Buildings with good indoor environmental quality protect the health and comfort of occupants through design decisions to utilize environmental factors that positively influence the way people learn, work, and live. Blue Heron was designed with a high energy-efficient heating and cooling system that conserves resources and reduces the building’s environmental impact and features low-VOC emitting materials and finishes that do not release significant pollutants and chemicals.
Additionally, large windows throughout the school allow for maximum daylighting and an indoor/outdoor connection, ultimately promoting productivity and comfort of students and faculty. LED lighting is also used throughout, helping to reduce energy. Optimized controls, such as vacancy detection, provide further sustainability benefits and enhance the functionality of the school.
Encouraging alternatives to private automobile use to reduce greenhouse gas emissions, Blue Heron features a main entrance, with bike storage out front, that enhances safety and serves students who walk, bike, or arrive by car along with priority parking for green vehicles.
When building Blue Heron, a construction waste management program reduced waste sent to landfills by 76%. Further, the project promotes resource efficiency by using recycled and recyclable content for building materials.
