1.2. Planteamiento del problema
1.2.2. Análisis crítico
York Region District School Board Through a series of internal and external partnerships, the York Region DSB was able to achieve a unique facility within a restrictive budget. The project started with a vision for a secondary school with a focus on healthy, active living located in what will become a dense urban core for one of Ontario’s fast growing communities. This vision presented a number of challenges. It required a large building program that would include three athletic fields, three double gyms and other specialized athletic facilities, married to all the usual spaces needed for a 1,800-student secondary school. This entire program was proposed to be located in an area of relatively expensive and scarce land supply, using only limited funds.
The solution lay in adopting a collaborative approach that allowed a former golf course located partly on the flood plain to be
redeveloped as a new school. Throughout the project, the York Region DSB worked closely with the local Conservation Authority and the Town of Markham to redevelop the golf course as the site for a Green School, one that was to target LEED Silver certification. An important riverbank habitat was restored and the new school was built using LEED design principles. An agreement between the Town of Markham and York Region DSB has resulted in use of the fields not only for the school program but also for public use. This is a prime example of how an Integrated Design Process and a collaborative approach can achieve sustainability goals.
CASE STUDY:
47
1 | BENEFITS 2 | PLANNING SECTION 3 | DESIGN
4 | OCCUPANCY 5 | REFERENCES EXECUTIVE SUMMARY
GREEN SCHOOLS RESOURCE GUIDE
C. Transportation
Incremental Cost: None (typically, less car infrastructure results in savings)
Ease of Implementation: Easy to Difficult (depending on measure)
Payback: not applicable
Realizable Targets:
• Selecting school sites that are walkable, bikeable and close to public transit
• Providing secure bicycle parking for students and staff as well as staff showers
• Providing safe routes to schools that prioritize walking and biking over driving
• Implementing a “walking school bus” program
• Limiting parking lot size and lobbying municipalities to reduce school parking and drop-off requirements
Implementation Considerations:
• Many transportation issues are mandated by local authorities (land use, location of school sites, parking requirements, drop-off, etc).
• Municipalities may need to be lobbied to change car-oriented planning requirements
Cost Considerations:
• Usually less expensive to build for other forms of transportation than the private car
2 | PLANNING SECTION 3 | DESIGN
4 | OCCUPANCY 5 | REFERENCES
D. Micro Climates
Incremental Cost: None to Moderate (depending on measure and site) Ease of Implementation: Easy (depending on measure and site) Payback: Immediate to long term (depending on measure and site)
Realizable Targets:
Using building orientation and site features to create a more moderate climate immediately surrounding the building. Measures could include:
orienting the building to the south, use of “white”
roof / paving to reduce heat island effect, and introducing landscape elements to shade and shelter the building and play areas.
Implementation Considerations:
• Smaller sites typically allow less freedom in building and landscape element locations
Cost Considerations:
• Additional planting and “white” surface materials could increase costs moderately
E. Storm Water
Incremental Cost: None to Moderate (depending on measure and site)
Ease of Implementation: Easy to Moderate (depending on measure and site)
Payback: Immediate
Realizable Targets:
Collect rain water for slow release to municipal system or filtration and reuse. Rain water can be collected in a storage medium for reuse, slow release, or it can be absorbed into the ground through permeable surface treatments. Measures could include bio-swales to collect storm water from hard surfaces, infiltration or storage galleries, retention ponds, control-flow roof drains and vegetated roofs.
Implementation Considerations:
• Smaller sites typically allow less freedom in rain water collection and filtering
• There may be snow clearing and maintenance issues with permeable paving in parking lots
• Above ground holding ponds may present a safety risk and aesthetic issues
• Roof structure needs to be designed for any water retention proposed on the roof
• Vegetated roofs can present structural, cost and maintenance issues
Cost Considerations:
• In many cases on-site rain water management is
49
1 | BENEFITS 2 | PLANNING SECTION 3 | DESIGN
4 | OCCUPANCY 5 | REFERENCES EXECUTIVE SUMMARY
GREEN SCHOOLS RESOURCE GUIDE
F. Light Pollution
Incremental Cost: Low Ease of Implementation: Easy Payback: n/a
Realizable Targets:
•Install light fixtures with cuts-offs, limit outdoor lighting levels, and apply a “lights out” policy outside school operational hours
Implementation Considerations:
• Despite evidence to the contrary, many members of the public still equate high light levels with increased safety
• Lower light levels with targeted lighting could be perceived as less safe Cost Considerations:
• No significant cost implication
2 | PLANNING SECTION 3 | DESIGN
4 | OCCUPANCY 5 | REFERENCES
Benefits:
Demonstrates Environmental Sustainability
• Our use of potable water is exceeding the sustainable supply
Supports Student Achievement
• Availability of clean drinking water is a key health determinant
Controls Ownership Costs
• Municipalities need to recoup costs through water fees. Even at today’s rates, water and sewage fees are a significant cost for most school boards
Promotes Environmental Stewardship
• Demonstration that the board is moving on this important issue will provide a lesson that can be brought home
Green Strategies
Municipal water use can be reduced in two ways: first through conservation and second by collection. As storm water is increasingly regulated and more expensive to contain and store, it should be seen as a resource. The cost of managing storm water can be offset by reducing the amount of treated water purchased from the municipality.
Design Options:
A. Conservation
Incremental Cost: Low Ease of Implementation: Easy Payback: 1 to 3 years
Realizable Targets:
A realizable target that could be incorporated into a green school plan would be an overall reduction of water use by 20% (30% should be considered in areas with more acute water shortages) by a combination of the following features:
• Installation of low-flow fixtures with automatic control
• Some boards have also had success with waterless urinals, while others have found the water savings did not justify the additional maintenance required
Implementation Considerations:
• Low-flow devices have generally matured to the point where there are few if any maintenance or installation issues
• Automatic controls run the gambit from well proven foot controls on “Bradley” type lavatories to more recent infrared (IR) sensors.
• IR sensors are now available as “hard wired”, eliminating the need for battery replacement.
Users have become more familiar with IR sensors in airports and shopping malls.
• Waterless urinals need careful consideration of
3.2.2 Water Use Reductions
51
1 | BENEFITS 2 | PLANNING SECTION 3 | DESIGN
4 | OCCUPANCY 5 | REFERENCES EXECUTIVE SUMMARY
GREEN SCHOOLS RESOURCE GUIDE