Budgets, codes, and technologies are constantly shifting and evolving. These days, even the classrooms are often portable. Staying one step ahead will depend on your knowledge of current design options and how to integrate them into the space.
It doesn’t get much more sensitive than a discussion about the learning environment for the youth of America. Optimizing the classroom HVAC so that students are not too hot or too cold while also providing proper outside ventilation air with energy efficient systems can be a challenge for engineers. This is especially true in a time of growing construction costs and pressure by underfunded school districts. The codes and standards are also getting more stringent, which starts to eliminate some of the older low-cost technologies that have been used for years in classrooms.
There are studies that show that proper ventilation in classrooms does indeed make a difference in learning. In addition, there are studies indicating fewer absences when more ventilation air is provided to the classrooms.