Informing Green School Design and Construction Projects Through Graduate Student Research

A small group of construction and facilities managers within a local school district encouraged the district superintendent to develop policy for the integration of green building practices. The school district established a long-term partnership with a green building research institute in the Construction Management Department that has benefitted graduate students, the university, the school district and the community. Through a series of agreements and research projects, the university performs applied research into aspects of school building such as applying the LEED rating system, benchmarking other green schools, studying effects of cleaning on indoor air quality, and investigating sustainable finish materials. The school district, thanks in part to the university partnership, is now nationally recognized by government entities and the U.S. Green Building Council. The school district-university partnership is one that could be replicated throughout North America, creating programs that provide on-going benefits to students, the school district, the university, building professionals, and the faculty and students who inhabit the schools. This paper illustrates the process used to establish the partnership, the specific research projects performed by the graduate students and the outcomes of the program, both in terms of the school buildings and the multiple benefits derived by the students, the university, and the community