Perkins Eastman recently announced the publication of white paper “Measuring Up: Using Pre- and Post-Occupancy Evaluation to Assess High-Performance School Design.”
“Measuring Up” documents a design research study conducted by Perkins Eastman that used the Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. School, located in Cambridge, MA, as a test case. The study showed that the high-performance design strategies employed in the design of the MLK School had a significant and measurable impact on both occupant satisfaction and building performance. These findings tie high-performance design strategies to improved building performance and increased satisfaction, bringing the theoretical value-add proposition for high-performance design into reality.
The overarching goal of the school’s design was to synthesize objectives to enhance educational outcomes within this urban district and to pursue attributes of Net Zero Energy. Together, these goals inspired a sustainable, high-performance urban learning environment that can serve as a prototype for the school district and potentially nationwide. These same lessons also add to the design industry’s understanding of high-performance design.
The white paper is co-authored by a group at Perkins Eastman representing broad research, sustainability, and K-12 school design. Sean O’Donnell, leader of Perkins Eastman’s K-12 practice, says, “By evaluating and analyzing our work, we are able to make smarter decisions moving forward to enhance educational outcomes, improve our communities, and reduce our environmental impact—and to do so in the most economical means possible.” He continues, “This feedback loop moves us closer to creating truly sustainable, high-performance learning environments for our clients and communities.”
Perkins Eastman’s study is distinguished from other academic studies investigating Indoor Environmental Quality (IEQ) in schools in that it was designed to examine multiple, concurrent factors—producing a more holistic picture than single variables studied in isolation can provide. In Perkins Eastman’s study, satisfaction levels increased between 53-66% in every measure, indicating meaningful improvement. These measures included: daylight, thermal comfort, acoustics, and air quality.
By showing that even minor improvements in building performance using high-performance design strategies can significantly impact occupant satisfaction and performance, this case study becomes applicable to any industry where occupant performance is significant— especially in educational, office, and healthcare environments.
“Measuring Up” is available for download here.
Related Stories
K-12 Schools | Jan 24, 2018
Hawaii’s first net-zero public school
G70 is the architect, planner, and civil engineer of record for the project.
K-12 Schools | Jan 22, 2018
Innovative learning environments and our ‘Heschong Mahone moment’
An education market think tank proposes a radical research concept for evaluating learning environments.
K-12 Schools | Dec 6, 2017
Designing K-12 schools from the inside out
A step-by-step process finds better answers, saves money, and produces measurable results.
K-12 Schools | Nov 16, 2017
Future-proofing higher education: Understanding generation Z
There are three driving issues behind this next generation: demographic change, behavioral change, and the power to choose.
Engineers | Nov 2, 2017
CannonDesign expands its presence in Colorado with BWG acquisition
Future mergers could be in the offing.
K-12 Schools | Oct 31, 2017
Exploring empathy in architecture: Put yourself in your student’s shoes
People are enigmatic and inherently complex, which can make it difficult to design for a larger population.
K-12 Schools | Oct 28, 2017
A new elementary school in Cambridge, Mass., aims at being a pilot for that city’s NZE commitment
The building’s programming will provide more access to the community at large.
Higher Education | Oct 26, 2017
Where campus meets corporate design
A building is much more than its appearance; it’s how the user will behave inside of it that determines its adaptability.
Giants 400 | Oct 9, 2017
Job-ready learning: The newest K-12 schools nudge students toward careers
Some long-term K-12 trends—like beefing up safety and security, and designing for more natural light and outdoor learning space—are still in vogue.
Giants 400 | Oct 9, 2017
Top 80 K-12 construction firms
Gilbane Building Co., Balfour Beatty US, and Skanska USA top BD+C’s ranking of the nation’s largest K-12 sector contractors and construction management firms, as reported in the 2017 Giants 300 Report.