On Location – CEFPI’s 84th Annual International Conference
Arriving in Toronto just in time to celebrate Canada ‘s Thanksgiving holiday, more than 1,000 attendees at the Council of Educational Facility Planners International’s 84th Annual International Conference had a chance to gobble up planning ideas and new industry products.
Located in front of the world-famous CN Tower, one of the world’s tallest buildings, the convention center buzzed day and night with facility administrators, architects, designers and other school-related professionals.
Seminar topics focused on successful school infrastructures and best practices, and products exhibited included classroom furniture, daylighting systems and safety systems.
Student Health
Members of the California Department of Education gathered at a seminar to discuss how focusing on physical fitness and nutrition can help schools address obesity, early onset diabetes and physical unfitness among children.
The department created a task force that collects best practices from around the state in food service and the design of physical education facilities.
To get the most out of a new facility, planners should meet with the director of food services, the district nutritionist and food service workers during the planning phase of food-service facilities, according to the department. Encourage students to give their feedback on cosmetic design themes and food options so they are more likely to participate in the school lunch program.
Another way to get students involved is to organize field trips to local farms and encourage students to plant a school garden.
“Celebrate locally and student-grown produce; it can help students learn about where food comes from,” says Diane Waters of the California Department of Education.
The practice can educate students on how to plant and maintain a successful garden. One school was able to supply its cafeteria with all of the produce for an entire school year using produce from the school garden, according to Waters.
Healthy and convenient food sales on campus can provide students access to nutritious meals. Creating a parent resource center can help ensure that nutrition is reinforced at home. Food carts around campus in addition to a standard cafeteria environment can help provide more access to healthier foods, as well as various seating design styles.
“We saw a greater participation (in school lunch programs) when we created different kinds of seating areas,” Waters says. Using trees and shade structures to provide protection from weather and utilizing furniture that allows for flexibility in group size and configuration can allow students to enjoy the outdoors and will help make students more comfortable in their environment.
Securing funds from unconventional sources, such as a local or corporate supermarket, and collaborating with the community to support nutritious meals at local schools can help support the school nutrition program.
Physical education facilities also play an important role to students. Schools and partners in the community can design flexible facilities that meet the physical activities for children, youths and adults. Arranging shared facilities can create a neighborhood center that helps spread the financing and maintenance costs among participants.
Incorporating a technical infrastructure into physical education spaces can increase student participation. Technology, such as an outdoor computer port, can allow students to measure fitness and create activities, thus improving fitness and related knowledge.
Remodel weight rooms that are used for athletic training to become fitness students for physical education. Rooms that are well-lit, colorful and well-maintained are more likely to be used, according to Waters.
Classroom Lighting
Principals from PBK Architects discussed classroom lighting and its impact on school facility planning.
For better lighting, they recommend using full-spectrum lighting, which improves attendance, math and reading scores by more than 20 percent, and decreases dental cavities among students. Recent studies have shown a decrease in student cavities in conjunction with improved classroom lighting.
Full-spectrum lamps can be placed throughout the facility, or polarized diffusers can be used to filter fluorescent lightbulbs. Oftentimes schools add fixtures to increase lighting when they can actually adjust their existing design.
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| Presenter Don Fudge informs listeners about the Collaborative for High Performance Schools. |
Create zoning fixtures and build ceilings at heights of 9-foot, 6-inches or higher for improved light quality. Correct daylighting strategies can save up to 40 to 50 percent of electrical power required to supply artificial lighting in schools. For additional savings, consider sensors for lighting and remember to turn lights off when a room is not in use.
High Performance Schools
Don Fudge, of Northeast Energy Efficiency Partnerships, reported on the Collaborative for High Performance Schools and how schools administrators can become proactive in increasing the performance of their facilities.
CHPS Criteria for high school performance can be used as a planning tool for schools and can help a district set design goals. The criteria are flexible and address all aspects of high performance schools, including sustainable sites, water, energy, materials, indoor environmental quality and policy and operations. In each of these categories, there are subcategories that consist of prerequisites and optional credits that schools can strive for. Each prerequisite and credit has three sections — verification, applicability and resources — all of which can assist schools in achieving their design goals.
Projects that are eligible for recognition:
- New school
- New building on existing campus
- Major modernization
Projects that are eligible for points:
- Minor modernization
- Addition or renovation
 | Storage Cabinets Wenger Corporations’s AcoustiCabinets are designed for rehearsal rooms that require in-room storage. Used in conjunction with absorber and diffuser panels to create an acoustically balanced environment, the cabinets feature waterfall grille designed doors and an acoustical treated back to help minimize the loss of cubic volume. Cabinets provide sound diffusion and eliminate flutter echo. They can be custom-ordered and offer several options, including laminate color, edge banding and hardware and grille door finishes. Contact Wenger Corporation |
 | Classroom Chairs The new Metaphor classroom chair from Virco Inc. is available in four sizes to fit students in pre-K through 12th grade. It features a waterfall front, deep seat pocket and rolled back seat for ergonomic support, and has a textured polypropylene shell for slip-resistance. Chairs can be stacked up to 12 chairs high. Each has a full-perimeter frame for durability, eight attachment points consisting of two molded-in frame pockets and six concealed rivets, contoured bucket seat for lumbar support, and the seat can be placed flat on a desk for maintenance. The Metaphor is also available as a task chair or combo unit of chair and desk. Contact Virco Inc. |
 | Daylighting Panels Advanced Glazings Ltd. manufactures Solera, a line of translucent insulated glass units used in architectural daylighting that are designed to fit into standard curtain wall of window systems. The units convert harsh sunlight into soft diffused daylight and allows designers to achieve desired light levels. Panels are engineered to provide higher light diffusing power and are available in three types. The Solera L is a 1-inch sealed unit for window, curtain wall and operable systems; the Solera S is a 3-inch unit for window and skylight systems; and the Solera T is a 3-inch unit with a 1-inch offset for curtain wall and skylight systems. Contact Advanced Glazings Ltd. |
 | Insulated Concrete Forms Nudura Corporation manufactures Nudura, a line of insulated concrete form products with a variety of core sizes for all building types. Nudura is an insulated, reinforced, monolithic wall that reduces air infiltration, can withstand winds up to 250 mph and can achieve up to 3 to 4 hours of fire protection rating. Forms offer a hinged folding web, dual cross connecting ties and reinforcing steel prepositioning locks within web design, and a patented locking mechanism. They feature a four-way reversible interlock that allows the form to interconnect with itself, and a continuous fastening strip for interior and exterior materials on 8-inch centers. Contact Nudura Corporation |
 | Classroom Seating The new Intuit Chair from Smith Systems comes in two heights with various base options: stack chair, sled base, adjustable and combo desk. The shell of the chair rests on the frame, not the rivets. Chairs have a smooth-edge handle for increased mobility. Consisting of a mig-welded 16-gauge steel frame, the chair is designed so that students may comfortably sit forwards, backwards or sideways. Shells are available in eight different colors and frames are offered in platinum, champage, black or chrome standard lead. All chairs are Greenguard certified to meet indoor air quality standards for schools. Contact Smith Systems |