A New School
A former district school house and former district administration office, this 10,000 square foot facility had been seeing limited use for the past 10 years. Rising demand for early childhood space, along with the desire to centralize the district’s early childhood students, triggered the need for this suburban Chicago facility.
This 14,000 square foot addition and 10,000 square foot renovation contains nine early childhood classrooms divided into three learning communities referred to as “villages”. Each village incorporates access to a gross motor/multi-purpose room, a therapy room, and a sensory room. Each pair of classrooms will share a bathroom, as well as a special nook for use by the speech pathologist as “push-in” space. This will minimize the time needed to move students around the school, the pull-out method, maximizing learning time.
The learning process is not confined to the classroom in this new facility. Interactive hallways were designed for the students by creating tiered seating where teachers can gather two or three classes together for group learning. Displays, including projection surfaces, were dispersed along the corridor walls to allow for play and learning even while children are navigating throughout the space. Smart Board Technology Playstations were incorporated into each classroom in order to cater to the high use of technology in the school district’s curriculum.
In order to provide the district with maximum control of the project from start to finish, the architect also performed the construction management duties. This was unique in that it helped expedite the construction process, provide the owner one direct contact, and enable quick resolutions to design and construction related questions. The construction manager was available every day to provide extensive on-site observation and quick response time to any issues that were raised.
Geothermal Mechanical System Benefits
- Operations and maintenance costs are lower than any other commercial HVAC system
- Most efficient system available for heating and cooling a building
- Each heat pump unit is very close to, or within, the rooms it serves, eliminating long duct runs associated with other HVAC systems.
- Water source heat pumps are easy to service and do not require special training.
- System does not require large mechanical rooms for air handling equipment.
Permeable Paver Benefits
- Reduces runoff volume and rates.
- Recharges groundwater to sustain stream base flows during drought periods.
- Filters sediments and associated pollutants from runoff.
- Removes hydrocarbons through microbiological activity.
- Reduces detention needs.
