Modern, sustainable schools rise up in Attica

Students at the 2nd Elementary School of Kallithea in Pendeli, northern Athens, say they like their new sustainable school, which opened in September.

Green roofs, harvested rainwater, floating stairs, photovoltaics, recycled water, soundproof doors and insulated floors are but some of the cutting-edge bioclimatic architecture technologies that have been introduced at 24 school buildings in Attica thanks to a public-private partnership (PPP) initiative.

The noise of the children's footsteps in the corridors is absorbed by a special floor cover, the doors have a mechanism to avoid fingers getting caught and the toilets have automatic lighting. "It only costs 30 euros to run our nurse's station because the school is built in such a way that it minimizes accidents and children catching colds," says the school's principal, Nikitas Tsirigos.

It took pupils and staff...