Project Description

A description of our entry for the Sustainable Classroom of the Future Competition

Green, green, green Seems all we hear nowadays is Green.

All those sustainability concepts they taught in architecture school in the ‘90’s have finally gained some ground, and they were already decades in the making. Has all the damage humans have done to our environment finally caught up with us that we must run around in a frenzy trying to correct the situation, since it’s not reversible? Or has it become so hip to be environmentally friendly that everybody’s jumping on the green bandwagon? For most green enthusiasts I’d say both. But what about companies that call themselves advocates of sustainability but still run full size print ads in every pop culture design periodical, lending to the waste they’re claiming they aim to help stop? The real solutions are in actions, not advertisements; and activity in a competition like this is a tell-tale sign of people who want to see an improvement to society’s effect on the environment. Not in the future, but now.

This is why I, a teacher of Engineering and Design, have teamed up with a graduate of New School of Architecture, along with several of my students, ranging from sophomores to seniors, to address the problem of education in a world obsessed with economic and energy efficiency. To assist us in some of the methods employed in today’s green construction industry, I’ve invited a green construction company to join our team as a materials and methods consultant, who have generously offered to donate resources for the fulfillment of the prototype construction if our team should hail victorious.

Our collaborative design approach is one in which the team would need a place to share our research, opinions and design ideas. Therefore, I set up a blog entitled GreenClassroomCompetition.blogspot.com that each team member is authorized to contribute to. As all blogs are, it is presented in reverse chronological order, most recent post at the top, and I would like to invite all jury panelists to review its content since it speaks of our process and the concepts we incorporated into our design solution. It includes information, images and videos.

I can pretty much guarantee all competition entrants included many of the same features into their sustainable design: Daylighting techniques, Natural ventilation, Photovoltaics, Rainwater collection, Energy efficient mechanical systems, etc. But there are two concepts that are extremely important that will not be presented by other teams, yet are crucial with respect to this competition: Sustainable Classroom Expansion and Sustainable Education.

Did somebody say “Budget Crisis”? As an educator in only my second year, I’ve already experienced a layoff. Luckily, Mission Bay HS swooped in to keep me in this teaching industry. As another round of budget cuts have crept in for next year, I began to wonder if I’d be laid off again, but not this time. Instead, I can expect to see increased class sizes next year due to other teachers being let go. But wait a second, isn’t our population growing? What’s going to happen down the road when class sizes are simply too big? Build another school? With the economy in its current state, chances are slim that would happen. So what’s the solution? The solution is in a method of utilizing existing space on a school site and employ a process of
Sustainable Classroom Expansion.

To demonstrate, we’ve presented this competition entry as a hypothetical case study. Let’s make the assumption that Mission Bay High School needs another classroom; well, why stop at one… let’s assume it needs three new classrooms. First, a site map is reviewed and a site visit is conducted to see if there are any pockets of unused exterior space. Then, a design matrix is utilized to determine requirements such as: Number of square feet, climatic conditions, building orientation, pedestrian traffic, amount and location of glazing for daylight and ventilation, prevailing wind direction, etc. Then, components are selected from a library of prefabricated parts, which are designed for ease of assembly by non-specialized individuals following a set of instructions. Educators and students on a campus can act as the construction team, thereby significantly reducing construction costs associated with labor.

The library of parts (or “kit of parts”) for the modular classroom include foundation blocks, 12’ columns, 8’ beams, light gauge trusses, floor panels as described in the blog and wall panel options that include integrated doors and windows.

In our case study, the site is paved with concrete and has a slight slope, therefore the adjustable foundation posts will be employed to create a level floor surface in the classroom. Also, the site is a bit tight for three new classrooms adjacent to each other, so the stackable classroom concept is employed to create a class above another class. As a student wrote in the blog, a connection to nature is important to her. So, courtyards are located at the ends and between the classrooms, and are garnished with indigenous trees, which don’t require additional irrigation. Nonetheless, rainwater collection methods are utilized to prolong the natural watering cycle. The wall panels located adjacent to a courtyard are predominantly glazed so students have a connection to nature, since the trees can increase their morale by assisting in their feeling comfortable, which in turn leads to a higher likelihood of achievement. Additionally, courtyards are strategically placed with respect to prevailing winds, so the trees oxygenate the classrooms when windows are open.

This method of classroom expansion is sustainable because the kit of parts can be reused for another classroom expansion further down the road if funding were to come in to create a permanent structure in place of the modular one. In other words, after an initial expense for the first kit of parts, it can be used again later as each subsequent requirement for more class space presents itself, always being a step ahead of permanent construction.

The other concept, Sustainable Education

deals directly with educational methods. After all, this is about the classroom of the future, and given the drop-out rates, level of disinterest and degree of career-uncertainty that students demonstrate, it’s clear that the method of education must be revisited. In our Mission Bay HS case study, among the three new classes, one of them is an architectural drafting lab. (Incidentally, if a prototype were built, it would be of just one class with one or two courtyards.) The new architecture lab would incorporate Project Based Learning techniques, which are more and more proving effective in education by providing experiential learning that goes beyond memorization and tests. In the future, to further enhance student learning, video projection methods will be part of regular class curriculum, connecting students to the real world. For example, an architectural drafting lab may include in the curriculum a virtual field trip in which one video screen would show an architect discussing a project from within the office, so students can get a sense of the work environment, and another video screen would show actual construction on a site, with commentaries from the workers, all without the need of a bus and hard hat.

I refer to this as sustainable education because it shows the students the nitty-gritty of industries that all classes lead to. High school students need to start thinking about their careers, and video commentaries from a variety of careers as part of each class curriculum can help them make decisions about their future early. The alternative is the high school graduate that goes into college undeclared, hoping to discover a field that is interesting. But what do they experience in college? More classes, textbooks and lectures. The goal of high school education should be to give students exposure to a variety of careers so they can use both their time and energy more efficiently.

To conclude, our competition entry addresses both issues of sustainability and modularity by providing on-demand inexpensive classroom space that affords students with a comfortable learning environment that is energy efficient and reusable over time.