The gamut of projects include the rebuilding of North School, which originally served as an elementary school but closed and had been rented to outside preschool groups since the 1980s. North School is anticipated to reopen in 2019. At Hermosa View School, two new classroom buildings are planned to replace existing deteriorated classroom buildings, as well as campus-wide upgrades to electrical, lighting and HVAC systems; new roofing; and accessibility upgrades. Hermosa Valley School will be modernized to improve parking and safety, replace aging roofs, and upgrade lighting and HVAC systems.

Robert Simons, AIA, president of SVA Architects, stated, “The modernization and new construction at the Hermosa Beach City Schools will reduce overcrowding, allow for more optimal learning environments, and ensure the facilities are environmentally compatible with the vision of the community.  We are excited to be a part of a much-needed transformation in this district, which will enhance the education of so many young people.”

SVA Architects specializes in urban planning, architecture and interior design of public, private, and mixed-use projects.  Among the firm’s portfolio are civic, educational, residential, commercial and mixed-use developments. The company is headquartered in Santa Ana with offices in Oakland, San Diego, and Honolulu.

The post SVA Architects Teams with Hermosa Beach City School District on Numerous Projects appeared first on School Construction News.

School facilities built in the mid-20th century often have structural limitations that make it difficult to support the delivery of a 21st century curriculum. For example, double-loaded corridors with homogenous classrooms can challenge the delivery of project-based learning, such as small group activities, and are not conducive to outdoor learning.

Many teachers are masters at flexibility and working around these limitations, but a better approach is to renovate school facilities so they enhance instruction. Most facility directors and chief operating officers do not have the luxury of large budgets to completely renovate their longstanding buildings. However, modest capital investments can have a massive impact when made judiciously.

Jerry Perry (AIA, REFP), an architect with Jacobs Engineering, has created school standards and designed schools worldwide for the U.S. Department of Defense Education Activity (DoDEA). Recently, Perry created sketches to demonstrate how targeted, relatively small renovations can provide educators and students with enhanced learning environments. The following examples highlight common limitations of school facilities and strategies to overcome them.

Limitation: A “sea of concrete”

Renovation: Build exterior courtyard classrooms

This high school campus is a “sea of concrete” and lacks exterior learning spaces. Adding just a few courtyards (shown in green) provides exterior classrooms. The courtyards are flanked by tiered seating (illustrated by the gray textured areas). Brick paver stones (tan areas) break up the sea of concrete and serve as visual wayfinding to the courtyard classrooms. By simply adding four courtyards, the high school makes better use of outdoor space and provides direct access to the exterior from multiple classrooms.

Limitation: Side-by-side, double-loaded corridors with dead space in between

Renovation: Add extended learning area “bump outs” and create an exterior courtyard

A mid-20th century flat-roofed, brick elementary school has two sets of double-loaded corridors and lacks space for extended learning areas. By “bumping out” a bit on each side of each corridor, extended learning spaces can be created (light blue areas). Surrounding them with tempered glass — even the rooftop — lets in natural light, breaks up the brick exterior and enables visual supervision. Tempered glass also enables visual supervision into the courtyard, which previously was dead space. Now, the courtyard can be used for outdoor education.

Limitation: A forested hill

Renovation: Add an outdoor amphitheater that is adjacent to the auditorium stage

This elementary school is adjacent to a forested hill owned by the school district. Instead of removing dirt and leveling the area to construct another brick-and-mortar facility, the hillside can become an outdoor amphitheater. An amphitheater not only provides space for school performances and presentations during the day, it also allows for community use after school. Since the hillside is adjacent to the auditorium stage, the exterior wall of the existing facility can become a mobile wall to allow the stage to double as both an interior stage for the auditorium and an exterior stage for the amphitheater. Terraced steps (concrete with grass infill) provide ample seating. Mini platforms on the steps would facilitate group fitness classes.

Limitation: A growing number of portable classrooms

Renovation: Connect portable classrooms with existing buildings

This middle school has three permanent buildings and several portables. To connect the three buildings and create a permanent structure in place of the portables, a 12-classroom structure with extended learning areas can be constructed (in blue). Building this permanent structure not only consolidates the portables, but also reunites the existing permanent facilities while providing interior access throughout the entire facility.

Limitation: Multiple double-loaded corridors with no room for flexible spaces

Renovation: Repurpose existing classrooms into extended learning areas and small-group rooms

A high school with double-loaded corridors throughout the campus lacks extended learning areas and small-group rooms. However, one side of each corridor can be renovated to add extended learning areas and small-group rooms. On the exterior of the renovated side, new classrooms can be constructed. This expands each double-loaded corridor by one-third, allowing for the new extended learning areas and small-group rooms to serve the original classrooms and the newly constructed classrooms. Each addition (in blue) has four classrooms (on the current exterior side of the facility), two extended learning areas on each end (with the green tables) and small-group rooms in the middle.

