Outstanding energy performance in a modular building

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    Project update May 2014 – Energy neutral portable classroom, Honolulu, HI, USA

    The design optimizes photovoltaic roof surface orientation, naturally shaded north-facing daylight glazing, and modulated natural ventilation. All of these forces are balanced with the additional criteria of manufacturing and transport efficiency, functionality for classroom use, low operating costs and ease of maintenance.

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    Through its potential for transferability, even to remote locations, the project delivers a strong contribution to modular public building construction.

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    The design focuses on performance issues directly impacting the learning experience of its occupants and the environmental quality of its community - thermal comfort, natural daylighting, indoor air quality, energy and resource conservation and generation.

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    The classroom maximally conserves as well as collects and generates natural resources, including electrical energy, daylight, wind energy, and rainwater. As well as being strong, efficient and conserving, natural forces and resources are highlighted and exposed throughout the structure, and all systems and performance criteria are monitored and broadcast to the web. The building acts as a learning tool for occupants, other schools and the general public.

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    Project update May 2014 – Energy neutral portable classroom, Honolulu, HI, USA

    With its spatial and functional qualities it directly supports education in the classrooms, and enhances the awareness for the systems by their direct visibility as well as the monitoring and Internet-publishing of performance.

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    Long-term re-useability and re-locateability makes optimum long-term use of the investment.

The Energy neutral portable classroom by Anderson Anderson Architecture received an Acknowledgement prize in 2011, and won the Green Building Category in March 2014. The portable classroom is designed to provide an optimized educational environment for students and teachers while advancing sustainable design principles.

Last updated: May 27, 2014 Honolulu, USA

The Energy neutral portable classroom won the Green Building Category at the “World of Modular” conference held in San Antonio, TX, USA in March 2014. The portable classroom is designed to provide an optimized educational environment for students and teachers while advancing sustainable design principles.The award was presented at the annual conference of the Modular Building Institute, and was shared by Anderson Anderson Architecture along with project affiliates, Blazer Industries and Hawaii Modular Space.

The selection criteria for the category included thermal comfort, indoor air quality, daylighting, acoustics, energy efficiency, architectural excellence, and economic practicality. Thermal comfort analysis indicates the classroom will be comfortable in most high-heat climates without air conditioning, although an efficient mechanical air conditioning system is also available as an option for school sites where air quality or noise conditions preclude natural ventilation. North-facing clerestory windows provide even daylight throughout the space. The angle and spacing of the clerestories is optimized for maximum solar exposure of the photovoltaic (PV) panels on the roof and also serves as a primary ventilation device. To optimize daylight levels, the windows are shaded from direct sun with exterior aluminum sunshades.

The building is prefabricated in three easily transportable modules, reducing initial cost and energy, and facilitating efficient relocation and reuse in the future, minimizing waste. A steel frame and steel/rigid foam sandwich panel floor and roof system minimize material use, maximize insulation and heat reflection, and deter pests and mold in the cavity-free structure. The design optimizes photovoltaic roof surface orientation, naturally shaded north-facing daylight glazing and modulated natural ventilation. These forces are balanced with the additional criteria of manufacturing and transport efficiency, functionality for classroom use, low operating costs and ease of maintenance.

A11NAacUShi-prof14a-06.jpgBuilding completed in early 2013

The building was completed on site in early 2013. It was extensively analyzed and modeled by the architects and by industry and university building scientists to optimize all systems for minimal energy use, maximum energy and resource capture, and ideal interior comfort and performance as a learning environment. Building has roof-mounted PV panels. These panels produce 13,727 kWh/year (180% to 400% of the building’s use) and surplus power is fed back into the adjacent school buildings to offset their energy use. Standard portables in Hawaii consume substantially greater energy use per square meter than conventional classrooms in the state - so spending a significantly lower proportion of the budget on power makes funds available for other school programs.

Although these modular classrooms have water available via the municipal supply, the architects have planned for future structures to have water autonomy. The building system is designed to capture all roof water. This prototype at Ewa Beach has no interior plumbing fixtures, so the water is used only for demonstration purposes of the potential for water collection, and for local landscaping. But the system design contains numerous options for water conservation and catchment for future applications.