Design 21: Social Design Network

I think it is fair to say that the US can learn from Germany and just maybe Germany can learn from the US. Here in the US, everyone is being squeezed. Most development projects revolve around around first costs and short-term paybacks. So why spend more for a green school either for a public or private school? The argument is that students score better, there is less absenteeism, higher retention rates of teachers and less energy and operational costs. Is this enough for the investment world? I would say that there is one more argument. The US educational system needs to be competitive with the rest of the world and train a new set of leaders, thinkers and doers.

The US Green Building Council's LEED for Schools is a step in the right direction and changing the business-as-usual practice of designers. But is this really enough? This obviously lays the foundation so to speak for better learning opportunities. It seems though there is still a need for guidelines to better instruct teachers the possibilities of incorporating the building as a learning tool. Inspired teachers inspire students. My two cents

There is a major epidemic with the quality of education in the US as well as with the educational facilities. This is more than a concern but a reality. The list of problems we are leaving for the next generation continues to grow. I see this as an opportunity and a challenge. As designers, I find the best solution is to incorporate the integrative design process. Educators, designers, engineers, environmentalists and others all need to be at the table to address these problems with education. Here a few quotes to put it in better perspective.

" Forty years was the average age of educational buildings in 1999." -National Center of Educational Statistics

"Forty-two years is the lifespan of an educational facility." -U.S. General Accounting Office

Also the U.S. General Accounting Office state that air is unfit to breathe in nearly 15,000 public schools.

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