment is a difficult task. The challenge facing all people concerned with sustainability is how to
educate the public about the problems facing the world and create an understanding of the importance
of the environmental issues we face. And, while it is hard for adults to adapt and change, environmental
education to children and younger people, who are still searching for ideals and principles they wish to
follow in their lives may be the best solution to our environmental challenges.
Children, Schools and Sustainable Education
Teaching children to understand and appreciate their world will make them more responsible about
their environment. The good news is that today’s children are in a position to be better educated as
environmental awareness is increased and is incorporated throughout daily activities. And while many
children may be taught about environmental responsibilities at home, schools are in a spotlight position
to further this kind of awareness and understanding (Clemson.edu, 2012).
Former president Bill Clinton has also spoken to our responsibility to the environment, and specifically
directs his comments to schools: “I think that we should begin in elementary schools teaching people
about sustainability… we know that children’s instincts always direct them to be more green… We
should give every young person the means to maximize the environment of their schools. They’re all in
school somewhere—public or private. We should be right now engaged in retrofitting every school in
America.” (Center for Green Schools).
Sustainable architecture
Green design can be defined as “…one that is aware of and respects nature and the natural order of
things; it is a design that minimizes the negative human impacts on the natural surroundings, materials,
resources, and processes that prevail in nature” (ASHRAE Green Guide). It may also be defined as the art
of designing physical objects and the built environment according to the principles of economic, social,
and ecological sustainability. Although definitions are broad philosophical statements, and tend to be
difficult to articulate into specific design objectives, they are important to emphasize the need for a
holistic approach to designing buildings as an integrated system.
Worldwide, during the past decades many industrial sectors have begun to recognize the impacts of
their activities on the environment and to make significant changes to mitigate their environmental
impact. The commercial building construction industry is one of those sectors that recently begun to
acknowledge their responsibilities for the environment, resulting in a shift in how buildings are being
designed, built and operated. This shift has been driven largely by a growing market demand for
environmentally friendly and energy efficient products and services. Though initiated primarily by the
nonprofit sector, federal, state and municipal sectors are increasingly committing to the green building
cause.
While typically buildings are designed according to local building codes, green building design challenges
designers to go beyond the codes to improve the overall building performance and minimize
environmental impacts. A few mechanisms now exist to transform this design goal into specific
performance objectives and provide a framework to assess the overall design. These tools are called
green building rating systems.
Green building rating systems are transforming the construction industry by focusing on high-
performance, energy efficient, economical and environment friendly buildings. All green building rating
systems are voluntary in nature, and in many cases, used as design checklists. Although all green
building rating systems differ in terminologies, structure, performance assessment methods, relative
importance of the environmental performance categories and documentation requirement throughout
certification, they seem to focus on the same five categories of building design and life cycle
performance:
1. site
2. water
3. energy
4. materials, and
5. indoor environment
Energy-efficient, or sustainable building is a fully integrated, “whole building” approach to design, and
operation. This approach differs from the traditional design/build process, with the design team closely
examining the integration of all building components and systems and determining how they best work
together to save energy and reduce environmental impacts both during construction and throughout
the operating lifetime of the building.
A Call for Sustainable School Buildings
Over the years, strong evidence and research have shown that school building impact student’s health
and their ability to learn (Figuero & Rea, 2010; Heschong, 2003, and Lackney, 2001). Yet, many of our
nation’s schools are in disrepair, with systems in need of repair or replacement (Baker & Bernstein,
2012). One may then argue that sustainable high performance schools could be a good solution for
concerns on student achievement levels, rising energy costs and tightening school budgets.
High Performance School Buildings
Several elements of sustainable building design and operations have direct effects on student
performance. These elements include day-lighting, thermal comfort, indoor air quality, and acoustics.
Studies repeatedly show that better indoor environmental quality in schools results in healthier students
and faculty, which in turn results in lower absenteeism and further improves student achievement
(Buckley, Schneider & Shang, 2004). Green schools mean healthier environments for students and staff.
