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New school features sustainable design
Wouldn’t it be nice to spend less money on energy costs
and have that money to spend in the classroom instead?
School District 47 is as interested as anyone in saving money.
So much in fact that they are following The Canadian Green
Building Council’s LEED program for green buildings, which includes
a category on energy and atmosphere, in the building of
the new Westview Elementary School.
The result?
It is predicted that the new school will save the district up to
52 per cent in energy costs annually.
Yes, 52 per cent, says Doug Hibbins, project manager of Westview
Elementary. “The energy modeling
has predicted that the school will achieve
a 52 per cent energy savings compared to
the reference model in the Model National
Energy Code for Buildings,” said Hibbins,
who has been hired by the school district
to oversee this project.
“Every dollar that the school district can
save on heating can be spent in the classroom
and that is really important,” he said.
Powell River’s newest school, which is
scheduled to be complete in September
2012, will “showcase the best practices in
design and construction,” says Hibbins.
The building is expected to achieve Gold Certification with the
Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) program.
“We’re pretty excited about it,” said School Trustee Doug Skinner.
“This school will be a feature school for the community.”
The school will be located along Selkirk Avenue and Nootka
Street with the main entrance near the corner. There will be
drop off areas on both streets.
The gym at Westview Elementary will be comparable in size
to the Brooks gym. “It will be perfect for our elementary school
events,” said Skinner. Other features include a pre-kindergarten
set up for learning.
“We want the whole community to use this building,” he
added.
The school district has included multi-purpose rooms and
community offices that can be used for community purposes. “A
lot of groups use our gyms after school and in the evening and
we see that this facility will help in this regard,” said Skinner.
The new school will have a geothermal heating system, automatic
dimming lights and electric car charging stations. Materials
have been selected based on sustainable best building practices
while objectives such as minimal goods transportation,
recycled content and reduced off gassing have been considered.
“Natural wood will add to the rooms,” said Hibbins. In fact,
wood will define the interior of the new school. It will be found
throughout the building both in common areas and classrooms.
By having a two-storey school, the environmental footprint on
the site will be reduced. “This is an important objective from a
sustainability standpoint,” says Hibbins. A two-storey school is
also more energy efficient and by design it leaves more room for
green space. “The design minimizes the amount of asphalt, too.”
A sports field, including baseball diamonds, will extend from
the school along Selkirk to Massett Avenue.
Other important features include a ball hockey and basketball
court, adventure playground, outdoor amphitheatre, preschool
play areas and an outdoor education area.
By orienting the windows north/south instead of east/west
the amount of heat gain is reduced during the warmer months,
which reduces the need for cooling. In the winter, the school
will realize the benefit of solar gain in the classrooms. “The design
calls for high performance glass and sun shading devices,”
said Hibbins, pointing to design drawings where horizontal louvers
over the windows and generous overhangs are visible.
Low-flow plumbing fixtures will be used throughout the
school. By selecting materials such as glues that do not off gas
rather than ones that do, the district will be demonstrating the
best practices for sustainability, said Hibbins.
Yellowridge Construction Limited are the builders and KMBR
Architects Planners, one of the largest school architectural firms
in BC, are the architects.
The process being used to build this school is a departure
from the traditional approach of design, bid and build. “In this
case the architect works for the contractor. It is much more of a
collaborative process.”
The design is fluid, which means the team will carry on completing
the design and adhering to the contract requirements as work
progresses. The preliminary design was unveiled at an open house
at Grief Point Elementary School last month. “Some things will
change because of input from teachers and staff,” said Hibbins.
Westview Elementary School will be built withstand seismic
activity.
For more details on the new school please visit the School
District 47s website at www.sd47.bc.ca.
46 • www.PRLiving.ca