Featured Project

Poquoson Elementary School

LEED Certified (Gold, USGBC approval pending)
2007 GoGreen Design Merit Award - James River Green Building Council
2007 Recognized Value Award - Design Share
2007 Design Concept Award, Council for Educational Facility Planners International

The new Poquoson Elementary School, to be completed in 2008, captures the essence of the water that is integral to community life. The site is boundedby wetlands. Rainwater is directed to rain gardens that provide filtering upstream of constructed swales. The space conditioning systems utilize water circulated through the ground. Daylighting fills the corridors, library-media center, classrooms and breakout areas.

  • 84,000 sq ftPoquoson Elementary School
  • 675 students, Grades 3-5
  • 144 vertical geothermal wells serve as the central plant for space conditioning
  • Dedicated outdoor air systems with integral energy recovery
  • Daylight harvesting controls for interior lighting
  • 51% less energy use than comparable building of standard construction based on hour-by-hour computer simulations
  • Waterless urinals
  • Building automation system interface with a large, flat-screen display in the atrium describing energy use and building efficiency strategies
  • Grade levels separated into separate “houses”; each with breakout area, meeting spaces, restrooms and outdoor courtyard
  • V-shaped “butterfly” gym roof reminiscent of a boat structure, incorporating a giant working sundial
  • Clerestory windows with overhangs tuned to minimize heat gain and benefit natural daylight