Latest news with #schoolconstruction
Japan Times
6 days ago
- General
- Japan Times
How schools are being built for extreme heat — without air conditioning
When prize-winning architect Francis Kere was growing up in Burkina Faso he spent his schooldays in a gloomy classroom that was so stifling he says it would have been better suited to making bread than educating children. Years later, while studying abroad, Kere returned to his home village to build a light and airy school where children could learn in comfort despite temperatures that can hit 45 degrees Celsius. But the Berlin-based architect did not use air conditioning. Instead he incorporated a host of cooling features into Gando Primary School that he has since applied to projects across Africa. Kere, who in 2022 won the Pritzker Prize, architecture's highest honor, is among the architects pioneering sustainable school designs for a warming planet. "My own school was so hot it was hard to concentrate," he said. "So I wanted to build a school that would be comfortable and inspiring for children." Studies from Brazil to Vietnam show heat significantly impacts learning. In a report last year, the World Bank warned that climate change was threatening educational attainment, creating an "economic time-bomb." Experts say classrooms should be no hotter than 26 C. In Gando, villagers were initially shocked when Kere announced he would build the school from clay, but the material is a natural temperature regulator, absorbing heat during the day and releasing it at night. Concrete and plate-glass may look contemporary, but Kere said they make buildings hot, necessitating air conditioners. This creates a vicious circle. Energy-intensive air conditioners, which expel hot air outdoors, contribute to global warming, which then fuels demand for more air conditioning. Instead, Kere uses passive cooling techniques. Students use fans to cool down during a class at a school in Phnom Penh in May last year. | REUTERS Gando's classrooms have openings at both ends, generating cross-ventilation. An overhanging roof elevated above a perforated lower roof improves air circulation and shades the facade. In Kenya, Kere's design for a college campus was inspired by termite mounds, which use natural ventilation to regulate interior temperatures. Low openings on the buildings suck in fresh air while terracotta-colored towers let hot air escape. Social change Some 8,000 kilometers away in northwest India's Thar desert, temperatures reached 48 C this year. Vegetation is sparse, and sandstorms are common. The Rajkumari Ratnavati Girls School, a large oval sandstone edifice rising from the Rajasthan desert, was designed by New York architect Diana Kellogg. The building's orientation and shape allow prevailing winds to flow around the school, while lime plaster on the interior walls has an additional cooling effect. Lattice walls, inspired by traditional Indian jali screens, accelerate airflow due to a phenomenon called the Venturi effect. The school also runs off solar power and harvests enough rainwater for its needs. Temperatures inside are up to 10 C cooler than outside, contributing to high attendance, Kellogg said. Like Kere, she believes good architecture can encourage social change. Rajasthan has the lowest female literacy rate in India, but Kellogg said the school's monumental scale sends a strong message about the value of girls. "It has enhanced their standing in the community," she said. "The girls take pride in attending and call it 'The College.' When I visit, the boys say, 'Build one for us.'" Greening schools Even temperate countries are looking at how to cool schools as climate change brings more frequent heat waves. Britain has said new school buildings should be future-proofed for a 4 C temperature rise. Its drafty Victorian-era schools with big windows and high ceilings are better suited to heat waves than newer schools designed to keep heat in. But education does not just happen indoors. Playgrounds are also important for children's development, and many cities are trying to make them greener. Urban areas can be 4 C to 6 C warmer than rural areas, but planting trees reduces temperatures through shading and the release of water vapor. Paris aims to convert all asphalted schoolyards to green oases by 2050. Another solution involves cool paint. While countries like Greece have long painted building roofs white, scientists are now working on high-tech coatings that could potentially outperform air conditioners. Building with clay From geothermal cooling technology to smart glass, engineers are developing increasingly sophisticated systems and products to control temperatures. But German architect Anna Heringer said sustainable architecture means working with local materials. Heringer, who has designed schools from Bangladesh to Ghana, is known for building with mud — "a low-tech material with high-tech performance. "If you ask farmers, they will tell you a mud house is cool in summer," Heringer said, adding that clay balances humidity, which exacerbates physical discomfort in extreme heat and cold. Students attend their final exam at the secondary school built by Francis Kere in Gando, Burkina Faso, on June 3, 2022. | REUTERS "Architects often try to be way too technical, but sometimes the solutions are in front of us." In Tanzania, villagers told her they built concrete homes for status, but went to mud huts to sleep at night. Contrary to popular perception, clay walls do not dissolve in the rain, Heringer said. There are simple techniques to prevent erosion, and a natural crystallization process strengthens the walls over time. "Clay has been branded as a weak material, but in every culture and climate we have mud buildings that are hundreds of years old," Heringer said, adding that schools she built 20 years ago have required little maintenance. Some classrooms in her schools have solar-powered fans, but there is no air conditioning. Not only does it consume energy, but constantly switching between heat and cold can harm children's health, she said. Kere — whose international commissions include Benin's new parliament building and the upcoming Las Vegas Museum of Art — said his studio gets many inquiries about building with clay and passive cooling. "There's a big shift," he said. "This would never have happened just a few years ago."
