Monday, November 2, 2009

Photos from Breakout Session - K-6





Designing Learning Environments to Rebuild Urban America

"As school architects, we need to focus more on issues relating to the quality and effectiveness of the learning environment." Jim Dyck, President of The Architectural Partnership

The same day the American Society of Civil Engineers presented how spending for schools had fallen by $9 billion in their 2009 Report Card on the East Side, across town, AIA Center for Architecture offered a 2-day workshop to focus on “a vision for what school places should be, “Designing Learning Environments to Rebuild Urban America”. If we want to improve education, and who doesn't, we definitely don't want to just repair those existing schools. Lifelong careers have been devoted to doing something very different. In fact, if one includes directions from Montessori and Jacobs, American educators and planners have been trying to change the traditional school for generations.

    "We need places to support new brain research that tells us we are all wired to learn yet still have schools based on the industrial revolution from the last century.”

    Beverly Falk, Early Childhood Educator

The conference opened with a panel of, educators, architects and designers to first offer their wish lists of characteristics in designing learning spaces.

Learning spaces need to be student-centered allowing the teacher to re-engage with students”

Rich Steinberg, Ed. Researcher Introductory College Physics Instructor

As a CUNY Physics Instructor who also taught High School, Mr. Steinberg offered his perspective of today's urban student with regard to all-important education in the sciences.Students are coming to college deficient in math, science and reasoning with flawed approaches to learning physics. Students are not coming to college with skills in deductive reasoning.” Instead they seem to ask, what do you want me to learn and I'll give it back to you. We have students now knowing what to do, not how to do it. The traditional classroom does not support student-centered laboratory and interaction. Even when the space is supportive, schooling is determined by the drive to learn for the Regents. This is negatively affecting their reasoning ability. Sometimes only someone from the same culture can break through. Diversity is key to connecting.


More Flexible, Level-Free, More Effective

Students learn best from each other”
Beverly Falk

In answer to the question “How do people learn?” there was a consensus in the room that learning spaces needed to promote more experiential learning. The way we are teaching languages, there is not enough time to learn them. Instead it was proposed, spaces need to be devoted to technology to support interaction with learning tools. Also, students need to be able confer with teachers and participate in more workplace internships.

What we have is a square box like the 16th century classroom with, at most, an interactive white board as the only nod to the present. Instead learning spaces should facilitate creativity instead of the current 'retention=learning' focus today. A space more like that in the painting, the School of Athens with no desks would be more supportive of learning.”

Richard Sher, School Planner

Building on the comments on diversity, Claire Sylvan, Ed. D. Executive Director, International Networks, described the treatment of non-English speakers and immigrants in some schools. Specifically how immigrants continue to be relegated to basements of learning facilities when they should be integrated for collaboration.


She went on to describe a concept of “with-it-ness” in children that can be seen in those students that can take in more data. She described how a disconnect from the learning environment affects “with-it-ness” with a scale progressing from remember, understanding, applications, analysis, evaluation and creativity

Teachers, however, have different perspectives and depending on their years of experience and number of students they teach they will differ on this issue. . Smaller group sizes allow for more innovation in space use. With larger groups, “classroom management” is more of a faculty concern. Audience architects and planners described consulting with teachers that resisted any change in the traditional classroom. One creative solution to classroom management is having teachers move from class to class and students stay in the same room throughout the day. Reports are that with more 'ownership” of the space, students take better care of it and behave better as hosts.

Collaboration and Mixed-Use Complexes

Mixed-Use plans for more diversity are being implemented in California. One project combines a school with a senior center providing inter-generational collaboration. Programming at the dual location includes young students teaching seniors about other technology and seniors sharing oral histories.Instead of exclusive focus on individual achievement, learning spaces should support engagement, be flexible and promote group discovery. Creating a sense of wonder in an individual with a purpose with the intention of ultimately creating an engaged citizen who can thoughtfully vote his or her conscious" Jeffrey M. Vincent, PhD Dept Dir Center for Cities & Schools, Institute of Urban & Regional Development

Though work is highly collaborative, schools are separated from the world of work's information, collaboration and partnering. CEO's of companies comment upon how learning as a socially active process, promoting engagement, is essential.

