Tiffin, IA
The needs of this generation of Iowa high schools led the design concept for the new Clear Creek Amana High School. The $15.6 million facility will serve 600 students in grades 9 through 12 in the new 116,500-square-foot facility. The arrangement of the building and its location on the site employ a unique concept designed to enable the expansion of the school from an initial 600-student capacity to one housing 1,200 students. Utilizing a core of support facilities sized to accommodate the future and an infrastructure network, "wings" are planned to grow outward from the core in an organized and flexible manner.
The principles of the LEED guidelines of the US Green Building Council are inherent in many aspects of the facility. Stringent economic evaluation helped the District select the most cost effective materials and systems and allowed the facility to qualify for substantial energy rebates. A horizontal bore closed loop geothermal system with 475 tons of cooling capacity will provide heating, ventilating and cooling for the new school. Other sustainable design features included desiccant heat recovery, variable speed pumping, direct digital controls, automatic flush and lavatory faucets, motion sensors for lighting, multi-level lighting in occupied spaces, fluorescent lighting in gymnasiums to allow for multi-level lighting and increase efficiency, daylighting and views in all occupied spaces, consideration of materials and products, utilized bioswales in parking lots and bioswales plants to help purify runoff before releasing into the natural water ways.
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tags: classroom, geothermal system, gym, recreation building, high school, laboratory, sustainable design