Sustainable Learning in the 21st Century

Lake Mills Elementary is the only K-12 project piloting the USGBC’s LEED v4 Beta Program. The cost of the project is $182 per sq. ft. and it received over $122,000 in “green” incentives.

September 8, 2014

Tara Ninmann

A mosaic mural leading up the stairs is one of the first design elements that grace the entrance to the Prospect Elementary school. The kids helped create the mural.

Elementary school children in Lake Mills, WI, are heading back to school this fall with a little more pep in their step. Kindergarten through fourth grade students will have a brand new school with a staff that is the first in the world to be 100% credentialed as Green Classroom Professionals. The school is also aiming for a Silver level of LEED certification as it pilots the new LEED for Schools v4 Beta program.

This isn’t the first sustainable school for the Lake Mills Area School District. In 2011, the Lake Mills Middle School became the first public K-12 school in the world to earn LEED Platinum certification, scoring 58 out of 80 possible points using the LEED for Schools v2007 green building rating system. As a result, the school district is seen by many as a leader in the U.S. in high performance and healthy school buildings.

This fall, the district opened the doors to its newest sustainable-focused school, Lake Mills Elementary. Unlike the middle school, which underwent extensive renovation and expansion, the elementary school is a brand new facility that replaces the original 1954 Prospect Elementary School, which has been deconstructed.

“Lake Mills is a small city with a strong sense of community, conservative values and appreciation for the environment that supports the diverse academic needs of students,” says Theresa Lehman, director of sustainability services, Miron Construction Co. Inc. The Neenah, WI-based construction firm provided pre-construction, construction services and LEED project administration of the 93,284-sq.-ft., two-story elementary school, designed in partnership with Eppstein Uhen Architects (EAU), Milwaukee, WI, to serve up to 600 students and 70 staff.

“When it came time to update the community’s overcrowded and aging elementary school, the demonstrated triple bottom-line success of the middle school was a natural lead-in to the community and district requesting the new elementary school be ‘green,’ as well,” says Lehman. “The project team was challenged by the school board with ‘Are you able to make this greener than the middle school?’ Through the design/build delivery process, the team was able to collaboratively integrate the much more stringent LEED v4 requirements and we were able to do it.

“The delivery process must be an integrative approach that engages all stakeholders and clearly identifies the project drivers and sustainable goals at the onset of the project,” she continues. “By thinking holistically about a building project from the very beginning, and making decisions that add value to the drivers and goals, a true, integrative approach will yield a multitude of benefits.”

A Common Goal

The Miron/EUA project team worked closely with the school district and community to develop project drivers for the $17 million school. These included academic excellence, school/community relationship, cost-effective/practical solutions, security and safety, sustainability and improved environment/aesthetics.

“We identified the initial capital cost and long-term operational costs of every project feature and determined if the idea/item/system/equipment added value to or supported the project drivers,” Lehman says. If it failed to add value or support project drivers, the feature wasn’t included in the scope of the project.

The project’s stated purpose was to facilitate 21st century learning and the mission of “providing an outstanding education and inspiring students to be responsible citizens with integrity.” “We always kept the purpose of the building at the forefront of planning, design and construction,” Lehman states. “All spaces within the school needed to functionally support the mission and purpose.”

LEED v4 Beta Program

The school project was chosen by the USGBC to pilot the LEED v4 Beta Program. LEED for Schools addresses design and construction activities for new school buildings and major renovations of existing structures. It recognizes the unique nature of K-12 school design and construction and addresses issues such as classroom acoustics, daylight and views, mold prevention and environmental site assessment not addressed under other LEED rating systems.

The school district’s objective wasn’t to seek a specific LEED certification award level. Rather, it was to integrate the sustainable goals established and participate as a pilot project in the LEED v4 Program, which significantly raises the bar from the 2009 version. Like v2009, LEED for Schools v4 is based on 110 points. However, it includes two new credit categories: Integrative Process and Location & Transportation.

“As one of only 122 projects piloting LEED v4 world wide, we have the opportunity to make changes to the requirements and/or create alternative compliance paths. We are given the opportunity to sit down with the USGBC and explain how we think the project is meeting the intent of the prerequisites/credits, but doesn’t necessarily comply with the requirements,” says Lehman.