Check out the article in the January/February issue of School Construction News.

Kerrianne Wolf, REFP, is the educational specifications specialist for Cooperative Strategies, a national company that assists educational
agencies in providing quality facilities to students.

The post Trendspotting: Creating Outdoor & Extended Learning Areas appeared first on School Construction News.

1. Integrate Wind Energy
Rural elementary and secondary schools in some states may want to consider participating in the U.S. Department of Energy’s Wind for Schools project. Wind for Schools provides project consultants to help establish small wind turbine installations at rural elementary and secondary schools, and then supports the installation with teacher training and hands-on curricula.

Wind for Schools also has the joint benefit of training higher education students to serve as its project consultants. Balancing education and sustainability, Wind for Schools’ specific goals are to equip college juniors and seniors with an education in wind energy applications; to engage communities in wind energy applications, benefits and challenges; and to introduce both teachers and students to wind energy.

Currently the program is only available to schools in Alaska, Arizona, Colorado, Idaho, Illinois, Kansas, Montana, North Carolina, Nebraska, Pennsylvania, South Dakota and Virginia. However, more than 145 wind turbines — primarily 2.4-kilowatt turbines on 70-foot guyed or 60-foot monopole towers — have already been installed throughout participating states. Participating schools can also monitor kilowatt-hours produced, utility dollars saved and average kilowatt-hours used per month and per year via the Wind for Schools online portal.
More information is available at The U.S. Department of Energy website, www.energy.gov.

2. Join the USGBC — For Free
In September 2015, the USGBC’s Center for Green Schools invited K-12 schools and school districts to take advantage of one free year of membership.

Understanding the unique financial and sustainability challenges and needs faced by K-12 schools and districts, the Center for Green Schools is committed to supporting green school efforts, according to the organization’s website. In addition to all the member benefits associated with a school or district’s USGBC organizational membership, the Center for Green Schools also offers additional support and resources for schools and school districts, including an invitation and scholarship eligibility to the organization’s annual School Sustainability Leaders Summit; complementary registrations and reduced membership rates for the Center for Green School’s Green Classroom Certificate program; access to resources such as the Paid from Savings Guide to Green Existing Buildings, the online Existing Schools Toolkit and regular webcasts for school staff and leadership; eligibility to submit content to be featured on the Center for Green Schools blog; and the Monthly Center for Green Schools digest.

Schools and school districts can sign up for a free year of USGBC membership at www.centerforgreenschools.org.

3. Pick the Right Site
While schools and universities may not have limitless options when it comes to site selection for a new project, renovation or expansion, selecting the right site can result in both long-term cost savings and environmental benefits.

The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency offers a comprehensive, free-to- use school siting guidelines document that helps schools and universities make the best use of often-scarce resources by deciding whether to renovate an existing school, build a new school on a current site, or build a new facility on a new site. It can also guide school and university leaders through decisions related to acquiring land for school facilities, using legacy properties or leasing space; and renovating or reusing existing properties and structures.

The guidelines are specifically intended to help officials make efficient use of energy, avoid costly and dangerous student exposure to pollution and hazardous substances, locate schools near public transportation and potentially design school facilities to double as emergency shelters.

The guidelines outline financial considerations for school siting, such as the cost for mitigating or reducing environmental risks and long-term stewardship of remediation measures. Further, they give specific information regarding high performance and green schools with energy efficiency, water efficiency, indoor air quality, safe materials and reduced environmental impact goals. They also lead officials carefully through the environmental review process, evaluating the impact of air pollution, and a variety of environmental threats such as mold, chemicals, pesticides, polluted soils and historic fill.

The School Siting Guidelines document is available on the EPA website, www.epa.gov.

Learn more in the July/August issue of School Construction News, available soon.
 

The post 3 Low Cost Resources For Greening Your School appeared first on School Construction News.

The goal of 7x7x7 is to show the need for not only incorporating sustainability into the design and construction of new school buildings, but also leveraging the thousands of existing school buildings to make them more water and energy efficient, according to a statement by HGA Architects and Engineers (HGA), an integrated architecture, engineering and planning firm with four California offices. The case studies were also intended to help green California’s aging school facilities with design concepts that will reduce energy and water consumption. Conceptual case studies were completed by each architecture firm for their assigned public school and were presented to California legislators, local professionals, education leaders and the office of Gov. Jerry Brown last month in Sacramento.

