Ben Franklin Elementary School

Photo credit: Mahlum Architects

Team & Process

Predesign

Anticipating local, regional, and eventually national mandates for more sustainable buildings, the Lake Washington School District proactively pursued green design to better understand the effects on school buildings and district-wide policies.

Recognizing the ways in which access to natural light, views, and fresh air benefit learning, the whole team focused on achieving these qualities.

Specific sustainable goals were determined in an eco-charrette at the beginning of design. All individuals who would be involved in the design and future maintenance and operations of the building participated in and contributed to this initial exercise. The results guided the design team and reinforced decisions with the client group throughout the process.

Design

Early and continued dialogue with the jurisdiction allowed the design team to articulate and clarify progressive stormwater management methods for the site, thereby alleviating concerns and facilitating approval of the proposed low-impact development strategies.

Natural ventilation computer modeling gave the design team clear, precise data to support the design approach and to help the district understand the expected performance of the building. Large-scale daylighting models were tested to refine natural daylighting strategies in the classrooms, commons, gymnasium, and library.

Construction

As this was a publicly bid project, education played a large role in the specification and bidding process. Sustainable strategies had to be clearly explained, as uncertainty with systems and procurement can lead to higher costs and hidden contingencies. Discussions of sustainable features and systems were held during a prebid conference to ensure foreknowledge and reduce surprises.

Post-Occupancy

The school district is keenly aware of the value of post-occupancy evaluation and established a "control" project for detailed analysis. Comparison with other schools recently designed and built following conventional practices will allow the district to gather empirical and anecdotal information about green design.

Useful Information Resources and Software

• Daylight modeling
• Natural ventilation modeling

Primary Design Team Members

The design team also included:

• Commissioning agent

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Our thanks to the ENERGY STAR program of the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, and to the U.S. Department of Energy, and to BuildingGreen, Inc. for hosting the submission and judging forms.

For more information about the AIA/COTE Top Ten Green Projects, contact AIA/COTE. For help on how to use this Web site, contact .