In 2000, RB+B Architects, of Fort Collins, Colo., won a design competition for a prototype elementary school for the state’s Poudre School District (PSD). The school was to be designed and built to the newly introduced “Sustainable Design Guidelines” that the district had drafted in the late 1990s. The result of the design effort became Zach Elementary School, which opened in 2002.

Seven years and three prototypes later, PSD, through prudent management of its 2000 bond funds, leveraged its resulting funds to build a fourth iteration of this prototype. In fall 2008, Bethke Elementary School opened as the first school in the nation to achieve a Green Globes rating and Gold certification through the LEED for Schools program.

Every classroom has operable windows to increase occupant-controlled comfort, and day-lit spaces. Photo by Paul Brokering Photography, courtesy of RB+B.

Evolution of a Prototype

The original prototype was designed to be environmentally responsible, but the building’s high-performance results increased with each elementary school that was built. After the design and construction of the second and third schools (Bacon Elementary and Rice Elementary), RB+B Architects was challenged to see if the fourth prototype could be even greener. While the school district and design team knew they were green, they didn’t know what shade of green. Measuring Bethke Elementary against industry benchmarks would help them understand how sustainable the schools really were in regard to other K-12 leaders.

The design team was challenged to improve the prototype’s design to meet the demands of the new LEED for Schools criteria. However, the school district was not interested in “buying” LEED credits and left it up to the design team to articulate and adjust the building in such a way as to seek out the highest sustainable performance possible without purchasing supplemental technologies or equipment to achieve operational credits.

The new prototype was designed for high performance from the get-go. Set on a true east-west orientation, all classrooms face true north or true south and are housed in a two-story portion of the building, which reduces the building envelope size and roof area. An already efficient building envelope was further improved by using a spray-applied polyurethane/soy-based insulation. This insulation technique—in conjunction with high-efficiency condensing boilers, air handlers with heat-wheels, and evaporative cooling—decreased the building’s energy requirements even further than the previous schools. It wasn’t an easy feat considering Zach Elementary (the first design) operates at the same annual cost as one of the district’s existing smaller, non-air-conditioned elementary schools.

The school was also structured — and conduits installed — so the entire gymnasium and cafeteria roof are ready to accept photovoltaic solar panels.

Enlarge this picture Floor Plan courtesy of RB+B.

Site Accommodations

Careful site design was the first step in achieving a high-performance building. In addition to the building’s orientation, Bethke was planned with designated parking for alternatively fueled vehicles, low-water and no-water plant materials, and it called for the use of “raw” water for irrigation rather than treated water.

In addition, the high albedo pavings were kept as far from the building as possible to minimize the heat-island effect and keep pavements from reflecting heat onto the building shell.

Interior Detail

Inside, all finishes, including adhesives, were required to contain low or no volatile organic compounds (VOCs). There is also no vinyl composition tile in the building; instead, linoleum is used in spaces such as the cafeteria/flex room, the art room and small toilet rooms.

All plumbing fixtures are low-flow fixtures. Every classroom has operable windows, which increase occupant-controlled comfort, and day-lit spaces, which keep artificial lights off as much as possible. Upper classrooms, hallways, work rooms and kindergartens are equipped with Solatubes and sloped ceilings to drive the daylight deep into the school, which lets in more natural light and reduces energy costs by decreasing the use of electrical lighting.

Enlarge this picture This chart illustrates the energy use of the PSD schools, with Bethke highlighted, compared to the average Colorado school.

A Building that Teaches

Kids spend more than 20 percent of their time in school. Why not use the facility itself to teach them about the built environment and its effect on the natural environment?

Bethke Elementary School does just this by utilizing exposed building systems. For instance, the fire suppression system is located in the lobby and is painted fire-engine red, and the building features a “truth wall” where students can peer into a typical stud wall to see the structure, insulation, piping, conduits and wiring. HVAC units are also visible through the windows in the stairwells, while ductwork is exposed and all hydronic piping is colored and labeled.

Furthermore, the building’s automation system appears on a viewing monitor in the main corridor and can be pulled up on any PC in the building.

Everyone who enters Bethke, students and parents alike, can take the environmental knowledge they learn from the building and apply it at home, at work and in their community.

Seeking Certification

In conjunction with the Institute for the Built Environment at Colorado State University (www.ibe.colostate.edu), the project sought recognition from both the Green Building Initiative (GBI) and the U.S. Green Building Council (USGBC).

The design team was drawn to the GBI’s Green Globes program (www.thegbi.org), which was adapted from a system that is widely used in Canada and is a revolutionary green building guidance and assessment program. The system has been officially recognized by legislation or executive order in 18 states as well as by the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services and the Department of the Interior.

Since Bethke was the first elementary school to be submitted for Green Globes certification, the GBI worked closely with RB+B Architects throughout the submittal process in the spring of 2008, and after review and a visit from the GBI’s assessor, Bethke was awarded three out of four Green Globes.

Bethke Elementary School was also registered and submitted in its early stages for the LEED for Schools certification. Not only was Bethke Elementary the first school to be registered in this category, but it was also awarded certification at the Gold level upon completion — becoming the first in the nation to achieve this standing.

“The goal of any high-performance building is to combine the innovation of environmental design with functionality,” said Ward Hubbell, president of the GBI. “Bethke Elementary School not only achieved this balance but also provides a unique opportunity to teach students, faculty members and community members about the important principles of sustainable design and construction.”

Sidebar: Bethke Elementary School