Yahoo
6 days ago
- Business
- Yahoo
CTA Construction Managers Begins Building New Green Meadow Elementary School in Maynard, MA
CTA Construction Managers recently broke ground on the new school, which was designed by Mount Vernon Group Architects. The project is being overseen by the town's OPM firm, Colliers Project Leaders. MAYNARD, Mass., July 16, 2025 /PRNewswire/ -- CTA Construction Managers is proud to announce it was recently awarded the contract to construct the new Green Meadow Elementary School in Maynard, Massachusetts. The project, designed by Mount Vernon Group Architects and overseen by Colliers Project Leaders, officially broke ground last month and marks another milestone in CTA's long-standing commitment to educational facility construction across the Commonwealth. The new 90,525-square-foot, two-story facility will serve approximately 395 students in grades K–3, and will include a dedicated Pre-K program for about 100 students. Approximately 110 faculty and staff will work in the building. "The school has been designed with a central core for shared public spaces—such as the gymnasium, cafetorium, administrative offices, health suite, and media center—flanked by two distinct classroom 'neighborhoods' that accommodate Pre-K through grade 3. These wings feature general and special education classrooms, support spaces, common areas, and student and staff restrooms," said Chris LeBlanc, Senior Associate at Mount Vernon Group Architects. "Situated on a 33-acre site adjacent to residential neighborhoods, wooded land, and a town park, the new building is being constructed just 30 feet from the existing school—an active and logistically complex site. Once the new school is complete, the existing structure will be abated and demolished to make way for additional site development," said Phil Palumbo, Director, Colliers Project Leaders. "CTA is honored to return to Maynard, where we previously built the award-winning Maynard High School," said Lyle Coghlin, Principal, CTA Construction Mangers. "We're also proud to continue our longstanding partnerships with Mount Vernon Group Architects and Colliers Project Leaders. This project reflects our shared commitment to creating innovative and sustainable learning environments for Massachusetts communities," he continued. This marks CTA's fourth collaboration with Mount Vernon Group and the fourth project with Colliers Project Leaders, reflecting more than 12 years of successful partnerships in educational construction with the two firms. The CTA Construction Managers team recently completed the foundation, and Green Meadow Elementary School is on track for the scheduled completion in the summer of 2027. About CTA Construction Managers LLC CTA Construction Managers is an award-winning construction management and general contracting firm specializing in municipal, academic, multi-family residential, commercial, and senior care facilities. Based in Waltham, Massachusetts, CTA Construction's portfolio of projects total over $2.0 billion. Founded in 2000, CTA has awarded over $150,000,000 in contracts to certified small, veteran, disadvantaged, minority, and women owned partners. CTA is a leader in green building, helping numerous clients build sustainably and meet LEED and MA-CHPS standards. For more information, please visit: Press Contact: CTA Construction Managers781-786-6600https:// View original content to download multimedia: SOURCE CTA Construction Managers LLC Error while retrieving data Sign in to access your portfolio Error while retrieving data
Yahoo
21-06-2025
- General
- Yahoo
New Halifax elementary school won't be ready for September
The new St. Joseph's-Alexander McKay Elementary School in Halifax won't be ready for September, according to a message sent to families on Thursday. The original school building was demolished and its replacement was expected to open in 2023. Since then, the project has expanded, delaying its construction. "Unfortunately, the new SJAM will still not be ready to welcome students at the start of the 2025-26 school year," says the message from the Halifax Regional Centre for Education. "This is awful news and we share your disappointment. "We acknowledge how disruptive this news is, especially to your children and your family's plans for the next school year." The message goes on to say the Department of Public Works has been assured by the contractor that the school will be ready for students midway through the 2025-26 school year. It said the Halifax Regional Centre for Education would provide updates on project timelines. 'Unexpectedly complicated' "While these kinds of issues are not uncommon in the construction industry these days, we appreciate this project has been unexpectedly complicated," the message says. "The Department of Public Works has had the construction lead add more trades workers and contractors, and we have asked them to work overtime and on weekends to get the school open as quickly as possible." A followup message to families on Friday confirmed students will remain at École Beaufort until the new school is ready. Shortly before the message was sent to families, Jesse LeGallais, a parent of two children who attend St. Joseph's-Alexander McKay, told CBC Radio's Mainstreet Halifax that he was concerned about further delays. "Whether the excuses are valid or not, there has been abysmal communication from Public Works, there has been abysmal communication from the HRCE," LeGallais said. "They do send out updates, but those updates, I find, are unreliable." Advocating for the school "The Beaufort school isn't really fit to service," LeGallais said. It doesn't have a real gymnasium, it doesn't have a real music room, it doesn't have a library, it's got various issues that the staff and the teachers and principals are dealing with but there's only so much you can do," LeGallais said. He said the kids are being bused in and that extends his children's own day by up to an hour. He said it also cuts down on the amount of time parents have to interact with teachers and other parents. LeGallais said he knows of families who have pulled their children out because of the delays, but that's not something he's considering because his children have friends there and he likes the staff. "So, I think the best thing we can do is not give up on the school but to advocate on behalf of the school because if we can organize as parents and we can put enough pressure — things can get done." MORE TOP STORIES
