Case Study: Fiberglass Windows Featured in Environmentally-Sustainable Schools

S. Department of Education. And the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention estimate that students in America miss approximately 14 million school days per year because of asthma.



However, controlling exposure to indoor environmental factors, like carbon monoxide, dust, and pollen, could help prevent more than 65 percent of asthma cases among elementary school-age children, according to the American Journal of Respiratory and Critical Care Medicine.



The Solution

The Green Schoolhouse Series is a public/private collaboration that focuses on meeting critical needs of children, education and the environment. The Green Schoolhouse Series brings together corporations, foundations, school districts, municipalities, communities, media outlets and volunteers to build 21st-century, environmentally-sustainable schoolhouses on existing Title I, low-income, K-12 public school campuses.



As a part of The Green Schoolhouse Series, three distinctive designs will replace portable classrooms or community centers in Phoenix, AZ, area school districts. Construction of a 6,291 square-foot, environmentally-sustainable classroom and community-center building for Roadrunner Elementary School is currently underway. Two more Phoenix area schoolhouses are slated to break ground in 2012.



The Sustainability Equation

ENERGY STAR® qualified Impervia® fiberglass windows, donated by Pella, will be featured in Green Schoolhouse Project schools.



Made from the company’s five-layer engineered fiberglass composite, these energy-efficient windows can withstand extreme weather conditions—like the heat of Arizona—without cracking, shrinking or warping. The strength and durability of the windows make them a natural choice for commercial construction projects like schools.



In addition, EFCO aluminum storefront and door systems are included at the school’s entrances. These high-performance doors, designed for use in schools, are surrounded by expansive floor-to-ceiling storefront glazing to provide dramatic entrances. The entrance systems are welded, providing solid construction and low-maintenance longevity.