From modular schools to a “test” classroom, green construction in the K-12 schools market has taken on many forms in the past decade. With school districts having to keep the needs of students in balance with limited budget flexibility, Building Teams around the country are finding ways to bring green schools into reality, whether by new construction or extensive renovation.
Chula Vista, Calif., charter school High Tech High was advised by San Diego-based general contractor BYCOR to turn to modular construction for its campus. Faced with a tight deadline and strict budget, the project also was working toward a variety of green goals, including LEED.
Modular manufacturer Williams Scotsman was brought on board to coordinate the integration of modular construction with the overall project; 59 modules totaling 32,807 sf were provided for the school, which was awarded LEED for Schools Gold certification.
In 2011 Dills Architects and McKenzie Construction completed the 94,231-sf College Park Elementary School in Virginia Beach, Va., with LEED Platinum certification in mind and net-zero stormwater management to boot. To meet the latter goal, the Building Team specified green vegetative roofing and cisterns for rainwater collection.
One Firm, multiple green certifications
Design firm SHW Group, Plano, Texas, draws from a variety of certification programs and rating systems to help build green.
The 105,000-sf Gloria Marshall Elementary School in Spring, Texas, was the first school in the Houston area to use geothermal heating and cooling. In addition to LEED Gold certification, the school received an Energy Star rating and was designed to meet Texas/CHPS (Collaborative for High Performance Schools) criteria.
The Fine Arts Facility at the 23,700-sf McCallum High School in Austin was the first educational facility in Texas to receive a five-star rating from the Austin Energy Green Building Program, the nation’s first comprehensive green building program. SHW saved the school district nearly $1 million by converting existing art rooms into science labs, building a new fine arts facility for theatre and art, and connecting the existing school with the fine arts facility.
The school also includes a “breathable” membrane that uses metal wall panels to keep moisture from getting trapped inside the wall. It is anticipated thait this will result in improved energy efficiency and indoor air quality for the school.
Green construction has also spread to the U.S. Military Academy Preparatory School at West Point, N.Y. The elite prep school moved to its new location after the former site in Fort Monmouth, N.J., was closed as part of the 2005 Base Realignment and Closure Act. The Building Team of STV (architect/engineer) and J. Kokolakis Contracting (GC) earned LEED Gold for the new facility. Environmentally conscious building practices included the procurement of materials with high recycled content, selling unused building materials to nearby manufacturers, and diverting 98.5% of C&D waste from landfill.
Many school districts, notably in California, are simultaneously implementing green building practices while using the buildings themselves to teach environmental principles to students. One such classroom, at the Davis Magnet School in Costa Mesa, was retrofitted with environmentally friendly flooring, furnishes, and paints, as well as high-performance lighting and a new ventilation system. A neighboring classroom was left unimproved.
The resulting experiment has students comparing the two classrooms to learn firsthand the benefits of sustainable educational environments. What’s more, the “greenovation,” according to Irvine-based architecture firm LPA Inc. and the Orange County chapter of the U.S. Green Building Council, came at zero cost to the school, having been funded through private donations. +
Related Stories
Multifamily Housing | Dec 6, 2022
Austin's new 80-story multifamily tower will be the tallest building in Texas
Recently announced plans for Wilson Tower, a high-rise multifamily building in downtown Austin, Texas, indicate that it will be the state’s tallest building when completed. The 80-floor structure will rise 1,035 feet in height at 410 East 5th Street, close to the 6th Street Entertainment District, Austin Convention Center, and a new downtown light rail station.
Geothermal Technology | Dec 6, 2022
Google spinoff uses pay-as-you-go business model to spur growth in geothermal systems
Dandelion Energy is turning to a pay-as-you-go plan similar to rooftop solar panel leasing to help property owners afford geothermal heat pump systems.
Contractors | Dec 6, 2022
Slow payments cost the construction industry $208 billion in 2022
The cost of floating payments for wages and invoices represents $208 billion in excess cost to the construction industry, a 53% increase from 2021, according to a survey by Rabbet, a provider of construction finance software.
Mixed-Use | Dec 6, 2022
Houston developer plans to convert Kevin Roche-designed ConocoPhillips HQ to mixed-use destination
Houston-based Midway, a real estate investment, development, and management firm, plans to redevelop the former ConocoPhillips corporate headquarters site into a mixed-use destination called Watermark District at Woodcreek.
Office Buildings | Dec 5, 2022
How to foster collaboration and inspiration for a workplace culture that does not exist (yet)
A building might not be able to “hack” innovation, but it can create the right conditions to foster connection and innovation, write GBBN's Chad Burke and Zachary Zettler.
University Buildings | Dec 5, 2022
Florida Polytechnic University unveils its Applied Research Center, furthering its mission to provide STEM education
In Lakeland, Fla., located between Orlando and Tampa, Florida Polytechnic University unveiled its new Applied Research Center (ARC). Designed by HOK and built by Skanska, the 90,000-sf academic building houses research and teaching laboratories, student design spaces, conference rooms, and faculty offices—furthering the school’s science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) mission.
Mass Timber | Dec 1, 2022
Cross laminated timber market forecast to more than triple by end of decade
Cross laminated timber (CLT) is gaining acceptance as an eco-friendly building material, a trend that will propel its growth through the end of the 2020s. The CLT market is projected to more than triple from $1.11 billion in 2021 to $3.72 billion by 2030, according to a report from Polaris Market Research.
Giants 400 | Dec 1, 2022
Top 50 Parking Structure Architecture + AE Firms for 2022
Choate Parking Consultants, Gensler, Clark Nexsen, and Solomon Cordwell Buenz top the ranking of the nation's largest parking structure architecture and architecture/engineering (AE) firms for 2022, as reported in Building Design+Construction's 2022 Giants 400 Report.
Education Facilities | Nov 30, 2022
10 ways to achieve therapeutic learning environments
Today’s school should be much more than a place to learn—it should be a nurturing setting that celebrates achievements and responds to the challenges of many different users.
75 Top Building Products | Nov 30, 2022
75 top building products for 2022
Each year, the Building Design+Construction editorial team evaluates the vast universe of new and updated products, materials, and systems for the U.S. building design and construction market. The best-of-the-best products make up our annual 75 Top Products report.