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Best of 2006 Awards
North Haven High School
AWARD OF MERIT: Schools Pre-K to 12
As the new scholastic home for 1,300 students in grades 9 to 12, the new 245,000-sq.-ft. North Haven High School in North Haven, Conn., is a shining example of how communities can build green, energy-efficient schools without busting their budgets.
The $67 million facility, completed in January, achieved its green goals without scrimping on amenities, with features such as a modern media center, performing arts center, science laboratories, greenhouse, and child care center. The town did not pursue Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design certification.
Located on a 30-acre property adjacent to the town’s middle school, the new building replaces an antiquated 50-yearold facility, which was demolished to make way for new athletic fields.
The new high school has a two-story wing and a three-story wing, combining a well-insulated building envelope and high-efficiency mechanical and electrical systems in order to maximize energy efficiency. The HVAC chiller, air-conditioning pumps, and fans employ variable-speed drives and high-efficiency motors, while an energy management system controls the various systems.
Large windows and light wells that run from roof to ground bring daylight into the facility, penetrating as far as the core of the building. These features, along with occupancy sensors on the lights, further reduce electricity usage.
Landscaped courtyards and a green rooftop terrace integrate the school with the natural environment, with the terrace also providing insulation and mitigating stormwater runoff. Minimizing paved areas and the stacked design also reduce runoff.
The team conducted extensive preconstruction meetings with the town’s representatives to define program requirements. The work operated under a project labor agreement that tapped Connecticut Building Trades and Construction Council unions.
Throughout construction, ongoing value engineering and management balanced energy-efficiency requirements with the town’s budget, keeping the project on track and resulting in nearly $700,000 in savings off of the original project budget.
In addition, the energy-saving features are expected to trim operating costs for the building by more than $247,000 annually compared to standard building systems.
“I liked the way they focused on energy efficiency,” said one juror. “They went to great pains to create a building that would be much more economical down the road.”
Key Players
Owner: Town of North Haven
Construction Manager: Konover Construction
Architect-Landscape Architect-Structural Engineer: Kaestle Boos Associates
Mechanical-Electrical, Fire Protection Engineer: Diversified Technology
Geotechnical Engineer: GZA Geoenvironmental
Civil Engineer: Luchs Consulting Engineers
Transportation Engineer: Wilbur Smith Associates
Acoustical Consultant: Marshall/KMK Acoustics |
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