High Performing Buildings - Winter 2008 - (Page 41)

C O S T C O M PA R I S O N Despite studies to the contrary, green buildings are perceived to cost much more than conventional buildings. However, by using whole-building, whole-site approaches to both projects, Northern Guilford Middle and Reedy Fork Elementary prove that sustainability does not need to cost more. White single-ply roofing increases reflected light into the clerestories at Reedy Fork. serves as a cafeteria and gymnasium, and administrative spaces. The school was designed in conjunction with a much larger community civic center complex. The students will eventually beneﬁt by being able to use many facilities within the complex, including a public library that will be an expansion of the elementary school library, the parks and recreation department’s ball ﬁelds and play areas, and the community center’s swimming pool, tennis courts, and volleyball facilities. All will benefit by implementing shared parking strategies and using a common constructed wetland that was designed as a part of the school project. When comparing the final construction cost of Northern Guilford Middle or Reedy Fork Elementary to the average bid price of schools in North Carolina during 2006 and 2007, it is easy to see that Guilford County’s sustainable schools were competitive. Northern Guilford Middle Cost of Building and Site $148/ft2 Reedy Fork Elementary $157/ft2* Key Sustainable Strategy Because the design of Northern Guilford Middle School was started at a time of escalating and volatile construction prices, the design team felt it was necessary to reassess the typical daylighting strategies that had been used in the classrooms and develop a new classroom wing *Reedy Fork’s bid of $151/ft2 was adjusted upward at the desire of the owner to implement a 13-month, accelerated schedule. Average Bid School for Middle Cost Schools in N.C. 2007 $162.88/ft2 Average Bid for Elementary Schools in N.C. $155.33/ft2 2006 $154.14/ft2 $145.10/ft2 North-facing clerestory in Northern Guilford’s media center. Another way to look at this issue is to compare Northern Guilford Middle School to Southern Guilford Middle School. Although both schools were constructed in the same approximate time frame, in the same county, with the same program requirements and the same budget restrictions, the sustainable Northern Guilford was built for a cost that was only “seven cents a square foot more than Southern [Guilford Middle School] — peanuts,” said Joe Hill of Guilford County Schools, N.C. Winter 2008 HIGH PERFORMING BUILDINGS 41

Table of Contents Feed for the Digital Edition of High Performing Buildings - Winter 2008

High Performance Buildings - Winter 2008 Passing On the Gift: Heifer International Headquarters Head of the Class: University of Florida’s Rinker Hall How Far Can You Go? Pearl River Tower The Proof Is Performance: How Does 4 Times Square Measure Up? Lighting the Way: Two Guilford County Schools Montreal’s Retail Example: Mountain Equipment Co-op® (MEC)

High Performing Buildings - Winter 2008

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