Designing a green middle school as a 3-dimensional textbook: a thesis

Abstract

The Teaching Green Building (TGB) initiative is gaining traction as a method to include the users of a building in conversations about environmental issues by means of the building's architectural design. If built environment, natural, and cultural architecture can be used as instructional tools, educational environments can be more effective. Architects design these buildings to achieve high levels of environmental performance and to encourage inhabitants to engage in the environmental narrative of the structure as well as its day-to-day operations. “The surrounding nature as a passive area” with “the building’s surrounding natural areas” may be used to teach environmental concerns, ecology, and sustainability. The question of "how the Green Building School encourages students to be aware of their environment and to understand the application of the concept of green in their school?" has been widely debated in educational and sustainable design, with scholars such as "Nurhayatu Nufut Alimin" and "Laura Cole" arguing when students are placed in an environment, their behavior, mind, and choices are influenced by the environment. However, these publications do not sufficiently address how we might teach sustainability to children by involving them in sustainable design and school design, including sustainable curriculum and school curriculum. In my thesis, I will present research and design to showcase how sustainable features can be used as an educational tool to help students gain a sense of sustainability and built systems around them, using a combination of green school design and educational goals. To a certain extent, I am looking for ideas and structures that guarantee the learning and participation of students in all areas related to the initial middle school curriculum (Biology, geometry, technology and so on), 4 C's skills (communicating, creativity, critical thinking and collaborating) and sustainability. In particular, I am interested in how sustainable features, architecture and education can be combined to reinforce all areas of children's development and learning by creating a well-designed environment. School buildings may provide an opportunity for students to engage with themselves, their communities, and their environment. Children can relate their learning to their world, be proud of where they live, and as a result become real and practical learning experiences, concerned and participatory citizens. The purpose of this thesis is to explore this main question: How a green building school can act as a 3D textbook and teaching tool for students giving them a comprehensive understanding of not only the school's curriculum, but also the ideals of sustainable design for nature and humans? Even though there are instances of teaching green school building both in the United States and elsewhere, they do not support all aspects of education and also the amount of contribution of students in sustainable structures and projects are really low. In conclusion, this study provides fresh light on the previously recognized problem of lack of sufficient techniques and sustainable education to children by carefully evaluating new curriculum and new educational environments.