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Harvard Yard Childcare Center
Harvard Yard Childcare Center
2, Kirkland Street, Cambridge, MA, United States
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Other Projects by Anderson Anderson Architecture
Harvard Yard Childcare Center
2, Kirkland Street, Cambridge, MA, United States
STATUS
Built
YEAR
2010
SIZE
5000 sqft - 10,000 sqft
BUDGET
$100K - 500K
THIS MODULAR CLASSROOM SYSTEM is designed to provide an optimized educational environment for students and teachers at radically reduced cost while advancing sustainable design principles. The classroom system includes a range of optional components that maximally conserve as well as collecting and generating natural resources, including solar energy, daylight, wind energy, and rainwater. The building system focuses on performance issues directly impacting the learning experience of its occupants and the environmental quality of its community—thermal comfort, natural day lighting, indoor air quality, energy and resource conservation and optional systems for power generation.A HEALTHY INDOOR ENVIRONMENT is provided by carefully selecting materials, equipment and construction methods. Air quality is maintained with non-toxic construction materials, finish surfaces and paints containing low levels or no volatile organic compounds (VOCs). Factory construction in a weather-protected facility avoided exposure of materials and systems to rain and mildew during the construction process, minimizing the long-term potential for mildew or indoor air-quality degeneration. Natural ventilation is provided with monitored fresh air intake in the mechanical system and with operable windows for fresh air in nice weather, while high insulation values, quality windows and careful weatherization eliminate drafts and minimize mechanical conditioning in hot or cold weather. Generous windows and solar tube skylights provide daylight in all rooms. To optimize day light levels, the windows are shaded from direct sun with exterior aluminum sunshade louvers and solar tubes are fitted with operable shades. Acoustical dampening is essential to interior experience, and children’s ability to learn and distinguish spoken language is especially affected by background sound levels and surface echo. This building has advanced mechanical systems that have been tested as 20 to 35 times quieter than traditional systems. Floor, wall and ceiling systems are designed to limit sound transfer from the exterior and between rooms and to significantly dampen sound reverberation within rooms. Surfaces, materials and colors throughout the space are selected not only for health, sustainability, functionality and hygienic ease of maintenance, but also to provide vibrancy, fun and creative inspiration.ENERGY EFFICIENCY has been a major focus of design and construction for this building. First of all, factory built modular buildings are not only equal to or superior to traditional buildings in quality, but the controlled manufacturing process greatly minimizes energy and material waste typical to site construction. Modularity of the construction system allows relocation and future re-use of the building without typical demolition and disposal waste of materials and embedded energy. High quality windows, high-performance GreenGuard insulation and high-grade sealants reduce heat loss, which reduces energy waste, pollution and release of greenhouse gasses. A high-quality white rubber roof and solar-shaded, low-emissivity glazing reflect solar heat gain away from the building to keep it comfortable in hot weather, reduce air conditioning loads inside the building, and reduce heat-island warming of adjacent buildings and outdoor spaces. The high-efficiency mechanical systems use sensors and electronic controls to minimize energy use while optimizing temperature and fresh outside air as the number of people and activity increase in a room. These carbon dioxide monitors and other occupancy sensors “learn” patterns of activity and optimize air conditioning settings to conserve energy and maintain comfortable levels appropriate to daily cycles of use. Coordinated sensors and electronic control of the lighting system turn off lights when there is no activity in a room. The electronic control system is designed for future implementation of light dimmers controlled by actual daylight levels in the room, so that when the sun brightens, lights will automatically dim. Planning for increased future affordability of on-site power generation, the building is designed to accommodate a future photovoltaic (PV) array capable of fully powering the building with zero energy from the grid.ADVANCED BUILDING TECHNOLOGIES were fully developed in BIM software and analyzed in graphic and quantitative environmental analysis software. High performance goals in relation to ASHRAE 90.1-2004 were established and monitored by LEED AP personnel within the architecture and construction team. The team worked closely with the client, a leader in aggressive institutional sustainability practices, project management, monitoring and verification. Modular buildings of this size are not yet included in sustainability certification programs such as LEED and Coalition for High Performance Schools, but the CHP standards and equivalents to LEED Silver standards and evaluation practices were applied. Testing and on-going performance monitoring and assessment have been maintained by both builder and client in order to obtain verifiable final data for future refinement.SUSTAINABLE MATERIALS AND CONSTRUCTION SYSTEMS are employed throughout the building. Wherever possible, high-recycled content materials are used, including gypsum wallboard, cabinet systems, acoustical ceiling tile, and linoleum floor tile; and carpet tile made from recycled plastics and designed for return to its factory for 100% future recycling. Wood structural and finish components are either engineered composite wood from rapidly renewable sources, or Forest Stewardship Council (FSC) certified products grown in sustainable forests. Microstrand Wheat Board, a material that contains no toxins and is made from agricultural waste products and used as a special wall-surfacing panel. Finally, factory-built modular, re-locatable construction, with its inherently low waste and reduced embodied energy, is itself a major contribution to sustainable building practice. This green, modular school building was built sustainably and economically to serve its current Harvard users well, and in the future, this will be relocated to another site with minimal transfer waste, to be enjoyed again by future users. Re-Use, Reduce, Recycle.
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