Energyefficient buildings also help reduce energy costs, which in turn frees up money for crucial
academic and student support services. According to the U.S. Department of Energy, investing in energy-
efficient renovations—replacement of inefficient boilers, lighting, and other systems—could reduce
school energy costs by 30 percent.(Kats, 2006; US DOE, 2006).
Sustainable schools also referred to as green or high performance schools, in addition benefit the
outdoor environment, by being energy and water efficient and making use of renewable energy and
green materials to the fullest extent possible. They also provide environmental benefits by conserving
natural resources and reducing pollution and landfill waste. (Olson & Carney, 2006)
SCHOOLS AS LEARNING ENVIRONMENTS
The importance of school buildings has been recognized as a fundamental element of modern society.
Today, roughly a quarter of America’s population, including our youngest citizens, spends the majority of
their days in school buildings. As a result, schools have become a contentious and heavily scrutinized
part of civil society (Baker & Bernstein, 2012). Still, many of our nation’s schools are in disrepair, with
systems in need of repair or replacement. The American Society of Civil Engineers, in its 2009
infrastructure report, gave the country’s school buildings a grade of ‘D’ (ASCE, 2009). According to the
National Clearinghouse for Educational Facilities, about one-fourth (28 percent) of all public schools
were built before 1950, and 45 percent of all public schools were built between 1950 and 1969
(NCEF.org). And the 21st Century School Fund state that the average age of our public schools is 40
years old (21 CSF, 2011). And, though there is no current comprehensive nationwide data on the
condition of the country’s school buildings, the Department of Education report Condition of America’s
Public School Facilities in 1999 estimated that to bring schools into good repair would range from a low
of at least $270 billion to more than $500 billion (ED, 2000).
Assuming that school facilities, whether functioning well or not, serve as powerful pedagogical
instrument, one may argue that when combining green design to educational goals, the environment
itself could become a teaching tool, as a three-dimensional textbooks, and the impact on learning for
the next generation of students could be limitless. After all, there is no better way to teach than to show
children through example.
As places of teaching and learning, school buildings could help pupils understand the impact they have
on the planet by providing students with opportunities to connect with themselves, their community
and their local environment and nature. Through hands-on, real world learning experiences children can
see their learning as relevant to their world, 8 take pride in the place they live and grow to become
concerned and contributing citizens. The environment becomes a critical part of the school’s curriculum.
Differently from the traditional educational literature, where the term “learning environment” refers
primarily to the foundations and methodologies of the process of interactions between teachers and
students within the context of curriculum and learning outcomes, in this thesis the learning environment
is seen as a variety of spaces where children can explore, learn and play freely and safely.
CASE STUDIES
GREEN BUILDINGS AS TEACHING TOOLS
The combination of green school design, a green organizational culture, and curriculum aligned with
green practices and methodologies sets the stage for a school to utilize their facilities and grounds as a
teaching tool. When educational principles are built into the learning environment, the environment
transforms itself into a teaching tool.
As Anne Taylor observes in the book “Linking Architecture and Education - Sustainable Design for
Learning Environments”, “architects must integrate many aspects of design to create a whole and
wholesome learning environment by not addressing merely a numerical program, however important
size and cost, but also a deeper program responding to the needs of the user, the community, and the
Earth” (Taylor & Enggass, 2009).
Recognizing that practitioners need to study exemplars, AIA/COTE introduced the Top Ten Green
Projects program on Earth Day in 1997. The program, which pioneered a blend of qualitative and
quantitative assessment, counts with involvement and support of the Department of Energy and the
Environmental Protection Agency’s Energy Star. The Top Ten program has a sophisticated online
submission process, and, while relying on the display board to give a first impression to the jury, detailed
metrics are provided, giving this program its unique qualitative and quantitative framework and
providing a critical web site resource (AIA Committee on the Environment).
Two case studies are presented in this document:
1. Sidwell Friends Middle School, Washington, D.C.
2. Ben Franklin Elementary School, Kirkland, WA
The case studies were identified from a list of Top Ten Green Projects according to The Committee on
the Environment of The American Institute of Architects (AIA/ COTE).
