Beyond Glass—Transforming Learning Environments

defined with floor-to-ceiling glass walls with uninterrupted sightlines.

To achieve the benefits of daylighting while maintaining energy-efficiency goals, high-performance glass with advanced coating technology was used, which included Energy Select 28 on the number 2 surface. According to Rob Winstead, AIA, LEED AP BD+C, NCARB, principal at Stantec Architecture, “Glazing was a critical component of a high-performance building envelope. Glazing properties including U-value, SHGC, and VLT were carefully considered during the design, specification, and submittal process. External shading devices are tuned to the specific solar orientation. Interior light-shelves and advanced lighting controls maximize available daylight. A green light indicator communicates when temperature and humidity are such that operable units allow natural ventilation of all primary instructional spaces. These strategies contribute to a building that is designed to use 70% less energy than a typical school in the region.”

Winstead noted the value of daylight in educational spaces. “Research has demonstrated that daylight and views directly affect learning outcomes and improve health and wellness. Dramatic views of the site are a major part of the experience of the building, connecting students to nature and inviting them to make use of a variety of landscaped ADVERTISE your products, services, training programs, and career opportunities in Commercial Architecture’s Showcase section. GET RESULTS Put your message in front of qualifi ed decision makers in the commercial-construction marketplace with Commercial Architecture’s Showcase advertising.

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R.W. Kern Center Specifics

The R.W. Kern Center at Hampshire College in Amherst, MA, was designed with the goal of certification under the Living Building Challenge. Installation configured as specified resulted in the following performance characteristics for the facility:

Winter U-factor/U-value: 0.13 Visible light transmittance: 61% Summer U-factor/U-value: 0.13 UV–transmittance: 10% Solar heat gain coefficient: 0.34 Solar energy–transmittance: 28% Shading coefficient: 0.39 Visible reflectance out: 14% Relative heat gain (Btu/hr.-ft. 2 ): 80 Visible reflectance in: 16% Light to solar gain: 1.78 Reflectance solar energy out: 32%. outdoor spaces designed specifically for learning,” he said.

Winstead continued, “Glass was incorporated into the design of FCMS to harvest daylight, celebrate views of the surrounding landscape, and create connections in the learning environment. Windows are located and sized to harvest daylight for 100% of the instructional spaces that make up the Small Learning Communities. Large areas of glass bring light and views into the Learning Commons, a grand central space that is the heart of the school.”

With informed glass selection, designers

were able to deliver a desirable neutral glass

aesthetic to complement the stone and brick exterior of the school. Winstead described the integration of glass and natural materials. “As a design element, the glazing at FCMS was intended to ‘disappear’—a transparent thermal membrane spanning between masonry elements of stone and brick and the hovering wood ceiling floating above major public spaces. In this way, the beauty of the site is integral to the experience of the building and becomes a natural extension of the learning environment. The blue-green tint and the precise, cool, and reflective properties of the glazing systems are an effective counterpoint to the warm and rough qualities of the masonry and wood. Daylight and the ever-changing qualities of the site animate the interior space and the building glows like a lantern at night—a beacon in an underserved part of the community.”

A successful combination of beauty and energy efficiency, Frederick County Middle School has been designated a Platinum Level Green School by the Virginia School Boards

Association, the highest level of achievement in the Green School Challenge.

GLASS AS DESIGN INSPIRATION As schools age out of usefulness and are renovated or replaced with new facilities, architects and designers are in a position to create high-performance schools that enhance student performance while delivering energy efficiencies. The understanding that students perform better when surrounded by natural light is tied to designs with extensive glass features that employ principals of daylighting. Glass manufacturers who invest in new technologies and continue to develop greater energy efficiencies make choosing the right products easier as well as inspirational to design professionals. CA

Information for this article provided by AGC Glass North America Inc., Alpharetta, GA, us.agc.com.

