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Back at high school the only thing I knew about green design was based on a stereotype. To me, green thinking was for an ‘alternative tree hugging hippy’ niche market that I couldn’t see myself relating with. I never thought that green design had the potential to change the world for the better.

Maybe I would have realised the benefits of green design sooner if I was surrounded by a community, or even a school, that genuinely practiced these values. This has progressively changed in recent years, giving the future Kiwi generations an opportunity to see sustainable projects working on a day to day basis, even in their own schooling environments.

It is only until recently that schools in New Zealand have genuinely started being proactive about our energy consumption. And it’s not just about turning the lights off when everyone has left class, and saving a few dollars on the electricity bill.

Since 2009, the ministry of education requires all new schools to meet the New Zealand Green Building Council’s ‘5 Green Star’ standard, which looks at how buildings:

• Reduce resource use
• Increase the comfort, health and safety of occupants
• Limit harmful effects on the environment.

Not only do these buildings reduce schools’ energy spending, studies show that ‘green’ schools are better learning environments for students, and they reduce sickness.

The first project to receive ‘5 Green Star’ certification was Ormiston Senior College in Auckland.  To achieve this rating, the College has a number of green systems including a form of ‘wind tower’ technology, which was used for the first time in New Zealand. The ventilation structure delivers natural airflow thus providing low running costs.

The building also utilizes a lot of natural light and heating and has efficient systems for water usage, energy efficient lighting, solar panels and is made of sustainably sourced and recycled materials. The school also has a hard-wearing brick front which will be long-lasting and requires no maintenance.

Because the school has environmentally sustainable features, students will have the chance to learn first-hand about green building principles such as energy management, water conservation and waste recycling. The next generation is starting to get set up with the resources they need to shift unsustainable patterns that have been before. With our current rates of consumption, we’ll need a new planet soon, so the need to find sustainable alternatives quickly is vital.

The Ministry of Education evidently believes there is a crucial role for sustainable buildings to play in improving the teaching and learning environments of our New Zealand schools, but do you?

Do you think that pumping money into greener schools is fulfilling the purpose of educating students for the benefit of society? Could the money be used better?

Should the 5 star green criteria be such a requirement for new school buildings? Is this the direction we want for NZ society to push towards or should we just leave that for the ‘alternative tree hugging hippy’ niche market?

Relevant Links

http://www.edgazette.govt.nz/Articles/Article.aspx?ArticleId=8297

http://www.nzgbc.org.nz/

http://www.ormiston.school.nz/

Charissa Kavermann

Tags: green design