The Orange County Chapter of the U.S. Green Building Council has announced a proposed pilot project to retrofit an existing classroom at Davis Magnet School in Costa Mesa.This program seeks to create a blueprint for schools to take the challenge for today’s generations of children toward healthier, greener practices and programs.
The classroom greening will involve a control classroom and a retrofitted classroom, adjacent to each other so that students can learn from monitoring of the two different environments.Statistics will be collected regarding a number of key factors in the green building process, including energy use, air quality, learning outcomes and many additionalfactors that are key in the green building process.
A team of USGBC OC volunteers from companies across the county will document the project design, building materials, equipment and operational procedures to share through all of Orange County schools as a roadmap for additional schools to follow.On average, it is anticipated that green schools save $100,000 per year in operating costs as well as providing healthier classroom and playground environments for the students.
Project components will include 1) Education, which will integrate teaching about green practices into classrooms at the school and within the community; 2) Retrofit, involving lighting modification, daylight harvesting, airflow/ventilation, flooring, cabinetry and furnishings; and 3) Measurement involving installation of monitors in both the retrofit and control classroom to show real time data for students in educating them with regard to the process. The project will be accomplished in phases which will align with the necessary approvals and permits for the construction elements of the project.
Ultimately, it is the goal of the USGBC-OC to use this demonstration project to help educate Orange County’s parents, students and citizens about the benefits of green building programs for the environment, health and social and environmental responsibility.