Skip to main content
SpringerLink
Log in

The Teaching Green Building: Five Theoretical Perspectives

  • Chapter
  • First Online:
Handbook of Sustainability and Social Science Research

Part of the book series: World Sustainability Series ((WSUSE))

Abstract

Teaching Green Buildings (TGBs) are designed to educate building users about green building design and often broader themes about the connection between buildings and their surrounding ecosystems. The outcomes of a well-designed TGB range from increasing knowledge to fostering a sense of place to promoting environmental behavior change. To date, however, these buildings have been weakly theorized in scholarship and haphazardly designed in practice. This chapter draws on an interdisciplinary research base to discuss five potential roles for TGBs as: symbol, science museum, 3D textbook, call to action, and place.

This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.

Access this chapter

Log in via an institution
Chapter
USD 29.95
Price excludes VAT (USA)
  • Available as PDF
  • Read on any device
  • Instant download
  • Own it forever
eBook
USD 229.00
Price excludes VAT (USA)
  • Available as EPUB and PDF
  • Read on any device
  • Instant download
  • Own it forever
Softcover Book
USD 299.99
Price excludes VAT (USA)
  • Compact, lightweight edition
  • Dispatched in 3 to 5 business days
  • Free shipping worldwide - see info
Hardcover Book
USD 299.99
Price excludes VAT (USA)
  • Durable hardcover edition
  • Dispatched in 3 to 5 business days
  • Free shipping worldwide - see info

Tax calculation will be finalised at checkout

Purchases are for personal use only

Institutional subscriptions

References

  • Abrahamse, W., Steg, L., Vlek, C., & Rothengatter, T. (2005). A review of intervention studies aimed at household energy conservation. Journal of Environmental Psychology, 25(3), 273–291. doi:10.1016/j.jenvp.2005.08.002.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Azjen, I. (1991). The theory of planned behavior. Organizational Behavior and Human Decision Processes, 50(2), 179–211.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Bamberg, S., & Möser, G. (2007). Twenty years after Hines, Hungerford, and Tomera: A new meta-analysis of psycho-social determinants of pro-environmental behaviour. Journal of Environmental Psychology, 27(1), 14–25. doi:10.1016/j.jenvp.2006.12.002.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Barr, S. K. (2011). Green Schools that Teach: Identifying Attributes of Whole-School Sustainability. (Degree of Master of Science), Colorado State University, Fort Collins, Colorado.

    Google Scholar 

  • Brown, Z., Cole, R. J., Robinson, J., & Dowlatabadi, H. (2010). Evaluating user experience in green buildings in relation to workplace culture and context. Facilities, 28(3/4), 225–238.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Bullitt Foundation. (2016). Bullitt Center. Retrieved November 1, 2016, from http://www.bullittcenter.org/.

  • Canter, D. V. (1977). The psychology of place. New York: Architectural Press.

    Google Scholar 

  • Chawla, L. (1998). Significant life experiences revisited: A review of research on sources of environmental sensitivity. The Journal of environmental education, 29(3), 11–21. doi:10.1080/00958969809599114.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Clary, E. G., & Snyder, M. (1999). The motivations to volunteer: Theoretical and practical considerations. Current Directions in Psychological Science, 8(5), 156–159. doi:10.1111/1467-8721.00037.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Cole, L. B. (2013a). The green building as a medium for environmental education. Michigan Journal of Sustainability, 1(1), 161–169. doi:10.3998/mjs.12333712.0001.012.

    Google Scholar 

  • Cole, L. B. (2013b). The Teaching Green School Building: Exploring the Contributions of School Design to Informal Environmental Education. (Ph.D.), University of Michigan.

    Google Scholar 

  • Cole, L. B. (2014). The Teaching Green School Building: A framework for linking architecture and environmental education. Environmental Education Research, 20(6), 836–857. doi:10.1080/13504622.2013.833586.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Cole, L. B. (2015). Green Building Literacy in the school building: A study of five middle schools in the united states. Children, Youth and Environments, 25(3), 145–174. doi:10.7721/chilyoutenvi.25.3.0145.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Cranz, G., Lindsay, G., Morhayim, L., & Lin, A. (2013). Communicating sustainability. Environment and Behavior, 46(7), 826–847. doi:10.1177/0013916513475449.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Darby, S. (2001). Making it obvious: Designing feedback into energy consumption. In P. Bertoldi, A. Ricci, & A. de Almeida (Eds.), Energy efficiency in household appliances and lighting (pp. 685–696). Berlin, Heidelberg: Springer.

