What does Green School mean to you?

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When I meet with people in the Pacific Northwest they often have a picture in their mind of what green school means to them; innovative classroom layout, recycled materials, passive heating and cooling, natural light, rainwater harvesting, learning gardens and solar panels. Below I feature what a green school looks like in the Pacific Northwest, USA and Bali, Indonesia. The differences are stunning. They are both beautiful in their own way.

Trillium Creek School in West Lynn OR designed by Dull Olson Weekes Architects is the kind of school you wished you went to as a kid. Cozy nooks, lots of different teaching areas, sustainable systems and even an indoor slide! It is nestled into an existing fir grove and offers lots of light and visual access to nature.

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This Green School in Bali Indonesia offers a curriculum for preschoolers all the way up to high school with a strong focus on social sustainability, organic gardening, and environmental stewardship. Bamboo is an incredibly versatile material, which is why environmentalists and designers John and Cynthia Hardy wanted to showcase it in their gorgeous Green School in Indonesia. The remarkable campus of buildings is constructed completely from sustainably-harvested bamboo and is powered by renewable energy systems. From Inhabitat’s green school showcase.

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I think both of these schools are beautiful in their own way. There is something about the West Lynn school that fits beautifully in my world view. But, the Bali school probably has such a small footprint. I know this is more a reflection of culture and climate than design. I just wish there were more opportunities to think completely outside the box when doing sustainable design. Can we learn from each other and better all design to have a lighter footprint on the earth?