Sustainability Through Intentionality
Climate Change
My twins were born in January of 2013. Around that time the Fort Worth Star- Telegram had an aerial photo of North Fort Worth as its front-page cover. I saved that picture in the baby book my wife had started for the twins. She asked me why I wanted something like that. I told her it wasn’t for me; it was for the twins so that when they were older and aware of where they lived, they could look at the picture and see their home and how it was when they were born.
Some might believe climate change is science fiction, and some might believe it is science fact. In either case, it is important to acknowledge that this phrase, and the concepts behind it are dominant topics of our younger generations. Gen Z (defined by the Center for Generational Kinetics as people born between 1997 and 2012) and Millennials (born between 1977 and 1996) link self-image with the causes they support.
A Center for Generational Kinetics survey found that roughly 70% of Gen Z and Millennials said tackling climate change should be the highest priority for our country; thus, it continues to be present in newscasts and trending on Twitter. Schools have a massive advantage when it comes to noble causes. Schools are mission driven to the betterment of society today and tomorrow. Schools also have an advantage on being environmentally sustainable.
Environmental sustainability encompasses a large array of concepts and mindsets. It can range from the lofty goals of complete carbon neutrality and net zero energy, to the localized goals of limiting water waste and saving electricity. At the most basic level it is the concept that something can be completed and repeated over the long term.
Quantifiable Impacts
Sustainable design contributes to measurable goals that align extremely well with a school district’s goals. Understanding it is a priority that districts contribute to the success and vitality of the community it serves, VLK designs schools for a long life-cycle. Building for the long term may not be obviously sustainable, yet it is extremely impactful. When a school is designed with a life expectancy of 25, 50, 75, or even 100 years, it directly reduces the amount of construction demolition waste that will be landfilled in the future. Also consider that this vast amount of material was first sourced from the earth, manufactured, shipped, and then installed. The selection of products with high durability and longevity minimizes the raw materials and energy that would be needed to build replacements on shorter cycles. Proper foundations are designed for the specific soils of the site. On top of that solid foundation, the use of steel, concrete, and masonry structural materials ensure the bones of the building are strong and will last. On the recently designed Sherman High School, the initial project was designed for 2,300 students and master-planned for future expansions up to 2,600 students. That master-plan led to design decisions that placed windows in locations for future hallways, and made sure utilities were run beyond the expansion footprint. This makes the process of future construction projects less intrusive to the operating campus, as well as reducing the amount of demolition and waste material.
Using a highly durable wall material like ceramic tile in high traffic areas maximizes the durability and longevity of the space. Without the tile, the gypsum board would last only a few days, requiring frequent repairs, painting, and constant cleaning. Cleaning is a costly endeavor often using harsh chemicals that are not environmentally friendly. From our beginnings 37 years ago, VLK has provided high durability wall finishes like ceramic tile in high traffic areas. After three decades of use, the walls in the corridor and cafeteria of Hoover Elementary School continue to look great and perform as planned.
Increasing energy efficiency is another example of tangible benefits with ties to the goals of sustainability. School buildings built today are vastly more energy efficient than those built even a decade ago.
The early adoption of LED lighting by schools created a fundamental shift in the lighting industry. This translated to much less electricity being used for lighting, from roughly 1.2 watts per square foot in 2003, to 0.72 watts per square feet in the 2021 edition of the International Energy Conservation Code. While 0.48 watts per square foot doesn’t seem like much, when applied to a typical elementary school, it reduces electricity consumption by roughly 39,312 kwh per year (70,000SF operating 1,260 hours per year). This reduction in kwh of use is equivalent to 39Mcf of natural gas or 39,312 pounds of coal consumed at the power plant.
Through the last two decades many districts switched to ground source heat pumps, commonly called geothermal for its advantage on energy efficiency. This HVAC system was able to achieve energy savings of more than 20% when compared to roof top units and other traditional systems. The adoption of geothermal by so many school districts led manufacturers of traditional systems to play catch up on energy efficiency. Today many different HVAC systems achieve energy efficiency on par with geothermal. The increase in competition across system types has moderated cost increases over the long term, while providing large gains in energy efficiency.
Social Impact
Quantifiable results can also provide a social impact. As mentioned at the outset, climate change is a dominant topic for Millennials and Gen Z. Each community is different, yet this trend is happening everywhere. A subtle hint is vintage shops. These are increasing in popularity not because the 80s and 90s were that awesome, but because reusing old things and producing less waste is good in and of itself. Schools are already doing so much to be sustainable, all that is needed is being internally aware and then communicating activities and outcomes. Younger generations want to make the world a better place for future generations – and want to work at places that are doing this. Teachers have always been driven to prepare students for a successful future, and they will be excited to know their place of work is making that future world a better place for them. Parents want to know their children are part of a sustainable system; and all taxpayers will love that their school district is saving taxpayer money every day.
My twins are now nine years old, and the changes since they were born make my wife and I pause. Parents subscribe to the idea of making the world a better and safer place for their children. That photo from the front page of the Star-Telegram I saved looks far different today. Some wonderful things have come about; great new places to eat and shop, as well as many new neighbors are now present. I often think about these changes and wonder if it is leading to that better future. I grow more confident of that better future as I see technologies continue to advance, and good actors like school districts to drive that innovation and improvement. You’ve been doing great things in your classroom, and you’ve been doing great things building those classrooms. Be proud, tell your story, and continue to innovate!