Sustainable Learning Center, Rosemount MN Submitting Team: H . S . W e l l Zach Small Jake Wievel Stefan Golos Parker Jones
Design Development > Dakota County Technical College (DCTC) Relevant Programs: - Landscape Horticulture
- Architectural Technology - Concrete and Masonry
- Welding Technology - Wood Finishing Technology - Interior Design - Energy Technical Specialist - Wind Turbine Technology - Solar (PV) Technology
Other Opportunities: - Landscape Horticulture Club - USGBC Student Chapter - Design Connexion (DC)
- Wildflower Prairie Restoration Area - Landscape Horticulture Blog - Architectural Technology Blog
- Landscape Design - Landscape Construction - Greenhouse Production
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Design Concept: “Full Systems Education� Sustainable designs do not exist in a vacuum. The building, its mechanical systems, the natural processes of the surrounding landscape, and the sprawling grid of utilities and roadways that supply power and people must all work harmoniously. For the Sustainable Learning Center, we focused on creating Full Systems -- processes that either mirror those found in nature, or which function fully without external energy inputs. The result is an education strategy wherein students can learn that by taking a comprehensive approach to sustainability, they can make a truly lasting impact.
Current Site Uses: - Decks, patio and pergola setups - Workspace for the Landscape Construction program - Greenhouse / raw material storage - Unpaved vehicle access to the railway and driving course area - Vegetable gardening, mid size plot - Storage for construction materials and a giant mound of soil.
FOYER
Floor Plans >
STORAGE & ELEVATOR
Keeping the floorplan flexible was a key goal during the design process. Three smaller conceptual spaces make up a flowing and open lower level, while a garage door on the east wall allows accessible equipment transport in and out. Walls and plumbing fixtures are consistent between floors, reducing piping and structural costs. On the upper level, the angled entry opens into a legible and enticing view of the building. Desks in the classroom space can be rearranged for different class or group sizes, while the small group / lounge space offers a more casual creative setting. Taken together, these features allow the building to accommodate a variety of uses and group sizes.
FOOTPRINT: 2726 SF TOTAL: 4470 SF
OFFICE
CLASSROOM
ENTRY & RECEPTION
OPEN TO BELOW
// Information We chose to design the Sustainable Learning Center as a two-story structure, offering ample southern exposure, a central atrium, and integrated utility systems. Windows are minimal on the N,W, and E sides, which would be built into the earth for insulation. The open southern face would provide passive solar heating and light, while deep awnings block the high summer sun. A two-story atrium provides the flexibility to work on large projects, strong views into nature, passive air circulation, and a memorable aesthetic and sense of place.
RESTROOMS
Upper Level >
SMALL GROUP/ LOUNGE SPACE
JANITOR
RESTROOMS
MECHANICAL
STORAGE
Lower Level >
COMPUTER WORKSTATIONS
GARAGE ENTRY GREEN ROOM
SCALE: 3/16” = 1’-0”
OPEN GROUP WORKSPACE
foyer
double doors discourage air exchange between outdoors.
restrooms
ADA accessible with fixtures sharing common walls to minimize piping.
classroom office
window to nature keeps cramped office workers from going mad.
moveable chairs promote small group formation and breakout learning sessions, east and south facing windows allow natural lighting and increased student wellbeing.
GreenScreen
greets visitors with an lcd-display of current and long-term building statistics and events, such as energy production and consumption, water recycling, and offset costs from on-site energy generation.
atrium
high ceiling offers students and teachers the freedom to engage in physically large projects, such as residential wind turbines or green vehicles.
Upper Level >
Design Features
SCALE: 1/8” = 1’-0”
fans small group / lounge space
provides the building with a naturally lit casual gathering place; moveable furniture allows reconfiguration of the room for exhibition or gallery space.
minimize heating / cooling systems energy usage by circulating air, pulling hot air up and out through the tilt-open windows during the summer, and pushing warm air back down in the winter.
heat exchanger
hot water for the building can be provided with minimal inputs, via heat exchange from glycol superheated by the solar concentrator on the west side of the building.
restrooms
Lower Level >
sinks and toilets will be fed by clean water from the Living Machine, with the resulting grey/blackwater recycling back into the on-site filtration loop.
high efficiency HVAC
for the times when passive climate controls just can’t do it alone.
storage
basic framed shelving units maximize space, while an open floor plan allows for a variety of storage options.