According to the 2007 Print Issue of GreenSource Magazine, “a comprehensive master-planning process
for both campuses, led by Philadelphia-based Kieran Timberlake Associates (KTA), determined that
updating and expanding the 55-year-old middle school was the first priority. Following presentations
from several short-listed firms, the school hired KTA to design the project. While studying aerial
photographs of the hilltop campus of Sidwell Friends Middle School, the project team recognized the
campus also sits atop two watersheds, both of significant ecological value. That insight led to an
integrated approach to water management as the centerpiece of a comprehensive appeal to
environmental stewardship” (GreenSource, 2007). According to the USGBC website, “smart water
management is central to the project design. A constructed wetland between the new and old wings of
the Middle School treats wastewater from the kitchen and bathrooms and serves as a living laboratory
where students can learn about biology, ecology, and chemistry.
The treated water is then reused in the toilets and cooling towers. Students grow vegetables and herbs
for the cafeteria on the green roofs. Excess water flows to the courtyard’s pond and rain garden while
filters and swales in the landscape purify rainwater falling on the site. (USGBC.org, 2008). To take
advantage of passive solar design, the design team oriented the building to bounce daylight deep into
the building while preventing glare and heat gain. Also, high levels of thermal insulation, combined with
operable skylights, windows, and cooling towers, eliminate the need for mechanical cooling on all but
the hottest days.
Materials used in the construction and renovation include cladding made from 100-year-old wine barrels
as well as flooring and decking made from salvaged Baltimore Harbor pilings. Other renewable materials
used are, linoleum flooring, agrifiber casework, and bamboo doors. All interior finishes were screened
for chemical emissions.
The project has been recognized by AIA’s Committee on the Environment and Committee on
Architecture for Education, but the building is just the beginning. Teachers at all grade levels have access
to the project’s landscape and building systems, and many have designed lessons around this
opportunity. The school’s green features will continue to teach and inspire, and students will carry their
knowledge and appreciation of natural systems, for decades to come (AIA Cote Top Ten, 2007).
Students are distributed within small learning communities, each including a cluster of four naturally
ventilated and daylit classrooms around a multipurpose activity area.
Durable, nontoxic, low-impact materials were used throughout the project and the use of interior finish
materials was limited to the essential. Materials were chosen that could contribute to multiple factors,
such as acoustic absorption, light reflectance, durability, and comfort. Applied materials that did not
directly benefit the performance of the building were avoided.
SITE ANALYSIS
The site located on 1889 Thunderhead Road is adequate to the construction of a new elementary school
not only for responding to the PEFA parameters, but also from a sustainable design stand point. The
following criteria were taken from Design Guidelines for Pedestrian-Friendly Neighborhood Schools
recommendations by Dover, Kohl & Partners and Chael, Cooper & Associates for the City of Raleigh, N.C.
(Dover, Kohl & Partners Town Planning and Chael, Cooper & Associates P.A. Architecture):
1. Travel Distance: The school site should be in a central location, easily accessible and convenient to the
area from which the majority of the school population will be drawn from. Pedestrian and bike
accessibilities should be prioritized. For an elementary school, walking distances should be aimed at 1/2
to 3/4 of a mile, or 20 to 30 minutes walking.
Located within 1/2 mile walking distance from 970 dwellings and 3/4 mile bicycling distance
from 1520 residential units, it provides a safe and accessible learning environment.
2. Street Connectivity: Schools can be better integrated into their community when connected to the
neighborhood by a range of transportation options and treated as community centers. A pedestrian-
friendly school begins with a neighborhood that encourages walking.
Northshore Town Center has a well-connected network of local streets, accommodating all
forms of travel, including walking, bicycling and transit. Because traffic can be dispersed over a large
network of streets, local streets tend to be calmer and safer.
3. Completeness of Sidewalk Network: To promote walkability it is important for sidewalks to be on both
sides of the street.
Although the Town Center does not count with a complete network of sidewalks on both sides
of the streets on all streets, it provides a much better walking environment that a typical suburban
neighborhood.
