The Nueva College’s Science and Environmental Middle (SEC) in Hillsborough, California, has been venerated with the 2023 American Institute of Architects (AIA) COTE Best Ten Award and the 2022 AIA Nationwide Schooling Facility Design Award, for its outstanding design highlighting sustainability, calories potency, water conservation, web site integration, and resiliency.
Designed through the company, Leddy Matum Stacy Architects (LSA Architects), the SEC is located at the Nueva College’s 13.4-ha (33-acre) campus within the semi-rural coastal hills of the San Francisco Peninsula. The campus boasts a thriving coastal are living oak forest ecosystem, numerous buildings, and breathtaking perspectives of San Francisco Bay.
Overlaying 1,078 m2 (11,600 sf), the SEC helps the Nueva College’s environmental citizenship program, providing 8 science labs and related areas for interdisciplinary studying from pre-kindergarten to 8th grade. Functioning as a residing lab, the middle allows scholars to interact with sustainability practices, behavior environmental research, and brainstorm answers to quite a lot of demanding situations.
A high-performance development envelope minimizes thermal bridging, improving inside thermal convenience with considerable R values on the roof and partitions. The development’s calories use depth (EUI) is diminished to 23, a 71 % lower from the baseline, because of effective development programs and envelope design.
A 70 kW photovoltaic (PV) array at the roof offsets the development’s calories intake year-round, surpassing expectancies with a 2021 calories manufacturing of 93,941 kWh—a 17 % build up from the expected 80,200 kWh. The development’s external wall and roof designs incorporate insulation to cut back thermal bridging, reaching general meeting R-values of R-24 and R-50, respectively. Notable glazing houses come with 0.28 U-value, 0.27 SHGC, and zero.65 VLT.
To care for comfy indoor prerequisites, the SEC makes use of an all-electric warmth pump machine for in-floor radiant hydronic heating, ceiling lovers, and herbal air flow, getting rid of the desire for mechanical cooling. Power restoration ventilators be sure 100% out of doors air when study rooms are occupied, contributing to a 49 % aid in light-emitting diode (LED) lights energy density.
With a 95 % internet to gross surface house ratio, the SEC stands proud for its potency in a college environment. Its 100-percent-electric design objectives for net-zero operational calories and carbon, generating all ate up calories on-site.
Addressing California’s widespread droughts, the SEC comprises complex water conservation measures, together with a 37,854-L (10,000-gal) garage tank for rest room reuse, a rainwater harvesting machine, and drought-tolerant landscaping, lowering potable water use through 89 %, in comparison to the baseline.
Mirroring the terrain, the development aligns with the hillside, minimizing excavation and optimizing out of doors training spaces. The slender surface plate reduces disruption to herbal options whilst maximizing sunlight and herbal air flow in study rooms. Serving as a threshold development, the SEC connects the campus to the encircling forested open house, with a “Cover Stroll” offering get right of entry to for college kids to revel in the oak forest ecology.
Fabrics within the SEC have been decided on for financial system, sturdiness, and useful resource potency, incorporating wooden and recycled fabrics qualified through the Woodland Stewardship Council (FSC). The development’s versatile design permits for momentary adaptability to evolving curricula and applied sciences, with an eye fixed towards possible long-term makes use of. The SEC’s seismic resilience and fire-resistant building reveal a dedication to long-term protection.
The Nueva College has gained the Nationwide Inexperienced Ribbon College designation from the U.S. Division of Schooling, spotting its useful resource potency, well being and wellness attributes, and dedication to sustainable training.
