-
Sustainable Overview- Reduced heat island effect
- Light pollution reduced through the use of full cut-off fixtures
- Building massing and site placement minimizes building footprint as the new two-story building footprint is much smaller than the former building footprint (which was only a single-story structure)
- Two commissioning authorities were engaged to perform Fundamental Mechanical Systems and Enhanced Commissioning
-
Water Efficiency- Storm water management preserves existing pervious surfaces and reduces the amount of impervious surface from existing conditions
- The existing parking lot was not relocated (which would have increased site disturbance)
- Installation of low-flow domestic plumbing fixtures reduces by 44% potable water
-
Energy & Atmosphere- Increased chiller efficiency reduces energy usage
- Energy recovery unit economizers optimize for 22.6% improvement over the ASHRAE 90.1-2004 baseline
- Age/Grade group consolidation keeps louder assembly spaces separate from administration areas
- All classrooms face either a landscaped site area to the north or south, or the landscaped open courtyard which helps to shield the learning spaces from any noisy areas on site
- The floor plan separates public visitor areas from classroom wings
-
Materials & Resources- Glazing located on the north and south elevations minimizes heat gain from the east and west
- Solar shading devices on the south facade of the first and second floors prevent excessive heat gain
- Roof overhangs also contribute towards solar shading
- A light-colored reflective roof reduces summer heat gain
-
Indoor Environmental Air Quality- Non-CFC-based and non-ozone depleting refrigerants are provided
- Low-emitting materials were used for interior finishes
- The design complies with both ASHRAE 62.1-2004 and ASHRAE 55-2004, and the owner’s thermal comfort survey to troubleshoot problems in thermal comfort
- Ultraviolet Germicidal Irradiation lights at cooling coils will significantly help reduce airborne pollutants
-
Innovation in Design- Preservation of existing shaded park-like area on the south side
- Trees maintain the street edge while buffering the student play area from the busy street (at Gulfton)
- The building floor plan has public space and two classroom wings on separate levels for student groups
- The window-to-wall ratio is below 20%; each major learning space and classroom has at least one window
