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Sustainable Architecture: On the Boards:
Ardmore Elementary School, Bellevue School District, Bellevue, Washington: Ardmore Elementary School is a 69,000-square-foot replacement school. The proposed school is cut into the hillside with six classroom pods on two stories wrapped around a center two-story library space. In order to achieve a total annual energy use that is more than 30% below that of a typical energy-code-compliant building, four integrated strategies are employed. 1) The building massing is highly compact and the back of the lower floor is buried in the sloping site. This scheme reduces the exterior wall area by over 40% when compared to other schemes. 2) The building employs individual heat pumps to provide heating and cooling. These are connected to a ground-source well field, eliminating the need for either a conventional boiler or cooling tower. This system provides the users with individual control for each space as well as overall ease of maintenance. In addition, provisions have been incorporated in the building infra-structure for the future roof-top installation of photovoltaic panels and/or tube collectors for domestic hot water preheat. 3) The exterior wall performance is greatly improved by the addition of rigid insulation over the exterior sheathing. This increases the insulation in the wall to R-25 while significantly reducing the thermal bridging normally associated with metal-stud framed walls. 4) Effective daylighting strategies and lighting controls combine to reduce direct energy usage from electric lamps as well as the heat gain associated with these lamps.
Eastgate Elementary School, Bellevue School District, Bellevue, Washington: The design of Eastgate Elementary School focused on creating a strong connection with nature. All of the public spaces benefit from natural light; as people move through the school, they continually have views to the courtyards and the tall trees bordering the site. In addition to visual contact, the design seeks to create a beneficial relationship with its natural setting through building systems that conserve energy and preserve the environment. Due to the high energy efficiency of the design, it was granted the “Designed to Earn the ENERGY STAR” status from the US Environmental Protection Agency. This is a 63,000-square-foot replacement school in an established neighborhood. The topography creates a bowl shape that is tipped toward the street with trees and hillside wrapping three sides and an open, welcoming frontage along the street. Care was taken with the siting and layout of the building to preserve the character of the site, minimize excavation, and lay out a building that supported a well-connected and collaborative environment in the school and a strong relationship with the natural setting throughout and around the building. The siting of the building was important to optimize the natural daylighting, preserve the natural setting around the building, and minimize the excavation and earthmoving. The building volumes open to the exterior allowing natural daylighting throughout the school that minimizes the need for artificial lighting. Natural daylight improves the quality of all critical task areas – including classrooms, offices, library, gym, and multipurpose room. Sunscreens and light shelves in classrooms optimize daylighting. A ground-source heat pump loop system eliminates the need for natural gas; the earth provides the source for heating and cooling. Innovative detailing at the foundation minimizes thermal bridging.
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On the Boards
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Higher Education | Research | Laboratory
K-12 Schools
Healthcare
Residential | Continuing Care Communities
Commercial | Hospitality
Civic | Public
Recreation | Community
Restoration | Preservation
On the Boards
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