摘要
INTRODUCTION The design and construction of sustainable buildings has had an evolving motivation.Initially,sustainable design was guided almost wholly by a desire of a few to minimize the environmental footprint of our buildings.Yet as sustainable design became better understood,the economic benefits of sustainable strategies have become an increasing motivation for many owners.For some,the focus is on the returns provided by decreased maintenance and operation costs,while for others the increase in worker productivity—through decreased absenteeism,a reduction in errors,and overall gains in worker output—is beginning to drive the decision-making process.But when we are talking about an educational environment,we are not talking about workers producing,but instead are concerned about children learning.Yet the fundamental goal of each remains similar:by providing comfortable,healthy environments designers can remove the impediments to productivity or learning directly attributable to our built environment.If we think specifically about schools,careful consideration to comfort is even more important than in a commercial setting precisely because of the primary occupants.School-aged children have lower body masses and are,therefore,more susceptible to many of the factors addressed by the design:allergens being distributed or accumulated in a building,toxins being released by building materials,and unwanted changes in indoor air temperature.In addition,children are more susceptible to breaks in concentration caused by environmental factors like those named above as well as changes in noise levels or illumination.Such disruption directly affects students’ability to focus on and retain their lessons.
作者简介
Pat Dolan,AIA,Serena Sturm Architects,www.serenasturm.com.may be reached at(847)564-0370 or info@serenasturm.com;Bill Sturm,AIA,Serena Sturm Architects,www.serenasturm.com.may be reached at(847)564-0370 or info@serenasturm.com;Chris Wollmuth,M.Arch,AIA,Serena Sturm Architects,www.serenasturm.com.may be reached at(847)564-0370 or info@serenasturm.com。