CBC
21-06-2025
- General
- CBC
New Halifax elementary school won't be ready for September
The new St. Joseph's-Alexander McKay Elementary School in Halifax won't be ready for September, according to a message sent to families on Thursday. The original school building was demolished and its replacement was expected to open in 2023. Since then, the project has expanded, delaying its construction. "Unfortunately, the new SJAM will still not be ready to welcome students at the start of the 2025-26 school year," says the message from the Halifax Regional Centre for Education. "This is awful news and we share your disappointment. "We acknowledge how disruptive this news is, especially to your children and your family's plans for the next school year." The message goes on to say the Department of Public Works has been assured by the contractor that the school will be ready for students midway through the 2025-26 school year. It said the Halifax Regional Centre for Education would provide updates on project timelines. 'Unexpectedly complicated' "While these kinds of issues are not uncommon in the construction industry these days, we appreciate this project has been unexpectedly complicated," the message says. "The Department of Public Works has had the construction lead add more trades workers and contractors, and we have asked them to work overtime and on weekends to get the school open as quickly as possible." A followup message to families on Friday confirmed students will remain at École Beaufort until the new school is ready. Shortly before the message was sent to families, Jesse LeGallais, a parent of two children who attend St. Joseph's-Alexander McKay, told CBC Radio's Mainstreet Halifax that he was concerned about further delays. "Whether the excuses are valid or not, there has been abysmal communication from Public Works, there has been abysmal communication from the HRCE," LeGallais said. "They do send out updates, but those updates, I find, are unreliable." Advocating for the school "The Beaufort school isn't really fit to service," LeGallais said. It doesn't have a real gymnasium, it doesn't have a real music room, it doesn't have a library, it's got various issues that the staff and the teachers and principals are dealing with but there's only so much you can do," LeGallais said. He said the kids are being bused in and that extends his children's own day by up to an hour. He said it also cuts down on the amount of time parents have to interact with teachers and other parents. LeGallais said he knows of families who have pulled their children out because of the delays, but that's not something he's considering because his children have friends there and he likes the staff. "So, I think the best thing we can do is not give up on the school but to advocate on behalf of the school because if we can organize as parents and we can put enough pressure — things can get done."
BBC News
16-06-2025
- Politics
- BBC News
Llanelli special school to be built after Ysgol Heol Goffa U-turn
Proposals to build a new special needs school have been given the go ahead after a "year of torment".It comes after Carmarthenshire council said last year it was not possible to continue with the original plan in Llanelli due to construction 300 campaigners protested in September 2024 claiming the council broke a promise to fund a new building for Ysgol Heol Jenkins, chairman of governors at the school, welcomed the news, adding: "We'll be keeping the pressure on the local authority to make sure that we do get what was promised eight years ago." The unanimous vote comes after multiple U-turns over plans for the school.A replacement school was first proposed in 2017 which was due to be relocated and expanded to meet May 2024, the council said it would not go ahead with plans due to financial pressures which led to protests by council commissioned an independent review of additional learning needs (ALN) provision in the area which was published in February outlining six options for the school and of those were formally proposed to the council on Monday by Glynog Davies, Plaid Cymru cabinet member for education, and both involve building a new special school. During the meeting he said "children's welfare is an obvious priority" along with balancing the costs of the proposals would see a school created for 150 pupils which is estimated to cost £27.3m - £35.4m as well as developing proposals to build one primary and one secondary specialist centre for pupils with Autistic Spectrum Condition (ASC) attached to mainstream would see a review and revision of the current proposal to build a new special school and design it to include a provision for pupils with ASC with capacity for 250 pupils costing between £36.2m and £51.2m. After the meeting, Mr Jenkins said it came as a "relief" for the school after a "year of torment".He thanked the community for the "depth of feeling and love" towards the pupils and staff and said he looked forward to a "positive dialogue" with the council moving forward.