For example, the Sustainable Sites Heat Island Effect Roof credit in previous LEED versions required buildings with low-sloped (flat) roofs to have a solar reflectance index of 78 or greater on 75% of the roof surface. “By participating in the LEED v4 Beta Program, we were able to explain to the USGBC that in Wisconsin, we heat nine months of the year and only cool three months of the year,” says Lehman. “The energy modeler was able to demonstrate that by changing the color of the roofing material to gray (in lieu of white), the elementary school consumed less energy. The USGBC accepted our strategy and, as a result, we no longer have to choose between energy savings or earning a point. It’s a win-win.”

The new school features a high-performance building envelope and energy efficient systems and equipment, including: a geothermal heating and cooling system; natural daylighting with daylight sensors; operable windows; low-flow plumbing fixtures; low-emitting building materials; an eco-screen for environmental education purposes displayed on all of the smartboards in the classrooms plus an interactive screen in the lobby; bioswale; restored native vegetation areas; vegetated roof; solar thermal hot water; and 10-kW photovoltaic system.

“Being a guinea pig isn’t always easy, especially when the industry lags behind,” says Lehman, referring to the new Material & Resource credits. “We definitely had our moments of frustration, and piloting the Beta Program was not exactly what I would call a walk in the park. But what did make the experience so positive is... the perfect storm of a client who understood the benefits that result from a sustainable school coupled with a passionate and enthusiastic project team and an energetic staff who really wanted to use the school to enhance their teaching and create a high-performance, healthy, 21st century learning environment. The team is honored to be a part of the USGBC’s LEED v4 Beta Program and we hope our contributions of practicality will benefit future LEED projects around the world.”

Lake Mills Middle School Renovation & Expansion

The Lake Mills Area School District upgraded the middle school located in the heart of the community. The project drivers included teacher interaction, unique learning spaces, improved accessibility, connection to the neighborhood, cost, replacement of outdated systems and integrated sustainability.

The design-build team’s goal was to create a home for students that is bright, naturally daylit, high performing and colorful. A 57,231-sq.-ft. addition was built and the existing 36,632 sq. ft. was renovated into a 93,863-sq.-ft. green school with final costs $700,000 below the approved budget. In March 2011, it became the first public K-12 school in the world to achieve LEED Platinum certification, earning 58 of 80 possible points.

The design strategy involved integrating sustainable features throughout the school that would become more than just building elements. The features are also educational tools, providing hands-on learning opportunities for teachers, students and the community. In addition, the design connects the teachers and students to nature, creating a positive atmosphere that promotes learning. Some of the features and benefits include:

The School will save nearly $85,000 annually due to reduced energy consumption as a result of the high-performance building envelope, natural day lighting, exterior sun shelves to avoid heat gain, daylight sensors, energy efficient lighting system, reduced need for hot water, and a high-performing HVAC system, which includes a geothermal heating and cooling system and an energy control system.
The indoor air quality of the school is of the highest quality, and has significantly contributed to enhancing the health of staff and students. Low-emitting materials such as adhesives, coatings, paints, flooring materials, ceiling tiles, and new classroom furniture are Greenguard Certified for Children and Schools, which also contributes to the enhanced indoor air quality of the School.
The Lake Mills Middle School conserves water through water-efficient landscaping and low-flow, sensored, plumbing fixtures, reducing municipal water consumption more than 42% compared to a conventionally designed school.
A large emphasis was placed on selecting materials (27%) that have a high recycle content. Wood products that were sustainably harvested and manufactured, carrying the FSC certification, were selected (nearly 68% of the wood for the facility is FSC certified).
Special consideration was given to materials that were harvested and manufactured within a 500-mile radius of Lake Mills. More than 63% of the materials were purchased regionally.
More than 77% of the construction waste (595 tons) was diverted from the landfill through recycling.
The renovation and addition to the Lake Mills Middle School is truly a successful example of a green school. It enhances learning opportunities, uses the site and building as living teaching tools, enhances the health and well-being of the staff and students.

