Green Building Enhances Learning

“Give a man a fish and you feed him for a day. Teach a man to fish and you feed him for a lifetime”.

This ancient Chinese proverb has a very modern relevance when reflected through the lens of the Australian Institute of Management’s (AIM) new building, the Katitjin Centre in Western Australia.

The Katitjin Centre is a high-performance, environmentally-friendly education facility that showcases exactly how green buildings can act as a learning resource and drive cultural shifts towards sustainability.

With its 6 Star Green Star – Education v1 rating, the Centre produces as much energy in operation as it consumes. It also features a number of water-efficient features, such as a 42 kilolitre rainwater tank for toilet flushing and a ‘xeriscape’ garden – a method of landscape design that minimises water usage. Coupled with an emphasis on excellent indoor environment quality, the Katitjin Centre is not only better for the environment, but will improve student health and learning outcomes.

We now have solid international evidence which confirms that green education facilities can enhance student learning, create a better working environment for teachers and boost a school’s competitiveness, not to mention reduce greenhouse gas emissions.

The Heschong Mahone Daylighting Study of more than 21,000 students in the US, for instance, showed a dramatic correlation between daylit school environments and student performance. This included a 20% faster progression in maths, a 26% faster progression in reading and up to 10% increase in general performance simply by having views out of windows. At the Katitjin Centre, the direct link between IEQ and better educational outcomes made features such as good ventilation and high levels of natural light a priority.

Green education facilities are also interactive teaching tools and can inspire us to engage with environmental issues. Green buildings can encourage an understanding of energy use, climate change, water resources and sustainability into our everyday lives. Whether we’re 6 or 60, people learn through first-hand, real-world experiences. This may mean gaining a deeper understanding of how renewable energy works from seeing the solar panels and wind turbines incorporated into a building’s design, or taking greater responsibility for our own carbon footprints after viewing a building’s energy and water monitoring displays.

As another ancient Chinese philosopher said: “tell me and I will forget, show me and I may remember, involve me and I will understand”.

Green Building Enhances Learning

By Tony Arnel

Chairman

GBCA