High Performing Buildings - Summer 2012 - (Page 19)

fter the tornado, the city council passed a resolution stating that all city buildings would be built to LEED Platinum standards, making it the first city in the nation to mandate such a rigorous requirement. The school district also committed to rebuilding a model green facility, focusing on simple and passive building systems and integrated design to maximize efficiency and reduce energy use and costs. The result is a school that uses 29.2 kBtu/ft2 · yr, less than half the energy used by a school built to code. Opposite Though the obvious function of this facility is to serve as a high performance environment for teaching and learning, the new Greensburg school — located in the heart of the town on Main Street — also serves as an important community resource by providing space for public meetings, recreation and other activities. Below On the night of May 4, 2007, an EF-5 tornado nearly two miles wide ravaged the town of Greensburg, Kan., resulting in loss of life and displacing more than 1,500 people and destroying 95% of the town’s homes and businesses. A In Kiowa County, population declined as young adults moved away to seek better opportunities. Unified School District 422 (USD 422) believed that first-rate facilities that supported student achievement were the solution to reinvigorate the district and plan for the future. USD 422 recognized the need to serve a larger geographic area with their new facility. Two nearby districts with aging school facilities and small student populations chose to combine with Greensburg (by consolidation or cooperative agreement) to create a single county-wide facility, right-sizing at a regional scale. USD 422 decided to combine all of its facilities — seven buildings on five sites — into a single location on Greensburg’s Main Street. This allowed the district to consolidate functions for greater efficiency, contribute to a walkable community (a tenet of the community master plan) and become a central civic resource B u i l d i n g At A g l A n c e Name Kiowa County Schools (formerly Greensburg K-12 Schools) Location Greensburg, Kan. (110 miles due west of Wichita, Kan.) Owner Uni ed School District 422 Principal Use K-12 Public School Employees/Occupants 350 students, 60 staff Occupancy 100% Gross Square Footage 123,405 Conditioned Space 123,405 Distinctions/Awards LEED Platinum for Schools (2007 Version), 2011; AIA/COTE Top Ten Green Projects, 2011 Total Cost $31,200,200 Cost Per Square Foot $238 Substantial Completion July 2010 Occupancy August 2010 for this small rural community (the library and large meeting rooms are shared community resources). This consolidated facility addresses three critical concerns. It provides a high-quality learning environment; creates a single building, which offers the best longterm value to the three educational facilities housed there (elementary, middle and high school); and addresses other costs by integrating sustainable strategies that would allow for lower maintenance and operation costs. The school district embraced student-centered design principles in the shaping and design of its new facilities. Throughout the design process, every decision was weighed against a single question: “How does this benefit the student(s)?” PERFORMING BUILDINGS 19 Summer 2012 HIGH

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High Performing Buildings - Summer 2012
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Wilfred Uytengsu Sr. Center
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High Performing Buildings - Summer 2012