    Chapter  Google Scholar 

  • Darby, S. (2006). The effectiveness of feedback on energy consumption: A Review for Defra of the Literature on Metering, Billing and Direct Displays. Environmental Change Institute, University of Oxford.

    Google Scholar 

  • Day, E. (2009). Fostering Whole-Systems Thinking Through Architecture: Eco-School Case Studies in Europe and Japan. (Undergraduate Honors Thesis), Cornell University, Ithaca. http://ecommons.cornell.edu/handle/1813/13216.

  • De Young, R. (1993). Changing behavior and making it stick: The conceptualization and management of conservation behavior. Environment and Behavior, 25(3), 485.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • De Young, R. (2000). New ways to promote proenvironmental behavior: Expanding and evaluating motives for environmentally responsible behavior. Journal of Social Issues, 56(3), 509–526.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Eco, U. (1997). Function and sign: The semiotics of architecture. In N. Leach (Ed.), Rethinking architecture: A reader in cultural theory. London: Routledge.

    Google Scholar 

  • Edwards, C. P., Gandini, L., & Forman, G. E. (1997). The hundred languages of children: the Reggio Emilia approach–advanced reflections. Greenwich, Conn.: Ablex Pub. Corp.

    Google Scholar 

  • Eshach, H. (2007). Bridging in-school and out-of-school learning: Formal, non-Formal, and informal Education. Journal of Science Education and Technology, 16(2), 171–190. doi:10.1007/s10956-006-9027-1.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Falk, J. H., & Dierking, L. D. (2000). Learning from museums: Visitor experiences and the making of meaning. Walnut Creek, CA: AltaMira Press.

    Google Scholar 

  • Falk, J., & Storksdieck, M. (2005). Using the contextual model of learning to understand visitor learning from a science center exhibition. Science Education, 89(5), 744–778.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Falk, J., Dierking, L., & Foutz, S. (2007). In principle, in practice: Museums as learning institutions. Lanham: AltaMira Press.

    Google Scholar 

  • Falk, J. H., Heimlich, J. E., & Foutz, S. (2009). Free-choice learning and the environment. Lanham: AltaMira Press.

    Google Scholar 

  • Gruenewald, D. A. (2003). Foundations of place: A multidisciplinary framework for place-conscious education. American Educational Research Journal, 40(3), 619–654.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Guy, S., & Farmer, G. (2001). Reinterpreting sustainable architecture: The place of technology. Journal of Architectural Education, 54(3), 140–148.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Hattenhauer, D. (1984). The rhetoric of architecture: A semiotic approach. Communication quarterly, 32(1), 71–77.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Heerwagen, J. (2000). Green buildings, organizational success, and occupant productivity. Building Research and Information, 28(5), 353–367.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Henderson, J. A. (2014). “Not for Everyone, but Kind of Amazing”: Institutional Friction and the Nature of Sustainability Education. (Ph.D.), University of Rochester.

    Google Scholar 

  • Hernandez, M., Hidalgo, C., & Ruiz, C. (2013). Theoretical and methodological aspects of research on place attachment. In L. C. Manzo & P. Devine-Wright (Eds.), Place attachment: Advances in theory, methods and applications. New York: Routledge.

    Google Scholar 

  • Hines, J., Hungerford, H., & Tomera, A. (1987). Analysis and Synthesis of Research on Responsible Environmental Behavior: A Meta-Analysis. Journal of Environmental Education, 18(2), 1–8.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Hungerford, H. R., & Volk, T. L. (1990). Changing learner behavior through environmental education. Journal of Environmental Education, 21(3), 8–22.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • International Living Future Institute. (2016). The Living Building Challenge. Retrieved July 1, 2016. http://living-future.org/lbc.

  • Jencks, C. (1980). The architectural sign. Signs, symbols and Architecture, 71–119.

    Google Scholar 

  • Kaplan, S. (1991). Beyond Rationality: Clarity-based decision making. In T. Gärling & G. W. Evans (Eds.), Environment, cognition, and action (pp. 171–190). NY: Oxford University Press.