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Information on AGC Glass—commercialarchitecturemagazine.com/1703agcglass01

View specifications and BIM objects—commercialarchitecturemagazine.com/1703agcglass02

Get the AIA CEU mobile app for energy-code compliance and glass selection—

commercialarchitecturemagazine.com/1703agcglass03

Watch a video on Living Buildings—commercialarchitecturemagazine.com/1703agcglass04

Visit "The Architects" page from this magazine’s Nov. 2016 issue on the Sandy Hook Elementary School—commercialarchitecturemagazine.com/1703agcglass05

Storefront systems

YES 60 line:

Storefront solutions Accommodates taller, wider openings 6-in. solutions

The YES 60 line of storefront products includes the FI, TU, and XT models, providing 6-in. solutions for market demands. The line accommodates taller and wider storefront openings. The FI product is 10% structurally stronger than the TU and XT systems, allowing greater vertical and horizontal spans. It accepts 1/4-in. to 1-in. low-e insulating glass. The large-span TU product uses ThermaBond Plus technology to improve adhesion of the break material to the extruded aluminum and accepts 1-in. insulating glass. Part of the enerGfacade line, the XT product provides excellent thermal performance, including a U-factor of 0.38 using dual thermal barriers. All products have no blind seals and a tall back leg for enhanced water resistance.

YKK AP America, Austell, GA Circle 58 ykkap.com

Sliding windows Sliding windows with larger expansive openings are part of the VistaLuxe collection. Available in Ultra series and VistaLuxe complementary versions, the window has a slim, extruded aluminum exterior, a refined wood interior, and a tilt-in sash on some models to simplify cleaning. Matching sightlines, unimposing locks, flush sills, and a concealed weep system add to a seamless appearance.

Kolbe Windows & Doors, Wausau, WI Circle 59 kolbe-kolbe.com

Sliding-door hardware system Ragnar sliding-door hardware system is available in brushed stainless-steel and black stainless-steel finishes with a custom-extruded track and track cover with no visible fasteners. The track is said to appear to float along a wall. System trolleys use the company’s oversized bearing as wheels for an iconic aesthetic. From doors made of solid wood to oversized frameless glass, the system works with panels weighing as much as 400 lb. without compromising ADA-compliant movement.

Krownlab, Portland, OR Circle 60 krownlab.com

Intelligent door alarm The iLDA is a Bluetooth-enabled door alarm that mounts into a standard two-gang electrical box, powered form 10 to 32 VDC. A LCD indicates door conditions such as secured, alarm, and held open, and uses an iButton digital key. A database allows validating/invalidating more than 50 digital key users.

DeltrexUSA, Bronx, NY Circle 61 deltrexusa.com

The Oklahoma City (OKC) Boathouse District comprises six buildings offering athletic training facilities, event spaces, and activities for children and adults.

Consistent Heating And Cooling Down By The River

VRF equipment from Mitsubishi Electric serves a variety of needs at the Oklahoma City Boathouse District.

In the early 2000s, the Oklahoma River was dammed up as part of the MAPS1 community-improvement initiative. The project not only accomplished its goal, but set the stage for a vibrant riverside fi lled with attractions and stunning architecture. The Oklahoma City (OKC) Boathouse District is central to that vibrancy, with six buildings offering athletic training facilities, event spaces, and activities for children and adults.

With such a wide range of cooling and heating needs across its six buildings, it’s no surprise that the five newest

Boathouse District buildings use variable-refrigerant-flow (VRF) systems designed by Mitsubishi Electric Cooling & Heating (Mitsubishi Electric), Suwanee, GA.

John Riggs, senior director of operations, OKC Boathouse Foundation, assists with all construction projects on campus and oversees the maintenance of the facilities and grounds.

He described the Devon Boathouse, the first building completed with Mitsubishi Electric VRF, as a “stunning, high-performance facility and a designated U.S. Olympic and Paralympic training site. There’s a little bit of everything across its 33,000 sq. ft.: a dynamic rowing tank; a gym with a free-weight area, kayak ergometers, and treadmills; locker rooms; an event room that holds 200 people seated; an endless pool; a high-altitude chamber; and multiple boat bays.”

MULTIPLE SPACES A facility with so many spaces, and with each space dedicated to occupant experience, required an HVAC system with advanced controls. “This is about access—the ability to remote in and change things on the fl y. A high level of access and control means you can manage energy costs and customer comfort. VRF offers that kind of access,” explained Riggs.

VRF was also extremely flexible and discreet in its de

sign. The Devon Boathouse features glass and polycarbonate walls to create an open feel. To match that aesthetic, the HVAC system’s indoor and outdoor units needed to be unobtrusive.

Riggs said, “We couldn’t have anything on the roof—that’s just how it is on the whole campus. Nothing on the roofs. Everything must be straight lines. And all of the buildings on campus are triangles, so they have this crisp, clean look. We needed a system that could match that.”

