School Sustainability: Four projects that make the grade

{"version":"0.3.0","atoms":[],"cards":[["images-card",{"images":[{"url":"http:\/\/res.cloudinary.com\/dpcbzfiye\/image\/upload\/v1693245074\/ej8qum7xvhfrcafkomhk.png","id":"6661842"}],"caption":"John Lewis Elementary School in Washington D.C."}],["images-card",{"images":[{"url":"http:\/\/res.cloudinary.com\/dpcbzfiye\/image\/upload\/v1693245108\/nfkspnzbagceuvtkzato.png","id":"6661843"}],"caption":"King Open\/Cambridge Street Upper School \u0026 Community Complex in Cambridge, Massachusetts"}],["images-card",{"images":[{"url":"http:\/\/res.cloudinary.com\/dpcbzfiye\/image\/upload\/v1693245150\/kcecv8p0k8rhv3kldrz7.png","id":"6661845"}],"caption":"Environmental Nature Center Preschool in Newport Beach, California"}]],"markups":[["strong"],["a",["href","https:\/\/lmnarchitects.com\/","target","_blank"]],["a",["href","https:\/\/www.perkinseastman.com\/studios\/washington-dc\/","target","_blank"]],["a",["href","https:\/\/www.arrowstreet.com\/","target","_blank"]],["a",["href","https:\/\/lpadesignstudios.com\/","target","_blank"]]],"sections":[[1,"p",[[0,[],0,"With school coming back into session across the country, AIA is showcasing four projects where sustainability was on the curriculum. These four Education Facility Design Awards recipients take green building seriously. "]]],[1,"p",[[0,[0],1,"Founders Hall, Foster School of Business "]]],[1,"p",[[0,[],0,"Located at the University of Washington in Seattle, Founders Hall (pictured above) at the Foster School of Business sets a new standard on campus for embodied and operational carbon reduction. It\u2019s the first mass timber structure on the Seattle campus, where collaborative learning and community building thrive inside a sustainable building poised to inspire future generations of students. "]]],[1,"p",[[0,[],0,"Founders Hall is also the first to embrace the university\u2019s elevated green building standards\u2014it reduces carbon emissions by more than 90% and embodied carbon by nearly 60%. Through its design, the building capitalizes on the region\u2019s temperate climate to integrate natural and mechanical ventilation to provide a comfortable environment for occupants with minimal need for conditioned air. The use of cross-laminated timber decking reflects the university\u2019s deep connection to the Northwest\u2019s enduring wood products industry. "]]],[1,"p",[[0,[],0,"Throughout the process, the building designers "],[0,[1],1,"LMN Architects "],[0,[],0,"ensured that numerous existing Douglas fir and sequoia trees on the site were not only preserved but were a part of the building\u2019s architectural expression. Its facade is paired with sensitively placed glazing to reveal the timber inside and provide views of the surrounding trees. On higher floors, students, faculty, and staff are immersed in the site\u2019s forest character. "]]],[10,0],[1,"p",[[0,[0],1,"John Lewis Elementary School "]]],[1,"p",[[0,[],0,"John Lewis Elementary School in Washington D.C., was designed by "],[0,[2],1,"Perkins Eastman Washington D.C."],[0,[],0," to be the first school to achieve net zero energy, LEED Platinum, and WELL certification in the District. Firmly rooted in design principles focused on civic presence, community connectivity, and the student experience, the school is a high-performing 21st-century learning environment that easily fits into the context of the larger residential neighborhood that surrounds it. "]]],[1,"p",[[0,[],0,"Through its textures, materials, and environmental quality, the school honors its proximity to Rock Creek Park, one of the District\u2019s most prominent parks. This reflection is most noticeable in the library, where discovery zones and reading nooks encourage learning and socialization amidst the large-scale mural that serves as the backdrop to the school\u2019s makerspace. "]]],[1,"p",[[0,[],0,"In the lobby, a high-performance dashboard tracks the school\u2019s energy consumption and highlights its sustainable features. The dashboard is closely linked to the school\u2019s curriculum, which addresses topics such as social and environmental justice, climate change, and water conservation. An important teaching tool, it provides teachers, students, and the larger community with a new understanding of the important connections that exist between themselves, the school, and the planet. "]]],[10,1],[1,"p",[[0,[0],1,"King Open\/Cambridge Street Upper School \u0026 Community Complex "]]],[1,"p",[[0,[],0,"Designed by "],[0,[3],1,"Arrowstreet "],[0,[],0,"this project unites two Cambridge, Massachusetts, schools and establishes a new model for school design, one that integrates social and family service programs that form a support system for students, families, and the surrounding community. "]]],[1,"p",[[0,[],0,"Linking King Open Elementary and Cambridge Street Upper School, the project shapes a highly sustainable and healthy community resource that offers the city\u2019s youngest citizens an inspiring learning environment. The end result is a school that is net zero emissions, consumes no fossil fuels on-site, and incorporated Cambridge\u2019s largest solar array to produce more than 60% of its required energy. "]]],[1,"p",[[0,[],0,"The building is a learning lab, and its sustainable features are displayed in a manner that prompts learning opportunities. Its interior includes digital dashboards at every entry, custom educational graphics, display areas for student projects, and visible heating and cooling elements. "]]],[1,"p",[[0,[],0,"The project is a pilot for Net Zero Cambridge, a plan that was developed as a response to the community\u2019s desire to achieve a healthier and more resilient city. As such, it has helped clarify the overall plan and has become a demonstration program for how a net zero emissions building can be designed and financed. "]]],[10,2],[1,"p",[[0,[0],1,"Environmental Nature Center Preschool "]]],[1,"p",[[0,[],0,"This addition to the Environmental Nature Center\u2019s Newport Beach, California, campus supports the nonprofit organization\u2019s mission of providing nature-based education for young people. Developed through the vision of educators, the community, and the center\u2019s leadership, the LEED Platinum-certified preschool mirrors the existing facility in its ability to blend indoor and outdoor spaces, instilling an intuitive understanding of the natural world in children ages 2.5 to 5. "]]],[1,"p",[[0,[],0,"The center was constructed in 2008 to serve as the organization\u2019s headquarters. It inspires and educates visitors by highlighting green strategies focused on sustainable practices and environmental education. The 10,380-square-foot preschool opened in 2019 and quickly became a natural extension of the center\u2019s sustainable goals and educational ambitions through hands-on experience. "]]],[1,"p",[[0,[],0,"Designed by "],[0,[4],1,"LPA Design Studios"],[0,[],0,", the team was challenged to design a premier green building on a tight budget, the team focused on cost-effective passive controls. The school building\u2019s north-south orientation controls solar heat gain and glare. Natural ventilation encourages ocean breezes to pass through low intake windows along the school\u2019s south side. Hot air rises across the sloped ceiling where it is eventually expelled through operable windows on the north side. The school\u2019s footprint encompasses an already disturbed area that housed temporary buildings and a parking lot, a strategy that maintained open space and allowed the school to exist harmoniously within the existing cultivated habitats. "]]]]}