    Google Scholar 

  • Kaplan, S. (2000). Human nature and environmentally responsible behavior. Journal of Social Issues, 56(3), 491–508.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Kaplan, S., & Kaplan, R. (2009). Creating a larger role for environmental psychology: The Reasonable Person Model as an integrative framework. Journal of Environmental Psychology, 29(3), 329–339.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Karjalainen, S. (2016). Should we design buildings that are less sensitive to occupant behaviour? A simulation study of effects of behaviour and design on office energy consumption. Energy Efficiency, 9(6), 1257–1270. doi:10.1007/s12053-015-9422-7.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Kellert, S. R. (2011). Dimensions, Elements, and Attributes of Biophilic Design. In S. R. Kellert, J. Heerwagen, & M. Mador (Eds.), Biophilic design: The theory, science and practice of bringing buildings to life. New Jersey: John Wiley & Sons.

    Google Scholar 

  • Kong, S. Y., Rao, S. P., Abdul-Rahman, H., & Wang, C. (2014). School as 3-D textbook for environmental education: Design model transforming physical environment to knowledge transmission instrument. Asia-Pacific Education Researcher, 23(1), 1–15.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • König, A. (2013). Regenerative sustainable development of universities and cities: the role of living laboratories. Northampton, MA: Edward Elgar Publishing.

    Book  Google Scholar 

  • Kudryavtsev, A., Stedman, R. C., & Krasny, M. E. (2011). Sense of place in environmental education. Environmental Education Research, 18(2), 229–250. doi:10.1080/13504622.2011.609615.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Laura Healey, M., & Rosie, P. (2012). Reconceptualizing school design: Learning environments for children and youth. Children, Youth and Environments, 22(1), 11–22. doi:10.7721/chilyoutenvi.22.1.0011.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Lepper, M., Greene, D., & Nisbett, R. (1973). Underminding children’s intrinsic interest with extrinsic reward: A test of the “overjustification” hypothesis. Journal of Personality and Social Psychology, 28(1), 129–137.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Lewicka, M. (2011). Place attachment: How far have we come in the last 40 years? Journal of Environmental Psychology, 31(3), 207–230.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Lilley, D., & Wilson, G. T. (2013). Integrating ethics into design for sustainable behaviour. Journal of Design Research, 11(3), 278–299.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Louv, R. (2008). Last Child in the Woods. New York: Algonquin Books.

    Google Scholar 

  • Malinin, L. H. & Parnell, R. (2012). Reconceptualizing school design: Learning environments for children and youth. Children, Youth and Environments, 22(1), 11–22. doi:10.7721/chilyoutenvi.22.1.0011.

  • Malone, K., & Tranter, P. J. (2003). School Grounds as Sites for Learning: Making the most of environmental opportunities. Environmental Education Research, 9(3), 283–303. doi:10.1080/13504620303459.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Marcinkowski, T. (2010). Major features of environmental literacy. Department of Science and Mathematics Education, Florida Institute of Technology. Melbourne, Florida.

    Google Scholar 

  • Mendell, M. J., & Heath, G. A. (2005). Do indoor pollutants and thermal conditions in schools influence student performance? A critical review of the literature. Indoor Air, 15(1), 27–52. doi:10.1111/j.1600-0668.2004.00320.x.

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Nair, P., & Fielding, R. (2005). The Language of School Design: Design Patterns for 21st Century Schools. Designshare, Inc.

    Google Scholar 

  • National Academies Press. (2006). Green schools: Attributes for health and learning. http://www.nap.edu/catalog/11756.html.

  • O’Donnell Wicklund Pigozzi Peterson Architects Inc, Furniture, V. S., & Design, Bruce Mau. (2010). The third teacher: 79 ways you can use design to transform teaching & learning. New York: Abrams.

    Google Scholar 

  • Orr, D. W. (2002). Architecture as Pedagogy II. Conservation Biology, 11(3), 597–600.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Orr, D. W. (2006). Design on the edge: The making of a high-performance building. Cambridge, MA: MIT Press.

    Google Scholar 

  • Ozguner, H., Cukur, D., & Akten, M. (2011). The role of landscape and urban planning disciplines to encourage environmental education among primary school children. Energy Education Science and Technology Part B: Social and Educational Studies, 3(3), 369–386.

    Google Scholar 

  • Petersen, J. E., Shunturov, V., Janda, K., Platt, G., & Weinberger, K. (2007). Dormitory residents reduce electricity consumption when exposed to real-time visual feedback and incentives. International Journal of Sustainability in Higher Education, 8(1), 16–33.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Ryan, C. O., Browning, W. D., Clancy, J. O., Andrews, S. L., & Kallianpurkar, N. B. (2014). Biophilic design patterns: emerging nature-based parameters for health and well-being in the built environment. International Journal of Architectural Research, 8(2), 62–76.

