Sustainable design traditionally has focused on lowering the negative impact of building construction on the environment and reducing carbon footprint. But recently the dialogue has begun to shift as designers and building owners consider energy production rather than just energy conservation to achieve sustainable outcomes. This new approach assumes a Zero-Plus strategy based on five sustainable metrics—energy, carbon, water, waste and materials.
This Zero-Plus approach encourages us to give back rather than just consume less, and higher education projects are proving to be a perfect opportunity to implement Zero-Plus design. College campuses are often incubators for research, innovation and new technology that feed into the educational process and job training. New construction—whether a single academic building or an entire campus master plan—allows design teams, college administrators, students and faculty to shape the sustainable future of the learning environment.