Engage language and content

Most of the discussion focused on small group interaction and the need for design to support that. Serene Losonczy with Platt Byard Dovell White in New York cautioned that it was also important for the design to support students being alone for processing material. “.... a place where they can never be by themselves is not helpful either.” The consensus was that 1000 square feet with pods where faculty can conduct 1-on-1's is minimal.

Following the panel's comments, each member led a planning group: Childhood, K-6, Middle School and High School. The High School group had the benefit of input from visiting New York public school students.

Breakout Brainstorm

It was my pleasure to participate with the group focused on K-6 that Richard Sher facilitated which began by recalling and building on the panelists recommendations resulting in a very long list. To prioritize it, each team member picked their first choice which were: Not square, Choice, Flexible, Indoor/Outdoor and Flow. With these priorities identified, the team quickly drew a Venn Diagram through which they marked the 8 key traits proposed.


When the teams finished, Kathryn C. Hovis, Symmes Maini & McKee Associates, presented results to the whole group.
In sum, characteristics proposed for each level to promote rather than “fight against” project-based learning were as follows:

Early childhood:

  • Natural light, eye-view of outside
  • Basic necessities close by: water, bathrooms, mobile furniture
  • Self contained room, shape unimportant
  • Textures, colors and materials would be driven by the residential feel of area

Middle school:

  • team instruction
  • interdisciplinary learning
  • adult interaction for co-teaching

High School:

  • Along with NYC public school students the preferred space would be:
  • More of a workplace with private and personal space
  • Kids staying in the room and teachers rotating with the subjects

Imaginative work of students from elementary through university levels are currently on view in the exhibition galleries. So if you can go in person you'll see the proposed solutions to a variety of urban challenges from park recreation to Beijing's population growth. To learn more about this and other conferences presented at the Center for Architecture, visit their website: http://www.AIAny.com or contact Peter Lippman plippman@dcj.com.




Monday, October 26, 2009

Infrastructure: Transformation for Schools, Jobs, Health & Safety

from Transformational Infrastructure*

What do you think? Is it an education issue when children are demoralized by schools in disrepair? According to the American Society of Civil Engineer’s (ASCE) 2009 Report Card for America’s Infrastructure, spending on the nation’s schools fell $9 billion in 3 years from ’04-07. The NEA’s best estimate to bring nation’s schools into good repair is $322 billion.


What about jobs? Is it readying the workforce for the new economy when nearly half of American households are without access to bus or rail transit, and only 25% have what they consider to be a good transportation option? Instead, Americans spend 4.2 billion hours a year stuck in traffic at a cost to the economy of $78.2 billion or $710 per motorist.

In terms of job creation, over 190,000 jobs are created in redevelopment of brownfield sites, yet funding for cleanup of the worst toxic waste sites has declined to its lowest level since ‘86.

Do you think infrastructure impacts health & safety when drinking water is unavailable? Leaking pipes lose an estimated 7 billion gallons of clean drinking water a day. How about when

· there is a growing volume of electronic hazardous waste
· 50 year old levees pose augmented risk to failure
· $7 billion in unfunded maintenance of parkland impacts air quality

These are just a few of the alarming conditions that gave our nation a “D” on the 09 Report Card described by Andrew Herrmann, ASCE,

Friday at Transformational Infrastructure presented by the Steven L. Newman Real Estate Institute and CUNY Institute for Urban Systems. An estimated 15 categories need a 5 -year investment at $2.2 trillion.


Key infrastructure solutions proposed:

· Increase federal leadership to address the crisis
· Promote sustainability & resilience to protect the natural environment & withstand hazards.
· Develop national, state & regional plans that focus on system-wide results
· Address life-cycle costs & ongoing maintenance to meet the needs of current & future users.
· Increase & improve investment from all stakeholders.