    Google Scholar 

  • Sawin, J. L., & Hughes, K. (2007). Energizing cities. In L. Starke (Ed.), State of the World 2007: Our Urban Future. New York, NY: W.W. Norton.

    Google Scholar 

  • Scannell, L., & Gifford, R. (2010). Defining place attachment: A tripartite organizing framework. Journal of Environmental Psychology, 30(1), 1–10. doi:10.1016/j.jenvp.2009.09.006.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Seibold-Bultmann, U. (2007). What does sustainability look like? Green architecture as an aesthetic proposition. Interdisciplinary Science Reviews, 32(1), 3–6.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Sobel, D. (2008). Childhood and nature: Design principles for educators. Portland, ME: Stenhouse Publishers.

    Google Scholar 

  • Söderlund, J., & Newman, P. (2015). Biophilic architecture: A review of the rationale and outcomes. AIMS Environmental Science, 2(4), 950–969. doi:10.3934/environsci.2015.4.950.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Somerville, M., & Green, M. (2011). A pedagogy of “organized chaos”: Ecological learning in primary schools. Children, Youth and Environments, 21(1), 14–34. doi:10.7721/chilyoutenvi.21.1.0014.

    Google Scholar 

  • Stedman, R. C. (2003). Is it really just a social construction?: The contribution of the physical environment to sense of place. Society & Natural Resources, 16(8), 671–685.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Stern, P. C. (2000). Toward a coherent theory of environmentally significant behavior. Journal of Social Issues, 56(3), 407–424.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Taylor, A. P. (1993). The learning environment as a three-dimensional textbook. Children’s Environments, 10(2), 170–179.

    Google Scholar 

  • Thaler, R. H., & Sunstein, C. R. (2008). Nudge: Improving decisions about health, wealth, and happiness. New York, NY: Penguin Group.

    Google Scholar 

  • Tranter, P. J., & Malone, K. (2004). Geographies of environmental learning: an exploration of children’s use of school grounds. Children’s Geographies, 2(1), 131–155. doi:10.1080/1473328032000168813.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • UNESCO. (1976). The Belgrade Charter: A global framework for environmental education. In Unesco (Ed.). Paris, France.

    Google Scholar 

  • United States Green Building Council. (2008). LEED 2009 for Schools New construction and major renovations. https://www.usgbc.org/resources/leed-schoolsnew-construction-v2009-current-version.

  • United States Green Building Council. (2009). LEED for New Construction. https://www.usgbc.org/resources/leed-new-construction-v2009-current-version.

  • Vickers, V. G., & Matthews, C. E. (2002). Children and place: A natural connection. Science Activities: Classroom Projects and Curriculum Ideas, 39(1), 16–24.

    Google Scholar 

  • Wilson, E. O. (1984). Biophilia. Cambridge, Mass: Harvard University Press.

    Google Scholar 

  • Wu, D. W.-L., DiGiacomo, A., Lenkic, P. J., Wong, V. K., & Kingstone, A. (2016). Being in a “Green” building elicits “Greener” recycling, but not necessarily “Better” recycling. PloS one, 11(1).

    Google Scholar 

  • Zacharias, J., & Ling, R. (2014). Choosing between stairs and escalator in shopping centers. Environment and Behavior, 47(6), 694–709. doi:10.1177/0013916513520418.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Zachrisson, J., & Boks, C. (2012). Exploring behavioural psychology to support design for sustainable behaviour research. Journal of Design Research 14, 10(1–2), 50–66.

    Google Scholar 

Download references

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. University of Missouri at Columbia, Architectural Studies Attn: Laura Cole 137 Stanley Hall University of Missouri, Columbia, MO, 65211, USA

    Laura B. Cole

Authors
  1. Laura B. Cole
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

Corresponding author

Correspondence to Laura B. Cole .

Editor information

Editors and Affiliations

  1. Faculty of Life Sciences, HAW Hamburg, Hamburg, Germany

    Walter Leal Filho

  2. Institute for Social Research, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, Michigan, USA

    Robert W. Marans

  3. Graham Sustainability Institute, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, Michigan, USA

    John Callewaert

Rights and permissions

Reprints and permissions

Copyright information

© 2018 Springer International Publishing AG

About this chapter

Cite this chapter

Cole, L.B. (2018). The Teaching Green Building: Five Theoretical Perspectives. In: Leal Filho, W., Marans, R., Callewaert, J. (eds) Handbook of Sustainability and Social Science Research. World Sustainability Series. Springer, Cham. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-319-67122-2_6

Download citation

Publish with us

Policies and ethics

Search

Navigation