Design Features
SCALE: 1/8” = 1’-0”
computer workstations
an essential component of any laboratory or studio environment, computers improve the flexibility and potential uses of the building.
Living Machine
an essential component of any full systems approach, the Living Machine takes in grey/blackwater, and uses a multi-stage filtration technique to separate solids, uptake nutrients, and produce clean (but still non-potable) water to be used in toilet flushing, irrigation, janitorial activities, etc. Eliminates the need for a connection to municipal sewerage.
open group workspace
this area will serve as the facility’s core learning space; recycled butcher block tables can be reconfigured to accommodate a wide variety of classroom functions, or rolled into storage during events.
the Green Room
creates a sub-space within the lower level where biologically based projects and experiments can be carried out; the adjacent cistern provides water, while strip drains on either side of the room prevent leaking into the rest of the facility.
heat recovery ventilator vermicompost bins
both an effective and fun way to dispose of food scraps, these bins employ red wiggler worms to decompose organic waste and produce rich compost without smelling unpleasant.
aquaponic beds
by using fish to aid in nutrient cycling, and plants to purify water sourced directly from the adjacent cistern outside, this growing technique exemplifies the full systems approach implemented throughout the Sustainable Learning Center facility.
provides an exchange of fresh air while minimizing losses in thermal energy; made necessary by the nearly-airtight building envelope, additional units would be added if funding is available.
Site Plan > ADA & staff parking ADA access to lower level western evergreen windbreak solar concentrator
concentrates solar thermal energy to efficiently heat water, to be constructed by DCTC Welding Technology students
cistern
collect rainwater to directly feed indoor hydroponic plantings
breakout learning spaces amphitheater
integration of outdoor learning space with other sustainable site elements provides a more engaging educational experience for visiting students
re-use existing pergola multi-stage composting system
compost all food scraps and non-hazardous biological material on site, allow space for potential implementation of a larger scale DCTC cafeteria composting pilot program
re-locate vegetable plots
SITE BOUNDARY
re-locate greenhouse material stalls maintain existing vegetative buffer ADA accessible route to lower level stormwater experiential learning path “the treatment train�
visible education of stormwater management practices
catch basins / filtration / cisterns
remove suspended sediment from stormwater, retain water in cisterns and expel excess into marsh area
photovoltaic panels
provide direct energy input to power building functions
deciduous shade trees
prevent sun from heating atrium in summer, allow passive solar heating throughout winter
treatment marsh
location on low point of site allows 100% stormwater retention, phytoremediator species improve water quality
deck and hedge plot construction zone
maintain previous site usage as educational opportunity for Landscape Construction program
re-align existing service drive landscape construction storage
maintains existing site function of vegetable production, offers hands-on food production education for visitors
// Information Following the design concept of Full Systems Education, we designed a site that strongly integrates the building into the landscape, maintains the existing site uses, and mimics or recreates natural ecological processes. Our design would maximize stormwater treatment, ecological restoration, and flexibility in usage. This would offer a powerful environmental education component for visiting students -- being surrounded by a beautiful productive landscape aids in learning and attention, while also showcasing the evironment they’re working to protect. All site features aside from those directly adjacent to the building would be volunteer-implemented by DCTC classes as time and future funding permit.
savanna restoration project
helps illustrate the importance of ecological sustainability and the beauty in preserving the environment
grassland restoration project
secondary restoration opportunity for the Landscape Horticulture program, to compliment the existing Wildflower Prairie Restoration Area
native grasses
Grading Plan >
// Existing Grading
SITE BOUNDARY
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View B
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// Information After visiting the project site, we chose to base our grading on the current site conditions, rather than the provided topo map. This decision allowed us to create a more site-appropriate design - taking note of the massive southern mound blocking much of the incoming solar insolation - and siting the building accordingly. The sunken plaza and treatment marsh adjacent to the building would serve as a cool area during the summer while also facilitating stormwater infiltration. Though not shown, we also attempted to balance cut and fill as to eliminate soil transport costs.
