Over the past decades, universities have been at the forefront of establishing ambitious goals for decarbonizing campuses. While there are many variables in how to advance energy efficiency in the campus-built environment, some universities have taken the strategic approach of combining energy efforts with the heavy maintenance and upkeep needs of…

Far from the limelight of LEED, Energy Star or Green Globes certifications are the energy codes developed and updated by the American Society of Heating, Refrigerating and Air-Conditioning Engineers (ASHRAE) and the International Code Council (ICC) through the support of the Department of Energy (DOE) as minimum guidelines for building envelope,…

Mike Potts was halfway through a five-year prison sentence outside Houston when he heard about a program that would help him start a business when even buddies with clean records were struggling to find work. The Prison Entrepreneurship Program, run by a nonprofit group of the same name, works with Baylor University's Hankamer School of Business…

Combining preventative operations and maintenance (O&M) with strategic retrofitting of building systems improves a school's energy performance. For schools with limited resources and experience, "quick wins" in O&M and retrofitting provide a valuable starting point to energy management. As a next step, strategically prioritizing long- and…

Accommodating change in existing buildings on a college campus or in a school district is challenging, but manageable. The key to successful adaptive reuse is thoughtful and thorough decision-making. Why consider recycling existing buildings? There are many reasons, including limited institutional resources, the increasing cost of new…

What should a campus do when it needs more learning spaces but can't construct new buildings? Dr. Benjamin Sill's first task when he became the director of Clemson University's general engineering program was to find space for classrooms and for the advising program. His search ended in the old YMCA building (Holtzendorff Hall), where space was…

Describes how school districts in Ohio have dealt with old, architecturally significant school buildings when state rules mandated that it would be cheaper to rebuild. Many districts found ways to renovate the buildings or convert them to other uses. (EV)

Describes adaptive reuse of college buildings, which involves reconfiguring existing buildings for entirely new functions, including its benefits. Examples include Bartlett Hall at the University of Chicago, Annenberg Hall and Locker Chambers at Harvard University, Goodrich Hall at Williams College, and Sarratt Student Center at Vanderbilt…

Conversion of a University of Oregon bowling center into a computer laboratory by the college union is discussed. Located in a renovated former bowling center, the Erb Memorial Union Computer Lounge is a self-supporting campus computer laboratory. User fees are charged for on-site computer rentals, laser printing, color plotting, and typesetting…

A gymnasium that is now outgrown has been redesigned to be a campus center for students, faculty, and visitors. (Author/MLF)

Construction work is about to begin on a new "intelligent" primary school for 300 students (later to be expanded for 600) in the Municipality of Solaro in the province of Milan. This is the first primary school building in Italy designed according to the principles of the "intelligent school" as defined by the Centre for…

Two university renovations are visual metaphors using craftsmanship and other arts to suggest larger contexts. (Author/MLF)

An imaginative joint effort by public and private interests revived the former Ridgefield High School (Connecticut) and transformed it into an executive office building. It will eventually revert to the town for another use. (Author/MLF)

Examines the transformation of a railroad warehouse into a college bookstore. The new 24,600 square-foot facility also is an art gallery, textbook center, gift shop, lunch counter, and coffee bar that is open to the public as well as students. (GR)

Details on how a surplus school was transformed into an office for the Marin County (California) Office of Education. (Author/MLF)