Challenging Designers – Prototype Elementary Schools Zach and Bacon Make the Grade
Fort Collins Utilities Integrated Design Case Study
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Students in the Explorer LAB class lead tours of Bacon Elementary.
The Challenge
Poudre School District issued a challenge: Take the best performing school in the district-and beat it.
Make it a place that students and teachers want to spend their days. Add more daylighting and use low- toxicity paints and materials. Include air conditioning, but don't increase the utility bills. Use recycled and recyclable products. Make the building itself serve as a learning laboratory. Utilize landscaping that saves water. Make sure it's easy and uncomplicated to maintain. And-build it for no added cost.
"The traditional design approach sets minimum requirements, but doesn't push design teams to come up with the best achievable design," said Spearnak, the District's director of planning, design and construction. "We encouraged designers to create a school that would set a new standard in learning environments, yet fit within a typical school budget."
And, this is how the new prototype school was established at Zach and Bacon Elementary Schools.
"We can't afford not to build schools like these." -Michael Spearnak, AIA, Poudre School District
Focus on the Classroom
"Kids spend most of their time in the classroom, so we focused the creative energy and analysis on the classroom design first and worked our way out," said Spearnak. "Our goal was to make every classroom terrific with good daylighting and views, minimal glare, windows that can be opened, good ventilation and year-round comfort." Energy and daylighting modeling helped optimize the classroom design at both schools.
Costs of High — Performance Building
While initial design fees were higher, construction costs were lower. At Zach Elementary, construction costs came in under budget at $100 per square foot.
The District paid more for design costs (10 percent instead of the usual 7-8 percent) because they spent extra time optimizing the plan. Even with this added expense, the District will benefit from lower utility bills and by using this prototype design to build future schools.
Integrated Design Assistance
This project received support from Fort Collins Utilities' Integrated Design Assistance Program. The program offers staff support and expertise during the design process and financial assistance to supplement the incremental cost of access to consultants.
Low Utility Bills – Even with Air Conditioning
"With the focus on student performance, the District chose to include air conditioning in the new school design," said Stu Reeve, energy manager for Poudre School District. "Yet, even with cooling, Zach's annual gas and electricity bills are nearly the same as other recently built elementary schools and much lower than our average elementary."
Efficient use of water is increasingly important in Colorado. Water usage at Zach is way below that of other schools, with water bills at one-third that of the 1990 prototype schools.
"The new design focuses on the students," said Reeve. "Yet, it will save thousands of dollars in lower water and energy bills every year for the life of the schools."
Buildings that Teach
At Bacon Elementary, students in the Explorer LAB class lead tours that show their school's energy saving and environmental features by:
- pointing to a glass cut-out to show what is in the walls;
- explaining how the chiller saves money by making ice at night;
- showing recycled materials; and
- describing the water-saving landscaping.
Typically, the 'inner workings' of a building are hidden, so Bacon presents many unique learning opportunities for students.
The slope of the ceiling, window type and placement all impact the visual comfort of a classroom and other interior spaces.
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