Contract - March 2011 - (Page 30)

green thinking INside the box Failed retail establishments give way to successful spaces to house educational facilities By John Hopkins, AIA, LEED® AP ID+C, IA Interior Architects Given the drop in leasing activity in suburban retail markets, there is an abundance of empty boxes waiting to be ﬁlled, and these structures could be a smart solution for schools. In fact, big boxes are ideal for meeting the needs of educational facilities; they oﬀer ample parking, minimal ent points, convenient location with easy access, and large column bays that allow for open spaces and fewer blocked views (a plus in the classroom). I led a team of architects and designers in repurposing a warehouse for Collins College in Phoenix. This experience oﬀered us the chance to identify some issues and opportunities that designers and clients may consider: Special attention to the lighting: Since windows are minimal in big boxes, it’s important to consider which functions should be located near them. In education facilities, it includes reception, administrative oﬃce space, and student common areas. Many box buildings—including the one used for Collins College—have skylights that can accommodate the human need for daylight and reduce energy use. In this instance, the skylights also gave oﬀ enough illumination to allow the upper reaches to have a comfortable light level. For general use lighting, consider suspending ﬁxtures from interstitial supports. Provide light only in the occupied zone of the volume to minimize energy use. Collins College features a good variety of ﬁxtures to enhance the spatial experience. These include decorative pendants, as well as industrial ﬁxtures, installed in clever ways. A Unistrut system across the main corridors gives structure for lighting and changes the volume and experience of walking through the school. Details and coordination of MEP systems: Be prepared to adjust your typical approach to details and coordination of visible MEP systems. For example, partitions don’t need to go to the deck. It’s possible to use reinforced top plates and kickers connecting to perpendicular partitions. One of the advantages for open ceilings in corridors makes the IT staﬀ happy. They are o en changing or upgrading cabling to diﬀerent areas of the school and will appreciate the cable trays that run along the open corridor ceilings. These open ceilings, however, will create a new task. At Collins, we had to review duct locations and help the engineer organize them for visual eﬀect. As a cost savings for the Collins College project, we used the concrete as our ﬁnished ﬂoor. Luckily, the slab at Collins was a ve clean, smooth quality. Where underground sanita lines had to be added, we worked closely with the plumbing engineer to run them below rooms that did not have the exposed concrete ﬂoors. Be aware of these three code complications: First, verify with local codes for electrical connections in exposed areas. There may be additional work required since some municipalities require hardwiring for exposed cabling versus hidden above the ceiling. Secondly, many codes require rigid structure for conduit to attach. This should be addressed early on with the architect since so much of the conduit could be exposed. Some options: run conduit over the rooms with ceilings and project out as needed for lighting and other devices. The third code complication concerns ﬁre protection. Are sprinklers required above and below ﬂoating ceiling planes? One possible solution to this is to provide screen or perforated ceiling materials that have the minimum opacity to not require two zones of sprinklers. Collins College by IA Interior Architects in Phoenix (above, photo by Michael David Rose). Energy use in 30- .-high spaces: The beauty of the Collins College space was that we could take advantage of the dramatic heights of the box, but the challenge is in heating and cooling. HVAC systems can provide conditioned air only at occupied areas, from ﬂoor to 9 . up. Heat rises so it’s possible to use this natural occurrence smartly and cost-effectively to condition only a portion of the building. Since most buildings need plenty of cooling and only a little heat at the perimeter during cold months, we can allow natural induction to occur. This is done by providing baseboard heat at the exterior walls of the building and locating cooling diﬀusers and returns in the occupied spaces only. Acoustics in open environments: As with any open environment, there may be the assumption that noise will be an issue. However, with careful planning for locating noise-producing functions, a designer can use the large volumes to mitigate and muﬄe sounds. Where there are noise concerns, these areas can have an acoustical ceiling with a sound batt blanket. Vertical baﬄe panels also can hang in an open space, allowing the heightened volume to be enjoyed. 30 contract march 2011 www.contractdesign.com http://www.contractdesign.com

Table of Contents for the Digital Edition of Contract - March 2011

Contract - March 2011
Contents
Editor’s Note
Industry
Resources: Design Collaborations
Focus: This Little Light of Mine
Practice: Global Consensus
Green: Thinking Inside the Box
Poetry Lessons
Community Asset
Book Light
Reel Genius
Fresh Start
A Tree Saved in Brooklyn
Designers Rate: Guest Seating
Sources
Ad Index
Perspectives

Contract - March 2011