The disconnect in our old-style, silo thinking about education, jobs, health and security with regard to infrastructure does not serve our national interest. These issues are connected. We know this - we’ve advised it. When an individual neglects home in the face of crisis abroad, there’s a cost. So it is for a nation. It is time to do for ourselves what we are doing elsewhere for others.

For more information: http://www.asce.org reportcard.

For further information about Transformational Infrastructure a conference presented by the Steven L. Newman Real Estate Institute and CUNY Institute for Urban Systems go to http://baruch.cuny.edu/realestate

Monday, October 5, 2009

Urban Green Expo – Retrofitting New York Buildings Green

“In analyzing high-rise residential buildings, the study found that there is no statistically significant difference in construction cost between LEED and non-LEED projects.” Executive Summary “Cost of Green in NYC”, US Green Building Council New York Chapter

Last weeks’ sad news of more tsunamis, earthquakes and fires quickened the urgent drumming for change heard at US Green Building Council’s Expo September 23-24. There, professionals in architecture, engineering, building, design, real estate and finance were presented a decidedly upbeat rhythm. Multiple case studies with a range of new and improved products, services and best practices for retrofitting urban buildings went on for two days. Whatever your personal change driver, the message was delivered to you -- re-cast New York green.

NYC’s Competitive Edge – Economic Growth

“Do we really want to have world gathering in a suburban office park for sustainability issues and image...”--Opening Keynote Speaker, Rohit Aggarwala, Dir NYC Long Term Planning

For the home town crowd, the city’s official transportation expert Rohit Aggarwala contrasted NYC with other US cities by virtue of our public transportation system. Problematic as MTA may be to regular straphangers, it gives NYC an edge by LEED measurements. Now that China has more carbon emissions, it’s a bigger edge and if acted upon quickly, an opportunity to seize.

As Sunday NYTimes columnist, Tom Friedman’s warned last week: “Of course, China will continue to grow with cheap, dirty coal, to arrest over-eager environmentalists and to strip African forests for wood and minerals. Have no doubt about that. But have no doubt either that, without declaring it, China is embarking on a new, parallel path of clean power deployment and innovation. It is the Sputnik of our day. We ignore it at our peril.”

Safety, Security, Protection with Passive Survivability

“We need to make buildings that are resilent to disasters anticipated from climate change – Green buildings are safe buildings” Alex Wilson, Exec. Editor Environmental Building News/Buildinggreen.com

If scary is a change motivator, the US Global Change Research Study released in June has the alarm. It was the source of much of Alex Wilson’s presentation. Though scientists continue to debate the frequency of hurricanes, their increased intensity is not a matter of debate. Manhattan’s flood zone changes and the dramatic loss of power associated with the ’98 ice storm in New England were screened and audience nerves trembled.

“Passive survivability” would include preparedness for power outtages, cyberterriorism, power plant attacks. In CA, power outtage associated with drought was also part of the emergency there. Water considerations are factored more severe than energy because the correction is harder to do. One of the suggestions for a more robust power grid is to harvest tidal energy.

“The oil party bash can’t continue, we need to be about designing buildings for the end of the petroleum age” Alex Wilson

Natural ventilation is important. At the time of Katrina, the 19thc. buildings of the French quarter were cool, unlike the air-conditioned buildings from the 20thc. This then becomes a public welfare issue. Bob Fox champions operable windows in NYC. The Empire State Building has operable windows and has both Gold and Platinum LEED certifications.

Also, community issues must be addressed - we can design but if it isn't from a community perspective, it won't matter. One of the lighter methods of roof top gardening is hydroponics as pictured in a Chicago Puerto Rican neighborhood with 30% unemployment. NYC’s bike trails are an exciting positive direction in designing for community. Wilson went on to urge the creation of models that measure resiliency in our building codes. LEED is addressing this indirectly but we could use more help with quantification.

