Location:Petaluma, CA
Architect: Quattrocchi Kwok Architects
Sustainability and Performance Coordination: AIM Associates
Current Status: Scheduled to open Fall 2005

South elevation of library building indicating skylights for daylighting and tower for evaporative cooling with covered walkway to east. Radiance simulation showing floor plans of three classrooms with illumination contours for clear sky Radiance simulation showing floor plans of three classrooms with illumination contours for overcast

This 92,000 sf facility features covered walkways connecting many of the freestanding classroom and activity buildings. It was designed to provide an extremely low-energy and comfortable experience for the occupants, using shaded and landscaped exterior spaces along with daylighting and evaporative cooling for the interiors. Daylighting, with the goals of reducing internal heat gain and improving the school's visual quality, was identified early on as a key strategy. Minimization of internal heat gain allowed evaporative cooling to become a mechancial strategy for thermal comfort; the design utilizes tall cooling towers to deliver humidified and cooled air to the large spaces on campus.

Loisos+Ubbelohde provided consulting services for this project on daylighting, visual comfort, lighting controls, shading design and energy use integration in conjunction with the California High Performance Schools (CHPS) program and the Technical Guidelines for Petaluma Schools.

Early in the design process, we used a mirror box sky simulator to test a daylighting model with a wide variety of apertures, analyzing lighting intensity, balance, glare and view possibilities. Skylights were located over the interior zone of the classrooms to illuminate teaching walls and to balance windows in the opposite wall. Later in the process, we used Radiance modeling to accurately simulate clear sky and overcast daylighting illumination levels as a basis for developing the design and protocols for electronic lighting controls. The skylights employ manually activated electronic louvers to provide shade and daylighting in response to weather conditions and the seasonal positions of the sun. For windows facing direct solar radiation, overhangs provide exterior shading.

Working design session with large scale physical model of classroom in the artificial sky. Architect

Interior of physical model showing one alternative for skylight placement with licor sensors in place

Site plan of Kenilworth Junior High School indicating building and landscape design with proposed photovoltaic array

Section through industrial arts classroom. Section through gymnasium indicating skylights.