Over its history, Adlai E. Stevenson High School in Lincolnshire, IL has demonstrated and sustained a track record of prioritizing healthy, high performing buildings and spaces. The school embodies a culture of continual improvement that extends beyond academic improvements to student wellness, building performance and sustainability practices. Sustainability is codified in operational policy and the campus Master Plan and serves as a key driver in decision making on campus. The District’s commitment to modeling and teaching wellness and environmental stewardship serves its students, instructors, and community members. When evaluating campus certifications for high performance design, including International Living Future Institute’s Zero Energy Certification and the WELL Building Standard (in addition to LEED), themes of resilience emerge:

ENERGY:

• A 1.3 MW photovoltaic system is installed on campus buildings, generating 1.7 MWh of electricity annually.
• A natural gas peaker plant enables the campus to completely disconnect from the local electrical grid as part of a demand response program while maintaining full operations of buildings. This program generates a significant revenue for the school and also supports community resilience by reducing the burden on the electrical grid.
• Energy saving strategies, from planned maintenance, equipment upgrades, and new construction/renovation mechanical infrastructure measures continue to make existing campus infrastructure more efficient, better enabling it to withstand power supply abnormalities.

WATER:

• 100% of stormwater is managed on campus through a combination of distributed best management practices to promote infiltration and an integrated, scaled campus system, thereby reducing community impact.
• There are no process water loads that disproportionately consume fresh water resources. In fact, rainwater is collected and treated to use for one of the three living wall systems.

WELLNESS:

• Daylight and views to the outside are emphasized throughout the campus.
• Campus standards require no/low emitting building products in all projects and renovations, thereby eliminating a common source of indoor air contaminants.
• The campus adopted a healthy food menu in all dining facilities in 2017. The latest food service location in the Patriot Wellness Center offers a wide range of healthy options that support the mission of the project.
• A resident nutritionist is available to all students and staff to promote healthy diet decisions.
• Social-emotional needs as well as academic support are met through the Student Services Team.
• Group fitness and one on one coaching is available to all students. The fitness facility is open to students before and after class, on weekends, and during the summer.
• DOAS mechanical systems are given preference to ensure the correct amount of OA is always provided to each space.

In addition, each VRF unit is equipped with bipolar ionization to purify the air within the building. The campus also relies on Ultraviolet light in mechanical equipment to further improve air quality. These features of campus infrastructure and policy in support of wellness and high performance design uniquely compliment each other to deliver a more resilient infrastructure on campus, and in doing so, support students to thrive – academically, physically and mentally.

Learning Objectives:

1. Participants will learn about the successful planning and implementation of the WELL Building Standard and Zero Energy Certification on a high school campus. Specific strategies that make the campus more resilient will be discussed.
2. The role of master planning and visioning will be discussed for attendees to understand their underlying importance.
3. Participants will understand how both the physical infrastructure as well as policy and programming influence the wellbeing of students and staff.
4. Finally, participants will learn how programming decisions around facilities and food service can improve student outcomes and may be achieved without major capital cost implications.