What is a High Performance School?

Good teachers and motivated students can overcome inadequate facilities and perform at a high level almost anywhere, but a well-designed facility can truly enhance performance and make education a more enjoyable and rewarding experience. A high performance school is:

• Healthy
• Comfortable
• Energy Efficient
• Material Efficient
• Easy to Maintain and Operate
• Commissioned
• Environmentally Responsive Site
• A Building That Teaches
• Safe and Secure
• Community Resource
• Stimulating Architecture
• Adaptable to Changing Needs

Creating a school with these characteristics is not difficult, but it does require an integrated, "whole building" approach to the design process. Key systems and technologies must be considered together, from the beginning of the design process, and optimized based on their combined impact on the comfort and productivity of students and teachers. At the end of the process the entire facility will be optimized for long-term performance. The result will be a finished school that is an enduring asset to its community: one that enhances teaching and learning, reduces operating costs, and protects the environment.