**Join the CAUSE!**

The Coalition for the Advanced Understanding of School Environments(CAUSE) convenes global and national architecture firms, academic partners, local school districts, and the Center for Advanced Design Research and Evaluation (CADRE) to support the continuous improvement of educational facilities.

We need standardized, open source post-occupancy evaluation tools tailored to K-12 facilities that capture both educational outcomes and environmental exposures.

Interested in getting involved?

Our Purpose

This Coalition has four key objectives:

Conduct research to better understand how school design influences the health and performance of students and teachers and identify metrics that can be easily measured.
Collaborating with education and design stakeholders to establish consistent data collection protocols tailored specifically for K-12 facilities.
Advance interdisciplinary collaborations among architecture firms, academic partners, school districts, and research organizations.
Foster an open-source, open-science, and transparent approach to knowledge sharing within the industry.

School Design *matters*.

There is growing academic and industry evidence that the physical environment in schools has direct impacts on children and teacher outcomes. Yet, much of our building evaluation work is completed in silos with varying degrees of methodological rigor and a narrow focus.

Why Now?

With the growing adoption of research in the architectural industry, we are at an inflection point that accelerates the integration of data in decision-making. The federal government is actively investing billions of dollars into modernizing our aging educational facilities without specific guidance on how these investments can also promote health and performance of our students.

Why a Coalition?

Stakeholders in education and design would benefit from consistent, reliable data collection and analysis tailored to K-12 facilities and occupants. A shared approach and framework would allow for broader reach of scholarly research and meaningful data sharing across design teams and school systems. A collaborative, multidisciplinary, geographically diverse partnership will advance the K-12 design industry by creating a holistic, evidence-based, user-centered and industry-supported tool.

A Co-Led Endeavor

Erika is the co-director of the Human Experience Lab at Perkins&Will. Erika received her ScD from the Harvard Chan School of Public Health in Environmental Health where she authored ‘Schools for Health: Foundations for Student Success’ report that examined the association between school building quality and occupant health and performance. Erika advises on national policy for the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency as a member of the Children’s Health Protection Advisory Committee and holds a Master of Public Health in Climate and Health from Columbia University.
Raechel is the Director of Planning for Austin ISD. She holds a double degree in Environmental Design and Psychology from Texas A&M University and a Masters of Science in Human-Environment Relations from Cornell University. Following a Fulbright Postgraduate Scholarship, she completed her PhD through the University of Melbourne’s Graduate School of Education, focused on better supporting teachers and principals in their transition to more innovative learning environments. In her current role, Raechel interfaces with all design teams and campus leaders, ensuring spaces function from a practical and academic perspective.
Renae leads research efforts for the Education practice at HKS. Her passion for design research and scholarship is centered around people through inclusive practices. Identifying as a “pracademic” her mission is to build a bridge between industry and academia towards a more evidence-based and equity-centered future. She works to expand the breadth of knowledge that explores human behavior, motivation, and well-being in educational settings to inform design solutions. Outside of HKS, Renae is an Assistant Professor of the Practice in the College of Design at North Carolina State University teaching doctoral students and budding researchers.
Michael is a Vice President and the Director of Research with Multistudio. He earned a PhD in the Department of Educational Psychology at the University of Kansas, and he uses his background as both a K-12 and higher education instructor to connect research to issues of practice and experience in classrooms, with a focus on equitable application of quantitative methods as a tool for improved teaching and dismantling barriers to success for historically marginalized groups.

Advisory Committees

School Design

This committee consists of professionals with design industry training and experience, who will advise on the potential applications of the research and participate in dissemination and interpretation.

Kelly Brucher, JE Dunn
Robert Dillon, Intentional School Designs
Linda Dove, Meteor Education
Maya Fraser, Quinn Evans
Leonardo Gonzalez Sangri, HKS
Catherine Hefler, Architecture69, Inc.
Celeste Karier, FGM Architects
Sita Lakshminarayan, HKS
Emily McGinnis, KI
Tommy Miller, Interface
Shaun O’Donnell, Perkins Eastman
David Reid, Multistudio
Cleveland Reeves, BVH
Stacy Roth, Multistudio
Jessie Sticklor-Lipson, Fielding International

Design Research

This committee consists of professionals specifically with research training and experience, who will guide and provide strategic feedback on our research methodology.

Emily Chmielewski, Perkins Eastman
Cierra Mantz, Fielding International
Juan Matta, KI
Upali Nanda, HKS
Kimari Phillips, LPA
Traci Rider, NC State University
Dustin Saalman, NAC Architecture
Lennie Scott-Weber, INSYNC
Helia Taheri, Arcadis

Education Policy

This committee consists of education professionals that will advise on the policy, planning, and development of school facilities. We are seeking collaborators with diverse backgrounds including academic, federal, state, and school leadership.

Jill Ackers, VS America / Principled Learning
James Basham, University of Kansas
Edna Butts, Austin ISD
Page Dettmann, Meteor Education
Brad Kiehl, LSR7 District Facilities
Danelle Marsden, Scott Rice Office Works
Lorraine Maxwell, Cornell University
B Sanborn, DLR Group
Andrea Swiatocha, US Department of Energy
Xuemei Zhu, Texas A&M University

This project was made possible by our sponsors.

Founding Members:

KI

KI is a leading manufacturer and designer of innovative furniture solutions, specializing in the education sector. Serving K-12 schools and higher education environments, as well as corporate workplaces, healthcare facilities, and government institutions, KI is recognized for its commitment to creating adaptable, human-centered designs.

Learn more about KI

Interface

Interface is a world-leading modular flooring company with a fully integrated collection of carpet tiles and resilient flooring. Our modular system helps customers create interior spaces while positively impacting the people who use them and our planet.

Learn more about Interface

Industry Partners:

Cause Supporters:

JE Dunn Construction

Organizational Partners:

21st Century Fund

Association for Learning Environments

Children’s Environmental Health Network

CHIPS Collaborative for High Performance Schools

EDmarket

NSPMA National School Plant Management Association

Other Ways to Support the CAuse:

Help us spread the word about the importance of standardized POEs in K-12.
Share research and resources that aid in development including environmental factors such as acoustics, security, lighting, respite, nature, and ergonomic seating.
Identify experts for advisory committees.
Share our information with graduate students in relevant disciplines who need practicums or internships.
Suggest other school districts willing to pilot a POE in their K-12 schools.

Now is the time to align our interests, elevate the industry, and ultimately, improve the lives of teachers and students.

Support the cause!

Join the CAUSE!