4. Greenways or Bike Paths: A pedestrian or bike path, or a formal connection at the end of a cul-de-sac
to school may enhance a neighborhood’s walkability and provide connectivity throughout the
neighborhood.
5. Vehicular Access: The selected site allows for two vehicular access points each on a different side of
the property.
6. Natural Environment: The immediate environment surrounding the school should be safe, pleasant,
reasonably attractive and conductive to learning. Soil, water, air, rocks, insects, and plant life on the site
can be studied, measured, sampled and experimented with.
The Town Center area, with numerous parks and publics areas provide an attractive natural
backdrop for the community. Through hands-on, real world learning experiences children could see
their learning as relevant to their world, take pride in the place they live and grow to become concerned
and contributing citizens.
7. Street Trees: Trees provide comfort and shade for pedestrians. They also form a barrier between
vehicles and pedestrian creating a safer environment.
On Thunderhead Road , regularly spaced trees shade both the road bed and the sidewalk,
providing a pleasant environment for travelers and pedestrians.
8. Street Lighting: Important to increase visibility and safety for students walking to school in the early
hours, as well as in the dark, and for before and after hour community activities.
Illuminated by regularly spaced pedestrian-scaled street lanterns, Thunderhead Road provides a
safe environment for students, staff and residents.
9. Atmospheric Conditions: Smoke, dirt and odors are undesirable conditions to be found near the site.
10. Noise Conditions: Preference should be given to sites away from noise activities, such as factories,
railroads and airports. Locate in a residential area with light 24 Single Family Homes Mixed-Use
Development Commercial Water Bodies Selected Site Tennessee River Area of Influence User Groups
Selected Site Tennessee River commerce and office use, atmospheric and noise conditions on the site
are appropriate for the sitting of a school.
11. Mix of Use in the Vicinity: People are more likely to walk in traditional neighborhoods, where grocery
stores, parks, neighborhood schools and other destinations are within walkable distances. This in turn
creates a sense of security -- “eyes on the street”.Students and staff may benefit from having other
activities within walking distance. Ex: Perform errands during lunch break, after school activities, parents
working close to the school site.
The narrative of this Thesis presents a model or process of thinking about the
future, the rights and wonders of children and the qualities of environments
that support learning in the 21st century. It exposes a variety of
philosophies, concerns ad interesting ideas that can provide a base point for
communities and school boards to engage in efforts to design and build schools
according to a more sustainable practice. In sum, this project is about how
architecture can help on preparing the next generation to a brighter future.
For this we need to look at two main issues. First, we must change our ways of
living, producing and consuming to a more sustainable manner, or our future
generations are set to a doom future. Second, we must prepare our children to
the new economy, which is not the same as the industrial revolution era, but
one of connections and collaboration. This Thesis proposes a sustainable
school design that allows for this type of collaboration, awareness and
exploration. It is also seen as a community center, with spaces that can be
used other than the typical 8:00 to 17:00 daily period. As stated by UC
Berkeley Professor Bruce Fuller, traditional schools are designed for an
efficient way of building. “Concentrating students into larger school plants
and using a factory model to attempt to educate more students at a lower
expense produced the “one best system” concept in education, which does not
engage students well today” (Center for Cities & Schools, 2008). As
architects, builders and community members, we should be thinking of BUILDING
MINDS and not so much on MINDING BUILDINGS (American Federation of Teachers,
2006; 2008). Looking at the dollars spent for quality of education, not on the
number of students. I here propose an innovative school design that blurs the
distinction between indoors 70 and outdoors, transforming building systems and
ecologic design into manifestations for learning. A school with different
types of spaces that allow teachers to teach kids in multiple styles, allow
children to explore themselves, and give students the skills they need to
succeed in the new economic environment. A design that reinforces a shift from
the teacher-centered educational delivery system into an inventive, flexible,
collaborative and sustainable conceptual way of teaching and learning. A
school that fosters learner participation, where learning becomes not a
passive mode of behavior, like in the teacher centered approach, but it is
active and creative.
