CASE STUDY: LEARNING ENVIRONMENTS FOR ALL

Project: Mae Smythe and Red Bluff Elementary Schools
Entity: The Pasadena Independent School District
Location: Pasadena, Texas

The Pasadena Independent School District (PISD) in Texas recently completed two major rebuilding projects to better serve its growing population of pre-kindergarten to fourth grade students. Both the Red Bluff Elementary School and Mae Smythe Elementary School buildings originally opened in the 1950s and improvements were made through the decades. After 60 years of use and withstanding hurricanes, the cost of repairing and renovating these campuses exceeded the cost of building new ones. The district received funding to embark on a multi-phase, comprehensive update to replace the aging structures with larger, newly constructed, contemporary buildings within their existing campus footprints.

To ensure an ideal learning environment, the PISD’s goals for the new schools included healthy indoor air quality, energy-efficient operations, optimized acoustics, moisture and mold resistance, low-maintenance materials and a modern, welcoming appearance. Meeting all of the facilities team’s criteria, the school district selected acoustic stone wool ceiling systems as the basis of design for both schools, and for future PISD projects.

Acoustic stone wool was used throughout the two new schools, with 2-by-2-foot ceiling panels installed in exposed suspension systems. The PISD’s schools are located within the Houston metropolitan area, approximately 4 miles to Tabbs Bay upstream from the Gulf of Mexico. Hurricanes, tropical storms and humidity are as constant as the Texas heat.

Because of its hydrophobic and rigid qualities, the stone wool ceiling panels used in the schools Rockfon’s ceiling panels in Red Bluff and Mae Smythe schools resist water and tend to not sag, stain or fall out of their suspension system.

The ceiling system in Red Bluff and Mae Smythe schools provides the same IEQ support in schools as in medical facilities. Children’s small developing lungs and higher rates of respiration make them particularly vulnerable to chemicals and bacteria in the air. Reducing airborne contaminants lessens the risk for health concerns, irritability, and loss of concentration. This project’s stone wool ceiling panels are UL GREENGUARD Gold certified for low VOCs.

The stone wool ceiling system is able to provide a comfortable and effective learning space. One way it does that it by delivering the high reflectance stone wool ceiling systems are known for. In rooms with exterior window systems, the ceiling panels maximize the use of natural daylight. In other rooms, the ceiling suspension grid system incorporates light fixtures and the white panels make efficient use of their electric lighting. Regardless of the source, the ceiling panels’ bright white surface reflects 85% of the light into the rooms’ interior.

This diffused lighting minimizes glare, allowing students to better see the high-tech screens and monitors without squinting and straining their eyes. High light reflectance and control can be especially important for students and teachers in sensory rooms, dyslexia and speech therapy rooms, and other special education services. To avoid distractions, these rooms do not have exterior windows and are located within schools’ interiors.

The acoustic quality of the ceilings also provides an effective learning environment. As we have noted in this course, the right acoustics can support focus and clarity for all students. Along with enhanced visual comfort and a high light reflectance, the ceiling panels also provide high sound absorption in the libraries, cafeterias, common areas and hallways. This high level of sound absorption decreases reverberation and improves speech intelligibility for group communication, which is highly important in academic environments.

At Mae Smythe Elementary’s library and cafeteria, ceiling panels seemingly float in suspended ceiling clouds and islands above the sound-reflective tables, floors and other hard surfaces below. In the library, hoop-shaped ceiling clouds encircle large, LED ring lights greeting students to book collections and reading areas. In the cafeteria, the ceiling islands’ grid pattern resembles a Mondrian painting, establishing the rectangular format as a whole structure and within smaller, inset, separated components.

Enhancing the bright, clean, modern appearance of the schools’ ceilings, purposeful shifts in the grid pattern offer visual breaks and wayfinding cues. For example, standing on the first floor of Mae Smythe’s two-story entry lobby, the ceiling grid aligns with the interior wall of the reception area, and standing on the second floor, the upper level’s ceiling intersects at diagonal to match with the orientation of the hallways.