HGA was the only firm matched with a higher education facility — Los Angeles Trade Technical College (LATTC). The firm was specifically tasked with reducing energy and water usage at the college’s science building. To create a sustainable future for LATTC, HGA recommended multiple solutions that cultivate a positive learning experience, produce more energy than consumed, completely eliminate carbon emissions and significantly reduce water use. HGA’s approach begins with zero energy rather than applying incremental reductions to move towards zero. This net positive approach focuses on key performance targets including human experience, energy carbon, water, waste, materials and best value.

The 1970s-era LATTC campus lacks natural lighting, is a high water user and has not made significant strides toward energy efficiency. HGA’s recommendations went beyond simple low-flow water systems to challenge the way the campus community thinks about water usage holistically. If all of the recommended water solutions were implemented, LATTC could save two million gallons of water per year, roughly equivalent to the amount of drinking water needed for 7,300 people for an entire year, according to the firm.

HGA also recommended solar panels be placed atop the parking canopies, improving the efficiency of the HVAC system, and design strategies that allow additional natural lighting to flow into the building to promote wellness and improve learning. Should LATTC choose to implement all of the study’s recommendations, HGA estimated that the school could save between $80,000 and $200,000 in annual energy costs.

“We need to change the way we’re thinking in order to change what we’re doing,” said Patrick Thibaudeau, vice president of HGA’s sustainable design practice, in a statement. “Our vision for LATTC encompasses small changes schools across the country can implement, which will not only improve efficiency overall, but will advance students’ learning, wellness and productivity.”

“With over 400 higher education institutions in California, the savings from these recommended changes can create an exponential impact on energy and water use,” added Kaveh Amirdelfan, principal on the project, in a statement. “As initially envisioned, such an impact can positively influence student life and pedagogy throughout the state, and also can be implemented throughout various regions in the nation.”

The post HGA Unveils Zero Energy 7x7x7 Plan for LATTC appeared first on School Construction News.

While the state has made significant headway in incorporating sustainability into the design and construction of new school buildings and campuses, “for every new sustainable school building constructed, there are thousands of existing buildings with plenty of life left in them that have the potential to be far more energy- and water-efficient,” according to the initiative’s website. In response, the initiative will capitalize on this potential and reimagine how existing schools can be renovated to enhance the learning environment and reduce energy and water usage.

In order to inspire this conversation across the state, the Division of the State Architect (DSA) — a branch of the DGS — engaged seven architectural firms to develop seven conceptual case studies in school design that will reduce energy and water consumption and result in a better learning environment on seven campuses including K–12 schools and a community college. The seven schools selected for the case studies are representative of typical building types from different eras constructed throughout California, according to a statement by the DSA.

The initiative kicked off with a regional event in Los Angeles that highlighted ways to green California’s aging school facilities using design concepts that reduce energy and water consumption. Widom led the event, which included a case study presentation and discussions at Los Angeles’ Southwest College. He said in a statement that “the ultimate goal of 7x7x7 is to initiate a conversation among school superintendents, school facilities personnel, boards of education, and other key decision makers for school construction, so that we all reimagine together how schools can be renovated to reduce energy and water usage and create great opportunities for education.”

A preview of the conceptual case studies will be presented at four regional events at schools of architecture in San Diego, Los Angeles, San Luis Obispo and Berkeley. A final report, to include an executive summary and the completed case studies, will be presented at a final “call to action” event in Sacramento, Calif., on Feb. 23. Participating firms include Aedis Architecture, headquartered in San Jose, Calif.; Omaha-headquartered DLR Group, with multiple offices throughout the state; Hamilton + Aitken of San Francisco; Minneapolis-based HGA with four California locations; Sacramento-headquartered Lionakis; Ehrlich Architects of Culver City, Calif.; and WRNS Studio of San Francisco.

The post California Launches 7x7x7 School Sustainability Initiative appeared first on School Construction News.

School Construction News spoke with industry insiders representing Spokane, Wash.-headquartered Lydig Construction about the continued evolution of green construction and design. Lydig’s education work includes the Spokane Community College Science Center, Cascadia Elementary School, Robert Eagle Staff Middle School and Central Washington University’s Dean Hall.

Vince Campanella, vice president of operations for the company’s Eastern region; Bill Dobyns, School Construction News Editorial Advisory Board member and vice president of operations for Lydig’s Bellevue, Wash. office; and Senior Project Manager Matthew Proehl, based in Lydig’s Spokane office, also touched on smart ways to integrate sustainable technology and the roles builders can play in helping schools go green.

Q. How have you seen attitudes toward designing and building school and university facilities for long-term sustainability change in recent years?

