Designing High Performance, Healthy Schools

Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design has become a household name in real estate, design and building circles. Another “best practices” program for school design, which is less widely used but gaining traction in the industry, is Collaborative for High Performance Schools (CHPS).

CHPS is a national movement to improve student performance and the entire educational experience by building the best possible schools. The goal of CHPS is to “fundamentally change the design, construction and operation of schools to: protect student and staff health, and enhance the  learning environments of school children everywhere; conserve energy, water, and other natural  resources and reduce waste, pollution, and environmental degradation.”

We have been working with CHPS for seven years and truly see the value in an alternative rating system that helps school districts and the project teams design, construct and operate high performance schools.

HCM’s Adele Willson and Ara Massey published an article for the Colorado Real Estate Journal on this innovative program, which you can read below.

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