At Red Bluff Elementary, the ceilings uphold a symmetrical, monolithic ceiling grid pattern throughout the entire school and use bold bursts of color to define the interior spaces. In addition to their reliable day-to-day performance, the ceiling systems are durable and resilient with a long lifespan. When future updates are needed in the schools’ lighting, HVAC, audio-visual or security systems, the ceiling grid allows individual panels to be conveniently removed for easy access to the plenum.

Mae Smythe Elementary School completed construction of its new facility and re-opened for its 800 students in 2018. Two years later, in 2020, Red Bluff Elementary School welcomed back approximately 600 students. Recognizing academic achievement and improved performance in Texas schools where 75% or more students are classified as living in low-income households, Children At Risk named Red Bluff a Gold Ribbon School at the close of the 2020-21 academic year. In Jan. 2021, Red Bluff also was honored by the nationwide program Healthier Generation, which presented the school with an award as one of America’s Healthiest Schools.

Offices
A 2021 Harvard Business Review article focused on how designers are responding to changes in workplace spaces says designers are paying close attention to acoustics. Just like with schools, offices are responding to the variety of work being done, especially in hybrid offices. They are designing these spaces for collaboration, solo work, socializing, and, generally, a flexible flow. The article says that these designs would require a range of sound absorption—higher absorption in work areas, while in more social areas, an acoustic design that emulates a “coffee shop buzz.”

The modern workplace relies on high-performing materials and now, more than ever, is designed to inspire. Office design should contribute to employee well-being and job satisfaction. With more than 90% of an organization's operating costs linked to employee efficiency, it’s critical to create spaces that attract and retain talent. Office ceiling systems can have a positive effect on the bottom line. Ceiling designs for offices must optimize the acoustics through a high NRC, enhance the design and appearance, and support sustainability. Designers and building owners face strict requirements like LEED, WELL, and Green Globes.

Acoustic performance is one of the many metrics that must meet building standards and rating systems. With stone wool acoustic ceiling tiles and metal ceiling systems that work within suspension systems, architects and designers have the freedom to create the ceiling solution for both new construction and renovation projects that help meet building requirements.

Flexibility of workspaces, healthcare facilities, and schools has come to the forefront of architectural design, driven by a new interest in collaborative and healthy spaces supported by more intentional IEQ components. People are looking to occupy spaces in more creative and human-centered ways. The built environment is changing, and so will the way designers need to think about and specify for their projects.

FLEXIBILITY AND HEALTH IN ALL SPACES: SCHOOLS AND OFFICES

Driven by demand for healthier schools and offices, architects are smartly incorporating design ideas that not only meet standards but embrace more flexible and inspiring spaces. Just like with healthcare, noise reduction, speech intelligibility, and inspiring and flexible designs built with safe and durable materials are key to occupants, who spend many hours each day in these spaces.

Schools
In schools, evidence shows that decreased noise levels and overall good acoustics create the best kind of learning environment. Good quality acoustics are associated with improved test scores and educational achievements, as well as good social behavior. Ceilings with superior sound absorption are key to decreasing noise. According to the Acoustical Society of America, U.S. classrooms typically have a speech intelligibility rating of about 75%. That means every fourth word is missed. An investigation found that after treating a ceiling with sound absorbing materials—such as those in stone wool tiles—students were able to hear the teacher's speech more clearly.

Schools are trending toward spaces that meet the variety of learning experiences offered to students. An ideal learning environment features multifunctional spaces that require complex design solutions. Different acoustic approaches are part of that design and can be adjusted depending on the size or purpose of each space. With so many stone wool, metal, and wood options for ceilings, there is an acoustic solution for every space that can also add style and beauty.

In addition, learning spaces need solutions that can provide other important IEQ components that support learning, such as daylighting and air quality. The EPA reported that up to half of the nation’s schools have problems linked to poor indoor air quality, increasing children’s risk of chronic allergies and asthma. Asthma alone is the leading cause of children’s absenteeism with approximately 14.7 million school days missed each year.