Damon McClure serves as the project manager for the Boathouse District’s mechanical contractor, Harrison-Orr Air Conditioning LLC, Oklahoma City. “Most of the HVAC selection at Devon was definitely about achieving a discreet look. Trying to hide everything with a four-pipe system with a boiler, for example, would have been very hard. At the same time, energy efficiency was important. There are event rooms that need to be heated, and also training rooms that need to be kept at 66 F all the time, receiving cooling even in the winter. Devon needed a system that would make economical use of consumed energy. Heat pumps with heat recovery offered the ability to zone properly, given the diversity of the space.”

With VRF identified as the preferred technology, the team then decided on Mitsubishi Electric for “the support. They’re always doing upgrades. They won’t leave you behind,” said Riggs.

Riggs said the installation process was “pretty quick. The condenser units go in good and clean, and the flexibility of the indoor units has let us do some unique things, like taking out soffits and putting units in there.” McClure has also been impressed with the manufacturer’s training offerings: “We sent several of our guys to a training class in Texas a few months before doing the Devon Boathouse. The hands-on training is invaluable when working with VRF.” For Riggs, as an end-user, no specific training was needed: “The system was simple to learn, in terms of using the controls. And the controls have been effective.”

POSITIVE EXPERIENCE After such a positive experience, the campus continued using VRF on other projects. The next was the Chesapeake Finish Line Tower, or what McClure described as “a cantilevered building—unique in terms of look and structure. It’s shaped like a triangle with five floors and a basement, and each floor is cantilevered off of the main structure. It has castellated beams, so we worked with the engineer to find a path for the ductwork through the beams’ holes. We also concealed the indoor units above the ceiling.”

The tower’s outdoor units also required a creative solution since “the architect didn’t want the outdoor units to be visible. So we put them in the basement. They pull in natural outside air ventilation. In the winter they reject heat into the basement, and in the summer they reject heat outside, all to keep the equipment running at peak efficiency,” said McClure.

The CHK|Central Boathouse was designed and built next. It features a performing-arts venue, art gallery, and workout center. Like the Devon Boathouse, the CHK|Central Boathouse created the HVAC challenge of having a big variety of heating loads and unique spaces. McClure said, “A range like that can only be done with this kind of system. So we did four VRF systems for this boathouse. One is a straight heat pump—so, no heat recovery. That’s for the performing-arts venue. The load in that space varies a lot, so we needed a system that could ramp up when there were lots of people there, and then

ramp down when there was no performance going on. That space also had to be acoustically sound.”

After the second boathouse, the project team began yet another project: the SandRidge Youth Pavilion. The pavilion is a smaller area, coming in at 2,000 sq. ft., and serves as a space for concessions, retail, and sports activities. To match the Boathouse District’s general look, the pavilion is a triangular building. Tom Berkeley is the project manager at Lingo Construction Services, Oklahoma City, the general contractor for several of the campus projects. He said, “With SandRidge, we wanted to maintain the design integrity—the highlevel, contemporary look—by hiding the HVAC. We didn’t want to see ductwork, and wanted the ceilings to be as tall as they could be.”

He continued, “Our other big HVAC concern, of course, was the people load. You’ll get 10,000 people in the area on a busy weekend, and many will go through the building. It could be 100 F outside with people coming in and out of the building, so keeping people comfortable was a big concern.” Comfort has not been an issue, though. Berkeley said, “We haven’t had any problems. Everything is good; the system is doing exactly what we wanted it to do.”

The most recent project, Riversport Rapids, matches the other buildings in architectural beauty and HVAC challenge. McClure said, “This building is a lot bigger than the others. It has a large restaurant, a pro shop, a locker room, a big kitchen, and a large seating area… and then cubicles, offices, IT closets, and warehousing. So it’s not just a large building, it has all sorts of spaces.” The project team installed four VRF systems, placing the outdoor units “behind a mechanical screen where you can’t see them.” As with the other projects, it could have been difficult to find an HVAC solution that looks and sounds discreet and that ensures comfort across a variety of spaces and loads. With Mitsubishi Electric’s assistance, this was not a prob

With a wide range of cooling and heating needs, the five newest Boathouse District buildings use variable refrigerant flow (VRF) from Mitsubishi Electric Cooling & Heating, Suwanee, GA.