SOLAR TODAY - September/October 2009

unity
Aspen Middle School
Highlights
Aspen, Colo.

community expected the new school to be at least LEED certi;able. ;e district turned to my ;rm, Hu;on Architecture Studio, to lead the e;ort, capitalizing on 30 years of experience and insight designing sustainable schools throughout Colorado.

In collaboration with Aspen-based Studio B Architects, Hu;on Architecture Studio led an analysis of existing buildings, utility costs, site, tra;c, topography and potential construction phasing on an already crowded campus. ;e result was programming and design that re;ected the community’s core values: academic excellence, appreciation for the arts, outdoor education and environmentalism. Later that year, the voters of Aspen approved a $33 million bond issue for major improvements at the district’s K– 12 campus. ;e largest portion was dedicated to the design and construction of a replacement middle school for grades 5–8. Voter approval was largely based on a commitment from the district and the design team to reduce energy costs by half from the old structure and to implement as many sustainable strategies as the budget would allow.

Aspen Middle School is the ;rst school in Colorado to receive LEED-NC (LEED for New Construction) Gold certi;cation. Designers achieved this through sustainable strategies including daylighting, high-performance glazing, transpired solar wall and sophisticated lighting controls.

● LEED-NC Gold certified

● 111,000-square-foot ( 10,300-square- meter) middle school for grades 5–8

● $24.5 million budget, including a $250,000 grant from the Community Office for Resource Efficiency

● Sustainable features include daylighting, transpired solar wall, lighting controls, waterless urinals and dual-flush toilets

● Infrastructure in place for 45-kilowatt
photovoltaic system to be installed

● Designed to offset 1 million pounds (450 metric tons) of greenhouse gases annually compared to a new code-compliant building of similar size

● After one year, utility bills less than half that of the former building.

● First-year performance data at solar today.org/hutton

● Project team includes Hutton Architec-
ture Studio and Studio B Architects

● Design and construction conducted 2005–2008

Daylighting, E;ciency
Slash Energy Demand

In an e;ort to receive the highest LEED rating possible, the architectural team approached

emissions from tra;c and buildings in Aspen.

So, when the Aspen School District sought assistance for planning its bond election that same year, it was clear that designing buildings to meet those new goals was imperative. In particular, this environmentally aware

Copyright © 2009 by the American Solar Energy Society Inc. All rights reserved. Aspen Middle School’s sustainable features contribute to achievement of elusive LEED points for daylight in 75 percent of spaces. They result in stunning views from 90 percent of the building’s spaces.