The new Northland Pines High School in Eagle River, WI is designed to accommodate 600 students within the 250,000 sq. ft. facility. Completion is scheduled for August 2006. Northland Pines High School is anticipating a Silver LEED™ Rating.
Background Story:
The Northland Pines School District chose to utilize Hoffman and their Total Project Management: Vision Taken to the Power of Green (TPMg) methodology. TPMg is a process that integrates efficient and cost-effective solutions; a single source of responsibility for your planning, architecture and construction needs; and a commitment to sustainable design and delivery. In this case, Hoffman worked with the school district from the very beginning stages of pre-referendum planning, all the way through architectural design and professional management of the construction process.
Green Within Budget
Early in the life of this project, Hoffman discussed the concepts of wise resource use, energy efficiency, superior indoor air quality, and the benefits that proper building design has on student and teacher productivity. These ideas were within the context of good architectural design, and the Hoffman team maintained that LEED standards would be used as design guidelines. It is perhaps most important to understand that this building is first and foremost an educational institution, and that the building function would never be compromised because of the LEED standards; in fact, building performance would only be enhanced by these ideas and at no additional project construction cost.
Community Involvement
As the design of the building evolved, it became clear to the Board of Education that only a certain percentage of community members, along with a few Board members, actually knew what LEED was and understood the benefits of using these ideas. Community advocates helped to convince the Board of Education that incorporating sound sustainable practices could pay big dividends. Board members began to talk about using LEED publicly, starting with the referendum information brochures that went to the general public. Hoffman determined the costs to formally LEED certify the project and built these costs into the total project budget. Continuing with the design, Hoffman began introducing more sustainable ideas and vocabulary into each meeting and brought tangible evidence to the group in the form of Whole Building Energy Modeling, demonstrating that there were true first-cost savings along with long-term savings to be realized.
The key to success in incorporating the LEED concepts and certification process into the project budget ties back to early idea generation and making sure the project would be certified within the overall referendum amount. The project team was determined to continue with the initial vision of having the first, newly constructed, LEED certified school in the state.
Finally, good communication with the public helped to generate additional advocates; because any Board of Education is a political body, they will seriously consider sustainable project delivery if they hear positive comments and reinforcement from their constituents.
Sustainable Features
Sustainable Sites:
· All storm water is collected on site in two large detention basins.
· There will be some portions of the site that will exhibit native/natural landscaping and some exotic species have been removed on their property; more are planned to be removed as part of a continuing effort.
· As a commitment to preserving land, a portion of the site will be protected for the life of the building.
· Care has been taken to provide no more car parking than is needed; car pool parking is provided for entrances near building, and bike racks will be provided.
· Because of the climate, a black roof was specified to reduce energy costs.
Water Efficiency:
· In an effort to conserve water, there will be no permanent irrigation system; to support this, appropriate climate-tolerant plants are intended to be planted.
· In other efforts to conserve water, there are water-reducing fixtures throughout the building, most notably the use of dual flush levers for the water closets and waterless urinals. This is anticipated to create a water cost savings of approximately 35% annually.
Energy and Atmosphere:
· Much thought went into the development of an efficient mechanical system (HVAC), lighting systems with daylight harvesting, window systems to provide views and natural light, and a higher insulation level in the walls and roof that together will provide energy savings of approximately 40% over a baseline building.
· The fundamental building systems commissioning will be implemented, which is a prerequisite under the Energy and Atmosphere credits of the LEED Rating System, but additional commissioning will be implemented as well. This includes working with the facilities staff to help ensure proper operations and maintenance of the new facility which is key to realizing the projected savings.
· In addition to commissioning, the design team will be using measurement and verification to help ensure proper systems functioning beyond systems startup.
Materials and Resources:
· Many products used are made with recycled materials; additionally, many products can be recycled once they have completed their useful life.
· A construction waste management plan is being implemented that is helping to keep as much material from being placed in the landfill as possible; this includes demolition of the existing high school.
· The specification process included materials that would be locally sourced. A significant amount of building products were received from within 500 miles of the project site.
Indoor Environmental Quality:
· In addition to using products that are recycled or locally sourced, specifications include adhesives, paints, coatings, and carpet that have low or no VOCs (Volatile Organic Compounds).
· Understanding that a big key to indoor air quality is what happens during construction, we have developed and implemented a Construction Indoor Air Quality plan that helps to reduce the amount of particulate matter that can get in the air and in products that will be inside the building envelope. This includes limiting the potential for mold growth by keeping absorptive materials dry and covering ducts to prevent construction dust from entering the mechanical system.
· There will be technologies in place to help monitor the carbon dioxide, ensuring enough fresh air is in the building, as well as monitors for the occupants’ overall thermal comfort. This will help to ensure a learning environment that is optimized for learning.
Innovation in Design:
· In addition to the anticipation that we have excelled in particular areas such as local sourcing of materials, we are implementing a green cleaning program to ensure that through the life of the building, the occupants will not be exposed to hazardous, fume-emitting cleaning products.
· As part of a Renewable Energy and Energy Education program, there is a planned solar electric system that will be used to collect the sun’s energy. The students and faculty will then be able to monitor the system and see how it is performing.
Project Team / Significant Contributors to the Project:
District Administrator
Mr. Mike Richie
Northland Pines School District
1780 Pleasure Island Road
Eagle River, WI 54521
715.479.6487
School Board President
Mr. Tom Christensen
P.O. Box 399
St. Germain, WI 54558
715.479.4930
Principal-In-Charge
Mr. Thomas R. Cox, AIA, LEED AP
Hoffman, LLC
N434 Greenville Center
Appleton, WI 54914
920.380.2124
Project Architect
Mr. Jody Andres, AIA
Hoffman, LLC
N434 Greenville Center
Appleton, WI 54914
920.380.2180
Architectural Drafter
Justin Yotter, LEED AP
Hoffman, LLC
N434 Greenville Center
Appleton, WI 54914
920.380.2139
Construction Manager
Mr. Kelly Schleif
Hoffman, LLC
N434 Greenville Center
Appleton, WI 54914
920.380.2173
Project Administrator
Ms. Shelly Bradley
Hoffman, LLC
N434 Greenville Center
Appleton, WI 54914
920.380.2138
Director of Sustainable Services
Dr. Mark Hanson, LEED AP
Hoffman, LLC
N434 Greenville Center
Appleton, WI 54914
920.380.7821
Field Project Manager
Mr. Scott McMyler
Hoffman, LLC
N434 Greenville Center
Appleton, WI 54914
920.540.3442
Interiors Consultant
Ms. Amy Nichols
Designworks Studio
8533 McCormack Drive
Lenexa, KS 66227
913.422.9692
HVAC Consultant
