Building Harmony

Advocates of sustainable schools argue that higher upfront costs lead to savings over the long haul.

By Joetta L. Sack

Clackamas, Ore.

To the upper-middle-class community it serves, Clackamas High School is simply a brand-new, aesthetically pleasing campus with open courtyards, expansive windows, and light-hued brick walls.

From an architect's standpoint, the building is just short of revolutionary. It is a prime example of "sustainable" architecture—buildings that use natural resources to their advantage and have a minimal adverse impact on the environment.

And to district officials, it's a potential fiscal lifesaver. The design is expected to save the Clackamas school district thousands of dollars in annual operating costs because it uses low-energy lighting systems, maintenance-free materials, and outside air...