“ The Big Ass Fans are the single most used, most appreciated and most effective tool to create an environment that is comfortable to work and learn in.
The Corvallis Waldorf School in Corvallis, Oregon, accommodated its growing student body by using decades-old modular classrooms. But the air quality inside those units was far from satisfactory, particularly when a class of middleschoolers came in from recess. “An olfactory experience” is how Facilities Manager Tim Love described it. The school wanted to invest in new modular classrooms that would use the most advanced technology to both improve the quality of the learning environment and minimize its carbon footprint.
The school reached out to a team from the Portland State University School of Architecture, who used some of the most cost-effective technologies available to create the Smart Academic Green Environment (SAGE) building. Haiku® fans, which operate silently and have been named ENERGY STAR® most efficient, were installed in each classroom.“Noise is a critical factor that is almost always overlooked. It’s a telling feature that noise is not an issue with the fans,” says Love. The improved air circulation keeps the students refreshed and alert during the school day. And the fans draw so little power that the school’s energy monitors register at the lowest readable output.
