| The University is located at the base of the San Bernardino Mountains where the edge of the campus erodes into the high desert of Southern California. Although located in the desert most of the campus is covered in a blanket of green lawn and shrubs. The College has the largest student enrollment on campus and this 130,000 SF building announces its environmental intentions by carving five acres out of the campus green for a “demonstration desert garden” which signals a new sensibility to water use and environmental concerns on campus. The building and site, work as one showcasing sustainable features to the future teachers who in turn will educate tomorrow’s leaders.
Environmental Features:
• Given a solar orientation by the campus master plan that was not ideal, the project’s facades demonstrate a variety of solar strategies based on orientation. Limited opening with vertical fins, fritted glass and building massing and shape protect the east and west facades. The southern openings are protected by the building overhangs, and a series of metal louvers.
• The main exterior building material, precast concrete is a local building product manufacturer less than 20 miles from the site. Two different textures (one corrugated and the other smooth) were used to reinforce the building massing with the smooth texture on the instructional block that shapes the Santa Ana winds from the main building entry.
• Solar shading strategies coupled with Low-E glass, R-30 roof insulation, precast concrete skin and a cool roof create an envelope that is 21.5% better than T-24.
• Water efficiently measures saves 35% of portable water from baseline design.
• The “demonstration desert garden” reduces irrigation requirements by 78% using drip irrigation and native planting. In addition the campus has approval to remove unwanted ground water via wells from the adjacent San Andres fault line which will provide 100% of the irrigation water for the project.
• Stormwater Management meets LEED 4.1 and 4.2 requirements.
• Healthy indoor environment promoted by the use of low VOC materials throughout and IAQ measures used during construction.
• Daylighting used extensively with lighting controls in all occupied spaces.
• Extensive signage program and web based brochure will illustrate the sustainable features in the building making the project a teaching tool on sustainability.
• The roof was designed purposely with limited equipment and no mechanical screen to maximize the area for a future PV panel system which was not part of the original building budget. The PV system will provide 15% of the buildings energy needs and was installed by a separate contract six months after completion of the building.
• Daylighting used extensively with lighting controls in all occupied spaces.
• Green housekeeping part of a campus wide program.
• 80% of materials used have recycled content
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