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HP 940.8 +
NOTE: GRADING IS MEANT FOR BASIC ILLUSTRATIVE PURPOSES ONLY, AND WOULD REQUIRE RE-DRAFTING AFTER SITE SURVEYING IS COMPLETED.
View D
0’ 4’ 8’ 16’ You created this PDF from an application that is not licensed to print to novaPDF printer (http://www.novapdf.com)
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Section Cut
South Elevation
Elevations 0’ 4’
8’
16’
32’
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North Elevation
West Elevation
East Elevation
Wall Section > Construction Detail
VENTING CHUTE
16" CELLULOSE 2" RIGID BLOCKING 1/2" AIR BARRIER
SCALE: 1/2” = 1’-0”
1/2" GYPSUM
CONTINUOUS SOFFIT VENT 8-
1 4"
SIP WITH
7 16
1/2" GYPSUM " OSB CASING
10" EXPANDABLE FOAM INSULATION 2" RIGID INSULATION
WOOD SHEATHING AIR BARRIER GASKET DAMP PROOFING
CAULK 2 X 12" JOIST 1/2"GYPSUM
2" EXTRUDED INSULATION 2" RIGID INSULATION
4" CONCRETE SLAB
DRAIN TILE
2" EXTRUDED INSULATION INFLOOR HEAT LOOP
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Atrium Perspective
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Lower Level Perspective
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Amphitheater Perspective
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Cost Estimation Construction Cost:
Building Examples: FabCab Timber Buildings
For determining a reasonable cost per square foot value, we reviewed LEED certified projects, with the West Brazos Jr. High School in Brazoria, TX as a cost precedent. While the school is larger than our project footprint, it was constructed with a cost/sf value of $109. This would result in a projected cost for our 4,470 SF building at $487,230. A similar number was gathered using the 1/4 finish estimating standard of $115/SF, putting our building cost at $514,050. Using these estimates as a jumping-off point, we believe our design could be constructed within the $500k budget. Cost reducing strategies would include: re-use of materials available in storage on the DCTC site, gathering low-to-no cost labor from construction and tech based DCTC classes, locally sourcing recycled materials, and maximizing the potential for in-kind donations by materials manufacturing and green technology corporations in exchange for product exposure within the Sustainable Learning Center and the DCTC campus community.
Seattle, WA
Type: Residential Cost: $120/SF Notable Features: SIP panels, open floor plan with high ceilings uses natural light, much recycled content, water saving appliances. Link:http://www.jetsongreen.com/2012/06/timbe r-frame-fabcab-camano-island-washington.html
The Commons
West Brazos Jr. High School
Type: Residential Cost: $195,000 projected Notable Features: green roof, composting toilet, earthenware floors, indoor greenhouse, fly ash concrete walls made of ICFs, rainwater catchment system with a storage cistern. Link:http://www.jetsongreen.com/2008/04/comm ons-project.html
Type: Institutional / Academic Cost: $109/SF Notable Features: 55% locally sourced materials, low chemical emission materials, low-flow toilets and fixtures, passive solar shading. Link:http://www.usgbc.org/ShowFile.aspx?Docum entID=5112
Lankford House
VOLKsHouse
Type: Residential Cost: 2,250 SF, selling for $598,000 Notable Features: entirely passive solar, triple-pane windows, locally sourced lumber, rainwater harvesting, double-stud framing, split HVAC and heat pumps. Link:http://www.jetsongreen.com/2012/07/lankfo rd-passive-house-charlottesville-virginia.html
Type: Residential Cost: $165/SF Notable Features: mini-split HVAC, solar voltaic system, LED lighting, triple pane windows. Link:http://www.jetsongreen.com/2012/08/volksh ouse-net-zero-passive-house-santafe.html
Portland, OR
Charlottesville, VA
Brazoria, TX
Santa Fe, NM
H . S . We l l Zach Small Jake Wievel Stefan Golos Parker Jones