About The Project Team

Miron Construction Co., Inc. was recently ranked as the largest Wisconsin-based contractor performing work in the Midwest by ENR Midwest. A forward-thinking, fast-growing private company completing work throughout the nation, Miron is listed among the top 100 general contractors in the United States by Engineering News Record (based on revenue figures for 2013). Miron provides innovative pre-construction, construction management, design-build, industrial and general construction services and is headquartered in Neenah, WI with regional offices in Madison, Wausau and Milwaukee, WI, Cedar Rapids, IA, Negaunee, MI and Virginia, MN. Miron is also the Official Provider of Construction Services for the Green Bay Packers and Lambeau Field. For more information, please visit www.miron-construction.com.

Eppstein Uhen Architects (EUA) is a 107-year old, full-service design firm best known for pairing inspired design with exceptional client service. More than 125 employees in Madison and Milwaukee, Wisconsin and Des Moines, Iowa are challenged to go beyond design by demonstrating unparalleled commitment to the markets they serve, the community and their clients. The award-winning firm specializes in several distinct markets: workplace, educational, retail/mixed-use, senior living, healthcare, residential, industrial, master planning and interior design. For additional information, please visit the company’s website at www.eua.com.

Sustainable Engineering Group LLC’s (SEG) mission is to improve building performance and occupant comfort while reducing resource consumption and environmental degradation. SEG has significant experience in commissioning LEED projects and provides sustainable design consultant services related to photovoltaic, geothermal heat-pumps, solar hot water heating, heat recover systems, under-floor air distribution systems and displacement ventilation. Additionally, we provide innovative solutions to energy conservation to a wide range of building types. For additional information, please visit: www.sustaineng.com.

Designing Around Nature

After spending time in the community, Megan Walker, Interior Designer with Eppstein Uhen Architects (EUA), discovered two natural and sustainable elements that were very important to those that lived there: Rock Lake and Aztalan State Park. The design of the new elementary school is based around those two elements: water and lush vegetation.

“The cafeteria represents the lake with its design, emphasized through finishes and textures,” says Walker. “The media center (library) has an open, bright feel, almost as if you were in nature. Daylighting via large windows on three sides of the space ties students to the outdoors.”

One of the largest aspects of the project is the use of natural lighting in nearly all of the classrooms. The building itself is positioned in a way that it will take advantage of sunlight as much as possible. And daylight sensors in every classroom help control energy costs.

Eric Dufek, Educational Planner at EUA, worked closely with Walker and the project team to ensure that the environment at the elementary school was as conducive to learning as possible.

“Learning in the 21st century is different than it was in 1960 when the original school was built,” says Dufek. The new school is divided into neighborhoods, each with a different color. The neighborhoods encompass an entire grade and include several classroom and common areas. Large French doors between classrooms allow teachers to open up the rooms to co-teach as necessary, and increased transparency between the rooms and common areas allows for easy supervision of students.

“We’ve spent a lot of time making sure the learning environment will work for students today, and well into the future,” he says.

Sustainable Elements in Lake Mills Elementary

Lake Mills Elementary implemented many sustainable elements to help the school minimize energy usage.

Closed-loop geothermal heating and cooling system
Daylighting -- it’s everywhere in the school
High-quality glass is used on the windows to keep glare and heat out of the building. The windows are also operable so teachers can open and close them
Flexibility: the twenty-first century teaching style of the layout of the classroom pods per grade and the abundance of glass, the ability to team teach w/ the sliding doors, the smartboards and the break-out areas
Low-VOC or zero-VOC paints, coatings, flooring, including the classroom furniture to reduced respiratory problems such as asthma and allergies)
Photovoltaic panels on the roof
Vegetated roof with a rain barrel to collect water to irrigate the vegetation on the roof
Solar thermal hot water system (on the roof)
Low-flow plumbing fixtures
Water coolers with bottle refill stations that count the number of plastic bottles of water that have been saved from the landfill
Many of the building materials have a high recycle content, such as the structural steel
Safety and security was dramatically improved. The office staff can now see who is coming into the building and have to buzz them in.
For safety and security, each classroom pod area can be individually locked down.
The library and under all of the stairwells there are “cubbies” and fun furniture for the children to play, read, socialize and relax. They are very unique spaces and furniture.