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
| Apr 5, 2013
Bangkok gets a leaning tower, that may topple
A seven-story apartment tower under construction in Bangkok has started to tilt and is on the verge of toppling.
| Apr 5, 2013
Snøhetta design creates groundbreaking high-tech library for NCSU
The new Hunt Library at North Carolina State University, Raleigh, incorporates advanced building features, including a five-story robotic bookBot automatic retrieval system that holds 2 million volumes in reduced space.
| Apr 5, 2013
'My BIM journey' – 6 lessons from a BIM/VDC expert
Gensler's Jared Krieger offers important tips and advice for managing complex BIM/VDC-driven projects.
| Apr 5, 2013
Commercial greenhouse will top new Whole Foods store in Brooklyn
Whole Foods and partner Gotham Greens will create a 20,000-sf greenhouse atop one of the retailer's Brooklyn supermarkets. Expected to open this fall, the facility will supply produce to nine Whole Foods stores in metro New York City.
| Apr 5, 2013
Projected cost for Apple's Campus 2 balloons to $5 billion
Campus 2, Apple Inc.'s proposed ring-shaped office facility in Cupertino, Calif., could cost $5 billion to build, according to a report by Bloomberg.
| Apr 5, 2013
Extreme LEGO: Wondrous micro city built out of 200,000 blocks
Master LEGO builder Mike Doyle unveils his latest creation, an out-of-this-world micro city that celebrates peaceful alien contact.
| Apr 3, 2013
AIA CES class: Sealant repairs that last – hybrid sealants for building restoration
It is hard to talk about restoration without talking about sustainability. This two-hour interactive online course discusses the role that restoration can and does play in the arena of sustainability, and specifically the role that sealants play in sustainable design and repair.
| Apr 3, 2013
Construction spending up 20% since 2011, growth will continue, says Gilbane report
The monthly rate of construction spending is up 20% in 24 months and increased in 18 of the last 24 months, which is a good leading indicator for new construction work in Q3-Q4 2013, according to Gilbane's latest Market Conditions in Construction report.
| Apr 3, 2013
5 award-winning modular buildings
The Modular Building Institute recently revealed the winners of its annual Awards of Distinction contest. There were 42 winners in all across six categories. Here are five projects that caught our eye.
| Apr 2, 2013
6 lobby design tips
If you do hotels, schools, student unions, office buildings, performing arts centers, transportation facilities, or any structure with a lobby, here are six principles from healthcare lobby design that make for happier users—and more satisfied owners.
