Net-zero may seem beyond the budgets of most K-12 school districts, but a couple of trailblazers have found the means to construct schools designed to produce as much power as they use.
The new $20 million, 88,693-sf Colonel Smith Middle School in Ft. Huachuca, Ariz., takes daylighting to the highest level. Every regularly occupied space has a window, skylight, or clerestory glazing for layered daylighting. To hold down the cooling load, the building obtains most of its sunlight from the north sky through clerestory windows. On the south exterior wall, exterior overhangs prevent direct solar exposure in the summer, while allowing passive solar heating in winter. Locker rooms and other support spaces have shaded high-wall translucent fiberglass panels to provide privacy. Lighting energy use is expected to be 80% less than that of a standard school building.
Energy is recovered from locker room exhaust to pre-heat or pre-cool supply air delivered to locker rooms. Solar panels heat domestic water for locker rooms and the kitchen. PVs were obtained through a power purchase agreement. “We didn’t have net-zero in mind when we were starting out,” notes Dr. Ronda Frueauff, Superintendent of the Ft. Huachuca Accommodation School District. That changed as the design committee evaluated the affordability of each green element. Only geothermal was ruled out as cost-prohibitive.
Geothermal is, however, a key component of the Lady Bird Johnson Middle School in Irving, Texas, with 530 geothermal wells and 105 water-source heat pumps. The school is powered by 2,988 rooftop solar panels and 12 wind turbines. Opened in August 2011, the $29 million, 152,000-sf school cost about 12% more to build than one of traditional construction. School officials expect to recoup their investment in 10-12 years.
“We didn’t have net-zero in mind when we were starting out.”
--Dr. Ronda Frueauff, Superintendent of the Ft. Huachuca Accommodation School District.
Both schools incorporate green features into lesson plans. The Texas school features museum-type displays along the main hallway highlighting geothermal, solar, and wind technology, along with water efficiency. Students can get a close-up view of the PVs from a roof observation deck.
Getting to net-zero is not easy, but the promise of eliminating energy bills and using state-of-the-art technology as a learning lab can make a compelling case to reach for net-zero. +
Related Stories
Sponsored | | Oct 16, 2014
Mill Brook Elementary School colors outside the lines with creative fire-rated framing solution
Among the building elements contributing to the success of the elementary school’s public learning areas is a fire-rated stairwell that supports the school’s vision for collaboration. HMFH Architects designed the stairwell to be bright and open, reflecting the playful energy of students. SPONSORED CONTENT
| Oct 15, 2014
Drones may soon assist code inspectors for construction in the UAE
The United Arab Emirates’ Ministry of Labour announced that they will start using drones to help inspectors record when construction sites are breaking laws.
| Oct 15, 2014
Harvard launches ‘design-centric’ center for green buildings and cities
The impetus behind Harvard's Center for Green Buildings and Cities is what the design school’s dean, Mohsen Mostafavi, describes as a “rapidly urbanizing global economy,” in which cities are building new structures “on a massive scale.”
| Oct 15, 2014
Final touches make 432 Park Avenue tower second tallest in New York City
Concrete has been poured for the final floors of the residential high-rise at 432 Park Avenue in New York City, making it the city’s second-tallest building and the tallest residential tower in the Western Hemisphere.
| Oct 14, 2014
Slash energy consumption in data centers with liquid-based ‘immersive-cooling’ technology
A new technology promises to push the limits of data center energy efficiency by using liquid instead of air to cool the servers.
Sponsored | | Oct 14, 2014
3 color trends drive new commercial exterior color collections
Collectively as a society, we help create color trends, which shape our businesses, recreational facilities, healthcare centers, and civic buildings. These iconic colors are now appearing in Valspar's new color collections. SPONSORED CONTENT
| Oct 14, 2014
Get inspired with the top 10 TED talks about cities
The TED talks, none of which are longer than 20 minutes, feature speakers such as architect Moshe Safdie, Rio de Janeiro Major Eduardo Paes, and animal behaviorist Amanda Burden.
| Oct 14, 2014
Proven 6-step approach to treating historic windows
This course provides step-by-step prescriptive advice to architects, engineers, and contractors on when it makes sense to repair or rehabilitate existing windows, and when they should advise their building owner clients to consider replacement.
| Oct 14, 2014
Richard Meier unveils design for his first tower in Taiwan
Taiwan will soon have its first Richard Meier building, a 535-foot apartment tower in Taichung City, the country’s third-largest city.
| Oct 13, 2014
The mindful workplace: How employees can manage stress at the office
I have spent the last several months writing about healthy workplaces. My research lately has focused on stress—how we get stressed and ways to manage it through meditation and other mindful practices, writes HOK's Leigh Stringer.