Campanella: There is a better recognition by school districts and university owners regarding sustainable construction — and sustainability as an overall approach to how they deal with their facilities. Universities have mostly been on board with sustainability longer than the school districts, at least the districts we deal with here in eastern Washington, but it’s definitely starting to gain a tremendous amount of momentum. In some ways universities were forced to adopt green standards earlier. Washington state law now requires facilities of a certain size and type to be LEED Silver certified or greater. The higher education facilities folks were more or less required to get on board, however the standards didn’t apply to school districts back when they were originally approved by the governor.

Dobyns: I would agree. We’re seeing more value put on long-term sustainability and less resistance. When sustainability originally became a trend, some districts — or even designers — weren’t embracing it because there were some added costs, but that’s no longer an issue. It’s become standard practice. It’s easier now to make a case for the added cost, and it’s acceptable to put sustainability as important criteria on every project.

Proehl: When we first started seeing “green buildings” it was a novelty and wish list item, now its commonplace. While many owners may forego the formal certification process, they are directing the design teams to specify green building materials and design to LEED standards.

Q. How has the trend toward building more sustainable facilities impacted or improved the way you do business?

Campanella: Since we first began to move towards LEED buildings, any added costs have been absorbed. Sticker shock on the part of building facilities owners and school districts has gone away because most everything now is designed and built around some level of sustainability. Depending on the level of sustainability you design and build to, there are things that cost more than the baseline, but we’re seeing less and less of the issues we saw five to ten years ago with LEED and sustainable construction. Now it has become so mainstream that it is built into the way we think and the way projects are delivered.

Dobyns: When the idea of putting sustainable practices into a project was not required, and there was an extra cost, it was a competitive disadvantage if we chose to do it. Now it’s no longer a disadvantage. Because it’s widely accepted, it has helped us stay competitive.

Proehl: The globalization of sustainable design has also made it easier to get green products and opened up new opportunities for recycling and reuse of reclaimed products that would have normally ended up in landfills.

Q. For schools and universities, what barriers still remain when it comes to expanding sustainability efforts?

Dobyns: In the school design side of the industry there is a lot of creativity and new ideas out there. However, the cutting edge ideas sometimes can be costly, and schools are always on tight budgets. Trying to sell that added cost vs. the benefits of sustainability are very new ideas. It sometimes can be politically challenging.

Proehl: In many cases the biggest barriers are the direct cost of the certification process as well as the added on-site personnel that is required to record, log and track the products used and the recycling of waste material.

Read more of this Q&A in the upcoming January/February issue of School Construction News, available soon.
 

The post Q&A: The Builder’s Role in School Sustainability appeared first on School Construction News.

Each year, the Recyclebank Green Schools Program awards grants of up to $2,500 per school to support unique environmental projects. The six Cherry Hill schools were selected after completing several interactive features on the Recyclebank website. These six schools include Henry C. Beck Middle School, Clara Barton Elementary School, Bret Harte Elementary School, Cherry Hill High School East, J. F. Cooper Elementary School and Joyce Kilmer Elementary School.

Recyclebank, a company who has encouraged environmental sustainability since 2007, rewards users for taking everyday green actions with discounts and deals from local and national businesses. Local residents can convert their Recyclebank Rewards points into dollars to support both the project and school of their choice. This year 38 schools participated in the program, amassing 17,258 points.

The resulting grants totaled $15,162.06 after Domtar provided an additional match grant of $500 per school, according to NJ.com. Through Domtar’s collaboration with the initiative, this year the Green Schools Program added four new prizing sub-categories: Garden and Water, Recycling and Waste Reduction, Art and Sculpture, and Sustainable and Creative Paper Usage.

Domtar presented Cherry Hill’s Henry C. Beck Middle School with 40 cartons of Sustainable EarthChoice Paper for winning the top prize in the Art and Sculpture Category. In addition, Imagine Hill Avenue Environmental School of Toledo, Ohio was awarded the grand prize for the Most Innovative Project. Other winners include John Story Jenks Academy for the Arts and Sciences in Philadelphia (Garden and Water), North Allegheny School District in Pittsburgh (Recycling and Waste Reduction), and W.A. Meacham Middle School in Fort Worth, Texas (Sustainable and Creative Paper Usage).

In response to the grants, all winning schools have established innovative projects plans for the near future. For example, Cherry Hill East plans to use its funds to continue reduction of single-use disposable plastics. The school currently uses a water filtration system, which keeps track of how many plastics water bottles the school avoids sending to landfill. The Recyclebank Green Schools Program grant also will assist in maintaining this filtration system and in educating the school and community about the importance of using reusable containers, according to Cherry Hill Superintendent, Maureen Reusche, Ed. D.

