SUSTAINABILITY REPORT

School Design Sustainability Report

School Design Sustainability Report

Introduction

A sustainable school demonstrates a committed whole school approach to sustainability education and improving triple bottom line outcomes. Students change their schools and learn how they can change their community through Sustainable Schools. They make real decisions that are relevant to their lives. Sustainability is one of the richest authentic learning areas and can generate hundreds of exciting areas of learning. Sustainable Schools is suitable for primary, secondary and specialist schools. Sustainable Schools have a committed whole school approach to sustainability education (Riley, 2008: 61).

Schools represent an ideal focus for primary development of Green Health environmental design research focused on addressing both childhood obesity and sustainability. School facilities are pivotal community resources and a central part of each family and child's daily life. They are mandated and positioned to help form social norms and default behaviours such as those related to health behaviours. However, comprehensive research specifically addressing the physical design of school environments is limited (Reed & Morgan, 2007: 18). This workshop used an interdisciplinary case-study approach to examine how environmental design strategies at multiple scales can be better used to promote physical activity and healthy eating in school environments. The workshop also explored how childhood obesity prevention can be integrated into school-based sustainability and green building initiatives and frameworks.

What is sustainability?

Sustainability is based on a simple principle: Everything that we need for our survival and well-being depends, either directly or indirectly, on our natural environment.  Sustainability creates and maintains the conditions under which humans and nature can exist in productive harmony, that permit fulfilling the social, economic and other requirements of present and future generations. Sustainability is important to making sure that we have and will continue to have, the water, materials, and resources to protect human health and our environment (Orr, 1994: 11).

Environmental Impact

Sustainability of the materials used

The creation and use of sustainable building materials and construction help conserve natural resources and protect the environment for present and future generations. There is no shortage of creativity in this area as companies and private firms are constantly striving to develop and market alternatives to conventional building; such as, I-joists, 24-inch on-center framing, alternative decking materials made from recycled plastics, sustainably harvested wood, insulation made from recycled newspaper, and countless more (Orr, 1991: 90).

When buying wood products, buy only products that include woods from certified, well-managed forests. Or try innovative wood alternatives like bamboo, cork or recycled materials.

Buy recycled rubber flooring to redo your kids room or recreational/work-out room. It's durable, recycled, and there are literally endless design opportunities

Use environmentally friendly insulation, such as cellulose when remodeling your home.

Try using Structural Insulated Panels, or SIPS. SIPS are made by combining foam insulation to a structural surface, such as oriented strand board (OSB). By doing so, they combine structure and insulation into one piece.

When building, try visiting a building materials reuse center to cut back on the amount of new materials you'd ...