The High Performance School Buildings Resource and Strategy Guide published by the Sustainable Building Industry Council, www.SBICouncil.org defines high performance schools as having three key characteristics:
- They are healthy and productive for students and teachers providing:
- Large amounts of natural daylight
- Superior indoor air quality
- A safe and secure environment
- They are cost effective and easy to operate and maintain, because their design employs:
- Energy analysis tools that optimize energy performance
- A life cycle cost approach that reduces the total costs of ownership
- A commissioning process that ensures the facility will operate in a manner consistent with design intent
- They are sustainable, because they integrate:
- Energy conservation and renewable energy strategies
- High-efficient mechanical and lighting systems
- Environmentally responsive site planning
- Environmentally preferable materials and products
- Water-efficient design
Creating a high performance school is not difficult; however, as with any sustainable building, it requires an integrated "whole" building approach. Although you do not have to be an expert in high performance building design, it is critical to choose architects and engineers who are. You must also identify and prioritize your goals early in the process and communicate them clearly to your design team.
The Guide lists the "building blocks" of a high performance school. It emphasizes that each of these blocks must be considered from the very start of the design process and optimized throughout, looking at the combined impact on the comfort and productivity of students and teachers. The result "will be a finished school that is an enduring asset to its community" - one that enhances teaching and learning, reduces operating costs, and protects the environment.