The post Six N.J. Green Schools Granted More Than $15,000 appeared first on School Construction News.

Mike Gipson has been product line manager-flushometers at Sloan Valve Company for three years and has 31 years of product management and marketing experience. He can be reached at mike.gipson@sloanvalve.com.

The post Sloan Helps New Orleans School Go Green appeared first on School Construction News.

Through a program of education sessions, pre-summit training and an expo featuring scores of green products and services, the summit will highlight the wide range of policies, programs, strategies and technologies that are being actively implemented to preserve the state’s natural resources.

The summit will officially open on April 7 and feature keynote speakers; Bob Foster, a former mayor of Long Beach and past president of Southern California Edison who has also served on the Board of Governors for the California Independent Systems Operators, and California Senate President pro Tempore Kevin de León, who has been at the forefront of vital environmental efforts, co-chairing Proposition 39 and the California Clean Energy Jobs Act.

A series of pre-summit seminars on April 6 will address vital sustainability topics, offering attendees an in-depth briefing on Prop 39 updates, best practices in school efficiency projects and resources for expanding the scope of efficiency projects. This session will feature presentations by stakeholders in all aspects of Prop 39 implementation, including the California Energy Commission, the Division of the State Architect and the California Conservation Corps.

Also on April 6, the Clean Cities Sacramento and East Bay Coalitions will host a day-long Clean Transportation Efficiencies Forum covering strategies for reducing petroleum use, efficiencies gained from alternative fuels and incentives for clean vehicles and infrastructure. A zero net energy (ZNE) workshop for state and local governments, facilitated by the New Buildings Institute with co-sponsorship by Green Technology, in partnership with the California Public Utilities Commission, also will take place April 6.

On April 7 and 8, more than 20 concurrent education sessions will address a range of topics relating to green policy and practice, including codes and standards, water conservation, green schools, funding sources for energy projects plans and sustainable purchasing.

Additionally, the Clean Cities Sacramento and East Bay coalitions are hosting a day of sessions focused on carbon reduction in the transportation sector, including updates on electric vehicles (EV) and EV infrastructure. The Institute for Local Government will present a local government track addressing topics like water, energy, climate and green economic development. The Office of Education and the Environment of CalRecycle will offer training on California’s K-12 environmental literacy curriculum, while a track from USGBC California will cover onsite water re-use, ZNE buildings and more.

The conference also includes an expo April 7-8, featuring more than 100 companies offering green products and services, from lighting solutions and flooring to water conservation technologies.

An opening reception will be hosted on April 6 and the event’s annual Leadership Awards reception will take place on the evening of April 7. The April 8 keynote breakfast featuring State Architect Chet Widom will also be open to all.

For more information about the summit, visit www.green-technology.org.

The post Green California Summit Kicks Off April 7 appeared first on School Construction News.

The 26,000-square-foot, non-profit Rise School, which provides early childhood education services to students experiencing Downs Syndrome and other conditions, features classrooms and learning spaces specifically designed to meet more specialized learning needs. The school includes eight classrooms, flexible common areas and multi-use indoor/outdoor spaces, as well as a music room, library and physical therapy gym.

The $5.6 million Rise School earned commendations for saving 38 percent more energy than the previous facility, representing an estimated 103,785-killowatt hour reduction over previous levels. The school’s irrigation system also uses reclaimed water outside, while water-efficient plumbing fixtures further contribute to water savings inside. More than 33 percent of the building materials used in the school’s construction contained recycled content, and more than half were locally sourced. Low-emitting paints, coatings, sealants and other environmentally conscious materials further contributed to creating a healthy learning space for students.

Founded in 1990, the AEGB was the nation’s first green building program. It encourages the design and construction of more sustainable homes and buildings throughout central Texas with a mission of transforming the overall building industry to embrace a more sustainable future. Developing and maintaining its own Austin-specific sustainability rating system has also given the AEGB the flexibility to carry out aggressive climate protection goals that have paved the way for both energy and building code changes that will reduce energy use, according to the organization.

O’Connell Robertson of Austin provided architecture, MEP engineering, and interior design services for the high-performance building; Burt Watts was the construction manager.

“O’Connell Robertson is committed to sustainable design practices and meeting the goals of our clients in this area,” said Amy Jones, a principal with O’Connell Robertson. “We are proud of our team, including Burt Watts, our design consultants and the Rise School leadership for the collaboration and commitment to more efficient and healthier buildings that resulted in this award.”

School officials, donors, students and community members participated in a groundbreaking ceremony in January 2014. The school was completed in August of that year.

The post Austin School Earns Green Building Award appeared first on School Construction News.