Joseph Clair, PE, Illinois Institute of Technology, Chicago

Raising expectations for school buildings

Imagine sending a child to a school without indoor plumbing, textbooks, or computers. As strange as that sounds, within the past 150 years we have done just that, and in some parts of the world, people still do. Those advocating for a revitalized interest in improving the quality of schools have imagined a future in which no child attends a school that has inadequate lighting, poor ventilation, acoustical issues, or other environmental stressors that negatively impact the learning environment. Many argue that although the vision of “ every child in a green school within a generation” sounds wonderful, the reality remains that we cannot afford it.