Holcim Awards Silver 2011 North America

Zero net energy school building, Los Angeles, CA, USA

Type of project:	Building and civil engineering works
Start of construction:	January 2012
Main author:	Gloria Lee, Swift Lee Office, Los Angeles, CA, USA
Further authors:	Nathan Swift, Swift Lee Office, Los Angeles, CA, USA, Peter Simmonds, IBE Consulting Engineers, Sherman Oaks, CA, USA, Steve Ratchye, Thornton Tomasetti Inc., San Francisco, CA, USA, and Tom Waldron, Butler Manufacturing Company, Santa Ana, CA, USA

Winners of the Holcim Awards Silver 2011 North America for “Zero net energy school building, Los Angeles, CA, USA” (l-r): Gloria Lee and Nathan Swift, Swift Lee Office, Los Angeles, USA

Project description
The public school project is designed as a prototype to be built on multiple campuses throughout Los Angeles. Its aim is an economical, flexible and yet, in its spatial concept, ambitious design that can be adjusted to different pedagogical models and learning styles. The two-level building can accommodate up to 500 students and may also be reconfigured for other communal functions. The sustainability concept intends to reach a net zero energy building standard and achieve LEED Platinum rating.

Moreover the authors believe in “the power of environment as our third teacher”. The construction comprises a “readymade kit-of-parts assembled from off-the-shelf components”, which, in alignment with the prototype character of the concept, can be composed site-specifically. They include modular panels to create a double façade for solar, acoustic, and environmental control to achieve a climate-responsive solution on each site. Additionally, other state-of-the-art features are applied successfully to reach a fully integrated technical system. The pre-fabricated structural system allows a column free interior, supplementing the desired flexibility. Secondly it helps to reduce the duration of construction, traffic, waste, and cost.

Comment of the Holcim Awards jury North America
The jury was impressed by the thoroughly developed and comprehensively presented design, which manages the integration of a coherent technical and structural concept, yet retains spatial and conceptual simplicity. The promising approach for sustainability considers the full life-cycle of the structures including dismantling, and integrates a pragmatic concept for the use of renewable energy sources.

The design approach has been successfully developed as an integrative and spirited aspect of the overall concept and achieves the desired spatial liberty, transparency between the inside and outside, and child-friendly atmosphere.

Image gallery
Zero net energy school building, Los Angeles, CA, United States
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