Cost Strategies & Benefits – Landlords & Tenants

“The Empire State Building retrofit to Gold LEED standard is "increasing services to tenants while making the building more efficient." LEED certified buildings have lower vacancy rates - owners need to do their own analysis” Dana Schneider, Jones Lang LaSalle

In alignment with the market shift away from new construction, this year’s Expo theme was retrofitting existing buildings The retrofit of the iconic Empire State Building was the subject of multiple presentations and an offsite tour. Along with Steve Teitelbaum, Jones Day/BOMA, Paul Rode, Johnson Controls and Kathy Baczko, NYC City Director with Clinton Climate Initiative, Dana Schneider outlined how upgrade packages that interacted most effectively were used to maximize sustainable benefits. NYSERDA funding is using stimulus money to assist retrofits and encourage tenants to do capital improvements with energy savings in mind. R0I improvement is planned in 3 yrs - sq footage moved from $26 to $40 by just redrawing capital projects.

"Getting it paid for, without coming out of pocket is better value than not doing anything” Sean Patrick Neill, Principal Cycle-7

Now, we have a powerful argument for doing something. According to sustainability consultant, Sean Patrick Neill, the US Building Green Council measurements are key to having reliable financing going forward. With the Managed Energy Service Agreement with tenants, owners can now raise money on the private market for utility costs – it becomes an investment vehicle to get the work done. Its currently the only model out there that has 24 Retrofit where the building gets green and the investor gets paid. We currently need more structures that work in this way.

More discussion of more accurate financial models, was heard in the subsequent session. Greg Kiss, Principal with Kiss + Cathcart, Architects moderated a panel on Positive Energy where Robert Perez, Professor at SUNY detailed a new factoring that includes all costs of electricity, not just the fraction listed on the bill but the insurance, taxes, overrides from blackouts etc.

Positive Energy: Beauty & Fun

The collaborative teaming became more so with the LEED process and the certification raised the profile of the MTA…” Thomas Abdallah Chief Environmental Engineer MTA

Abdallah described how the train stations of Europe that use daylight and are financially viable were reference points for the first LEED certified station and again at Stillwell. Then, Rotherton, NYC Dept of Design/Construction with over 20 years with the city affirmed this was a “most exciting time in the city’s building design”. Interestingly he described how the oldest structure in NYC, Wycoff House, dating to New Amsterdam, has many of today’s stipulated requirements for LEED.

Moderator Greg J. Kiss, shared his firm’s work on a study for acclaimed NYC public school, Bronx Science, to be a “true productive building” ie. gathers rain and is a positive addition to the environment, not just a 0. Greg smiled.“We are now building projects that would not have been done 5 years ago but what we've wanted to, positive.”

Historic Preservation

In the afternoon, Skanska, the global Swedish contractor, hosted a tour of their offices in the Empire State Building and shared the process of pursuing Platinum LEED certification with historic preservation stipulations. Skanska noted the importance of maximizing employee control of temperature, even with safety concerns of operable windows in a multi-storied skyscraper. They increased both LEED points and employee morale with Lutron lighting that pays for itself over its lifecycle. Raising of the floor and opening the ceiling allowed for more daylight, savings and an updated look.

Following the overview, the contractor led a tour sharing the implementation specifics to accomplish Platinum LEED certification for the Skanska offices. In one instance, installing a bike rack required the contracting firm to sign a release with the building’s management at the time. Skanska’s mission was to achieve the status for no more than a Class A office budget. They estimate ROI to be returned in 5 years.

Closing – Amory Lovins

As informative as the other events and accomplishments were throughout the two days, they paled in comparison to those presented by Amory Lovins, Chairman and Chief Scientist of the Rocky Mountain Institute. Managing to both awe and inspire, each of his slides were dense with eye-opening tangible application i.e. preference for designing right angles in piping is costing more in water use. Here the drumming refrain accelerated – “build sustainability into capital improvement budgets at no increase in cost". Even with old-style cost calculations, ignoring environmental damage, capital improvements can be made sustainable for the same cost.

For more details on the wealth of information provided at the Expo please visit: www.urbangreencouncil.org and www.urbangreenexpo.org

The US Green Building Council's Urban Green Expo was presented in partnership with the following:

AIA-NY Chapter
Building & Construction Trade Council
BOMA
BTEA
CENYC
CoreNET Global-NY Chapter
Real Estate Board of New York and
the Urban Land Institute