K-12 school buildings are often seeking more flexibility to provide unique learning paths for students.
K-12 insights:
- School districts are increasingly integrating flexible spaces and high-performance learning environments that focus on energy efficiency, carbon reduction and student well-being.
- Collaborating with architects, owners and school districts can help create the most cost-efficient and energy-efficient building.
Respondents:
- Raquel Deschler, PE, Project Manager, RMF Engineering, Charleston, S.C.
- Scott Peck, PE, Vice President, Peter Basso and Associates, Troy, Mich.
- Zachary Schneider, PE, LEED AP, CxA, LC, Partner/Electrical Engineer, CMTA, Inc, Louisville, Ky.
What are the current trends in K-12 school projects?
Raquel Deschler: Lately we’ve seen a rise in career technical education (CTE) facilities for high schools. These programs prepare students for careers that require both academic and technical skills. The hands-on courses are typically electives taught by instructors who have industry experience and apply lesson plans to real-world projects. RMF is designing health sciences classrooms, as well as mechatronics, welding and automotive laboratories. The flexibility of being exposed to and learning these trades while still in high school allows students to see all of their options, potentially find a passion outside of a traditional college setting and, hopefully, be more successful in the workforce.
Scott Peck: A trend I’ve seen in the past few years is that districts are building and operating child care centers. Districts have started doing this for several reasons, with one being that it is a revenue stream for the district, as parents/caregivers must pay for their children to attend. Without an in-district child care center, parents/caregivers may send their child to a neighboring district’s program, directing that revenue stream elsewhere. In some instances, once a child is ready to start the K-12 curriculum, both parents and students have established friendships within the neighboring district’s child care program. In Michigan particularly, parents/caregivers have the choice to send their child to neighboring school districts for their K-12 curriculum, allowing them to stay with the friends they have made. Per-pupal funding from the state follows the student, so the neighboring district now receives the state funding for that student.
Zachary Schneider: High-performance learning environments are becoming more and more important to owners. This encompasses numerous items that build upon one another, including a healthy indoor environment. This is achieved with increased ventilation rates which reduce carbon dioxide, natural daylighting with minimal glare and efficient artificial lighting that helps with circadian rhythm. Efficient heating, ventilation and air conditioning (HVAC) systems drive energy use down to as low of an energy use index as possible, saving hundreds of thousands of dollars per year for districts that they can reallocate back into the students and staff. These systems, such as a ground source geothermal heat pump system, also help the maintenance staff due to the ease of maintenance.
What future trends should engineers expect?
Scott Peck: We are starting to see more districts adding science, technology, engineering and mathematics spaces within their buildings. These tend to be larger open spaces that are configurable by the end users. The furniture is designed to be flexible, along with extra receptacles and technology elements in the space. Often, cord reels are preferred over floor boxes. The cord reels are in a set pattern, allowing for use in many different room setups.
Zachary Schneider: I expect a push toward more efficient building practices and energy usage, with a clear focus on achieving carbon-neutral and zero-energy outcomes. Building owners are prioritizing the reduction of carbon emissions and energy consumption to minimize operational costs, allowing the integration of renewable energy solutions to create zero-carbon, zero-energy facilities. By implementing efficient design strategies, optimizing system sizing to fit specific spaces and leveraging clean energy tax credits, high-performance systems can often be more cost-effective than traditional systems.
What are engineers doing to ensure such projects (both new and existing structures) meet challenges associated with emerging technologies?
Zachary Schneider: One key responsibility for engineers is educating building owners about the benefits of high-performance systems. Many districts are apprehensive to move away from their traditional large, central systems due to familiarity. However, more efficient systems have been available for years and consistently demonstrate significant advantages – they are cost-effective, energy-efficient and easier to maintain. By guiding districts through the transition, engineers can help them quickly realize these benefits and make the shift a worthwhile investment for the future.
Tell us about a recent project you’ve worked on that’s innovative, large-scale or otherwise noteworthy. Please tell us about the location, systems your team engineered, key players, interesting challenges or solutions and other significant details. If one is available, please link to or attach a case study or portfolio description of the project.
Raquel Deschler: RMF is currently working with Liollio Architecture and Brownstone Construction Group on finalizing Charleston County School District’s new Early College High School, which is slated to open in March 2025. The project is in downtown Charleston on the site of the historic former Wilmot J. Fraser Elementary School. The school was originally constructed in 1957 as part of South Carolina’s equalization program, which was intended to provide separate but equal facilities for African American students. The facility continued to support the community through segregation and still plays an important role in the lives of those who live there. To pay homage to the community, the school’s front facade was preserved, with a new facility built behind it to meet current codes and standards. The original school, of course, was not built for modern ductwork, fire protection distribution or current seismic requirements, so keeping the facade posed several challenges.
The design team closely collaborated to ensure the structure, mechanical, electrical and plumbing systems could work within the tight ceiling space so that Liollio was able to respect the original building brick detailing, windows and entry. The Early College High School is a unique program that allows students to attend college classes and obtain their associate degree before they graduate high school. Over 70% of the students are first-generation graduates. All students are enrolled in the Advancement Via Individual Determination program that aims to close academic gaps in preparing students for greater college readiness and future success in a global society.
Zachary Schneider: CMTA has over 140 million square feet of K-12 design experience across the country. One of the many to highlight would be John Lewis Elementary for the DC Public Schools. This is a new, 88,599 square foot elementary school, and with the district’s ambitious energy and carbon reduction goals, we were able to design their first Zero Energy, LEED Platinum and WELL Platinum certified school. This design included a geothermal HVAC system, a dedicated outdoor air ventilation system and a 650-kilowatt solar voltaic system.
How are engineers designing these kinds of projects to keep costs down while offering appealing features, complying with relevant codes and meeting client needs?
Scott Peck: One of the best ways to keep costs down while meeting the client’s needs, is to work closely with the district’s facility manager to have a solid understanding of their expectation for the performance of mechanical, electrical and plumbing systems. It’s also important to understand their maintenance budget and capabilities, as many facility directors are being asked to do more with less staff and budget. With this knowledge, the engineering team can work with the district to come up with solutions that will meet their needs now and in the future. This is often accomplished by making the choice to pay more up-front for a higher quality piece of equipment or feature, which will ultimately pay dividends later with reduced maintenance costs as opposed to going with the lowest initial install cost. No matter what system is chosen, it must comply with all relevant codes.
Zachary Schneider: Engineers design these projects by focusing on collaboration and efficiency. It all starts with close coordination between architects, owners and contractors to ensure everyone is aligned toward the same goal. A key step is optimizing the building’s orientation to reduce solar load and maximize daylighting. Engineers also work closely with architects to design a highly efficient building envelope with proper air tightness and R-values. This minimizes energy loss, allowing systems to be “rightsized,” reducing costs and long-term operational expenses. Additionally, by leveraging direct rebates from clean energy tax credits, these facilities can often be built at the same or even lower costs than traditional designs.
