i+D - September/October 2021 - 38

Class in Session - By Brian Libby
A dramatic and visually
engaging central atrium
serves as the hub of
the new Schine center.
(Image: Halkin | Mason
Photography)
Greening America's
Schools
For more than a decade, the U.S. Green Building Council
(USGBC) has been focused on greening America's educational
facilities. Established in 2010, the Center for Green Schools
promotes sustainably designed school buildings, publishes
original research and policy analysis, and develops ecologically
minded curricula for K-12 as well as colleges and universities.
To be truly inclusive, though, the Schine center also drew
from universal design principles, which became a priority after
feedback from a student-led disability services group. " We
met with students who had to navigate the old building in a
different way than, say, I would need to, " Angarano recalls.
" We had to go above and beyond code and look at accessibility
as well as inclusion. Just meeting code didn't necessarily meet
student needs. We wanted all students to feel like they could
participate in all areas of the building. "
As functional and pleasant as the new Schine Student Center
is compared to the original building, the most important aspect
may be the broader human connections it fosters. " You go
to college not just to get knowledge but to learn, discover,
and innovate, " the designer adds. " You cultivate innovations
across campus by bringing diverse groups together. A lot
of that happens operationally, but a lot of it can come through
architecture as well. "
The USGBC's Los Angeles chapter exemplifies how these ideas
are put into action. Last year began a series of sustainablefundamentals
workshops at three Los Angeles schools (moved
online during the pandemic), which taught children a mix
of practical ways to change everyday behavior and
background awareness of climate change. The workshops
were conducted by volunteers from the chapter's member base,
who also talked about their own design careers in order to
convey the opportunity.
" It's been a beautiful experience, " says Ben Stapleton,
USGBC-LA's executive director. " The questions the kids ask
are amazing. It's rare that any of us gets this primer on climate
change and sustainability. And these are topics that typically
communities of privilege talk about, so we're really trying
to bring this message to communities [that are often] excluded
from this conversation. We are creating a society of those
who have the resources to adjust as we see impacts from
climate change. "
The LA chapter-like others around the country participating
in the USGBC's Center for Green Schools initiatives-also
holds an annual Green Apple Day of Service. A series of
micro-grants and coordinated volunteer efforts from the
design and sustainability professions help implement projects
on campus, from gardens to energy audits to water bottle refill
stations. " Last year we had five [events] planned; then COVID
hit, and they couldn't go through, " Stapleton says. " So,
we're looking forward to diving back into that this year. "
BRIAN LIBBY
is a journalist, photographer, and
award-winning filmmaker. His articles have
appeared in The New York Times, Dwell,
Metropolis, and Architectural Digest.
38
i+D - September/October 2021
i+D - September/October 2021

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