September 17 2007

CHPS - Collaborative of High Performance Schools

Today I wanted to highlight the Collaborative of High Performance Schools or CHPS. The stated goal of CHPS is "to facilitate the design of high performance schools." The web site has a number of practical resources for designers working on sustainable schools including the nation's only green building rating system for K-12 schools, training seminars, best practice seminars, and green building resources.

The collaborative was started in California in an effort to carry their aging and burdened school system into the future. They cite energy costs for the school system as being higher than the costs for books and supplies all in a climate of escalating energy costs. CHPS is especially noteworthy because of their recognition of the importance of Whole Building Design where all elements of a building are viewed as a system to be designed and optimized rather than disparate pieces.

Some of the topics they highlight are:

• Student Performance
• Student and Teacher Health
• Impact on Operating Cost
• Impact on Environment

For more information visit www.chps.net

September 17th, 2007 at 2:40 AM. Posted in Architecture. Share this post.