Responsible stewardship, citizenship and community service are core elements of the mission of Atlanta’s St. Martin’s Episcopal School. These values permeate every element of the school and are embodied in the sustainable design and construction of a major expansion of the school’s facilities.
Evergreen Construction, serving as Construction Manager, is working with St. Martin’s administration as well as Program Manager, Richmond Sterling, and Collins Cooper Carusi Architects to ensure that the completed project achieves the project’s programming and sustainability objectives. The project, which features a new Middle School building as well as extensive renovations to the existing campus buildings and site, has been designed to not only meet the needs of a growing school but to do so in a manner that supports St. Martin’s commitment to stewardship, citizenship and community service.
Targeted to achieve LEED Silver certification, the $8 million project’s most prominent component is a new 3-story, 40,758-sf Middle School building enabling St. Martin’s to not only accommodate future growth but also consolidate its Middle School, into a single facility. Extensive renovations to the existing facilities will also ensure that K-5 students are housed together in a single building.
St. Martin’s goal of immediate and sustainable environmental sensitivity is clear in both the design and construction of the project. The design maximized the current space by redeveloping an existing plot and incorporating a number of sustainable features including a vegetated roof garden with a rainwater collection system, reducing the building’s “heat island’ effect.
Additional sustainable features include full-cutoff LED site light fixtures which eliminate light pollution and automated interior light, water and energy systems. The fully implemented systems are designed to reduce water consumption by 30% and overall energy consumption by 21% as compared to non-green buildings of similar type and size. Steps have also been taken to ensure that the site supports a sustainable environment through the installation of synthetic turf playfields, low impact landscaping and reserved/marked parking for low emission and fuel-efficient vehicles.
Evergreen Construction’s approach will provide immediate environmental benefits by recycling over 75% of construction waste, ensuring it never reaches a landfill. Evergreen will also utilize regional materials; with over 20% of the total construction materials coming from regional sources. Additionally, recycled materials will comprise more than 20% of the construction materials used by Evergreen in the project.
The facility, when completed, will enable St. Martin to meet the growing demand from families who want to experience the comprehensive and rigorous academic curriculum offered within a loving environment that nurtures the child’s spiritual and intellectual growth.
The newly constructed Middle School Building will feature state of the art classrooms, laboratories and administrative spaces while the existing facilities will undergo a major transformation. Once renovations are completed, K-5 students will find updated computer, science and media labs, a refurbished cafeteria/kitchen, locker rooms, administrative offices, as well as, a music/movement/room, the library and outdoor spaces including an enhanced outdoor amphitheater. BD+C
Related Stories
| May 30, 2014
MIT researchers create 'home in a box' transformable wall system for micro apartments
Dubbed CityHome, the system integrates furniture, storage, exercise equipment, lighting, office equipment, and entertainment systems into a compact wall unit.
| May 30, 2014
Riding high: L.A., Chicago working on their version of the High Line elevated park
Cities around the U.S. are taking notice of New York's highly popular High Line elevated park system. Both Chicago and Los Angeles are currently working on High Line-like projects.
| May 30, 2014
Developer will convert Dallas' storied LTV Building into mixed-use residential tower
New Orleans-based HRI Properties recently completed the purchase of one of the most storied buildings in downtown Dallas. The developer will convert the LTV Building into a mixed-use complex, with 171 hotel rooms and 186 luxury apartments.
| May 29, 2014
Turn your pen-and-paper sketches into digital drawings in seconds with this nifty gadget [video]
Funded through Kickstarter, iSketchnote uses a smart pen to instantly digitize hand-written notes and drawings.
| May 29, 2014
7 cost-effective ways to make U.S. infrastructure more resilient
Moving critical elements to higher ground and designing for longer lifespans are just some of the ways cities and governments can make infrastructure more resilient to natural disasters and climate change, writes Richard Cavallaro, President of Skanska USA Civil.
| May 29, 2014
Wood advocacy groups release 'lessons learned' report on tall wood buildings
The wood-industry advocacy group reThink Wood has released "Summary Report: Survey of International Tall Wood Buildings," with informatino from 10 mid-rise projects in Europe, Australia, and Canada.
| May 29, 2014
Five finalists, including SOM and Zaha Hadid, chosen in competition for Sweden's tallest skyscraper
In Sernecke's competition to design Sweden's tallest skyscraper, five finalists have been selected: Manuelle Gautrand Architects, Ian Simpson Architects, SOM, Wingårdhs Arkitektkontor, and Zaha Hadid Architects.
| May 29, 2014
Retail renovation trends: Omni-channel shopping, personalized experiences among top goals of new store designs
In pursuit of enhanced customer experiences, retailers are using Big Data, interactive technology, and omni-channel shopping to transform their bricks and mortar locations.
| May 28, 2014
Video Blog: How today’s construction firms are bridging the BIM gap
Turner Construction and Parsons Brinckerhoff talk about how BIM has revolutionized the way that they conduct projects, and how technology has allowed them to leverage collaboration in such a way that they can work with decentralized teams.
| May 28, 2014
KPF's dual towers in Turkey will incorporate motifs, symbols of Ottoman Empire
The two-building headquarters for Turkey’s largest and oldest financial institution, Ziraat Bank, is inspired by the country’s cultural heritage.