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Our “green” modular building design wins the Montgomery County Design Challenge for a more Sustainable Portable Classroom

The team of Triumph Modular (Littleton, MA), NRB, Inc. (Grimsby, On and Ephrata, PA), and Architectural Resources Cambridge (Cambridge, MA), collaborated to create the winning design for the Portable Classroom Design Challenge, a joint venture initiated between the Montgomery County Public Schools (MCPS), the U.S. Green Building Council - Emerging Green Builders, and the Virginia Sustainable Building Network. The First Place Award for Category Three (Manufacturers and Architects) was presented to the team at the High Performance Schools symposium in Washington, DC in April, 2006.

What prompted the Design Challenge?

According to an article in District Administration, Anja S. Caldwell, the Green Building Program Manager for MCPS in Maryland, said the purpose of the challenge was, among other things, “to spark market transformation toward healthier and more sustainable design standards” in portable classrooms.

Why should School Boards consider improved design standards?

It’s an undeniable fact, that portable classrooms will always be an integral and essential part of any School District’s ability to effectively manage changing demographics. Sudden enrolment spikes, class size reduction initiatives, new programs, school renovations – these and other challenges often demand immediate ‘space’ responses that only portable classrooms can provide. And while the initial aim of many School Districts may be to place the classrooms temporarily into service for the short term, the reality is that many of these buildings are in use for years beyond the original intent.

Because portable classrooms are most often sought out as a short-term accommodation strategy (notwithstanding their recurring long-term outcome) – right or wrong, they are routinely relegated to price discussions rather than design considerations. As a result, School Districts who look only to obtain maximum space at minimal cost may find that insufficient attention is ultimately given to the overall build and design quality or the life cycle performance of this learning environment. And that can result in increased operating and maintenance costs as well as potential indoor environmental quality issues if they are poorly designed, poorly maintained or neglected over time.

With all the construction features and options available today, there is no reason for a portable classroom to be an unhealthy, unsightly or unwelcome place to learn.

Going Green

The award-winning portable classroom created by the Triumph/NRB/ARC team for Montgomery County Public Schools has been aptly named SmartSpace. We refer to this particular unit today as the “Premier” design because it strikes a balance between environmental sensitivity, high performance, initial investment plus life cycle costs, while still addressing the ultimate flexibility of relocation that is the cornerstone of the temporary classroom application. The 938 sq. ft. building incorporates a significant number of “green” initiatives for LEED NC certification with the checklist showing that it potentially qualifies for more than enough points for LEED certification before it even leaves the plant.

The winning entry was soon transformed from an inspiration on the Design Boards to a real-life prototype when Triumph secured a contract for the first SmartSpace school building, to be placed at The Carroll School in Lincoln, MA -and NRB Inc. promptly turned the concept into a reality at their plant in Ephrata, PA. To find out more – click on our SmartSpace article.

See related story in Building Design and Construction.