H. Allen Hight Learning Center - Green Roof

Better – Greener – Progress

The District and the project team committed to green technology from the onset to ensure H. Allen Hight Learning Center (HAH) satisfied the Collaborative for High Performance Schools (CHPS) Best Practices design guidelines for sustainable school design. BRJ collaborated with the design team and developed a “green roof” that would make the HAH not only function as a ‘green building’, but as a learning tool for the next generation of decision makers. The “green roof” proved to be a success, garnering supplemental funding by the State in addition to the long-term financial savings and the green learning environment it provides for students.

Description

The CHPS designation would only result from a comprehensive program of environmentally sound and student-friendly design and construction to provide maximum sustainability. Because of H. Allen Hight Learning Center’s high performance, sustainable design features, the Natomas Unified School District received $400,000 in Prop 1D funding and qualified for an $89,000 incentive from the Sacramento Municipal Utilities District (SMUD) “Savings by Design Program”. Prop 1D is the State of California’s initiative for the design of sustainable, high performance schools and funds are awarded by the Division of the State Architect (using the same criteria as CHPS) for high performance school design. SMUD’s “Savings by Design” program awards financial incentives for energy saving building designs.

• It is the first public school of its kind in the state with a “green roof,” where an administrative and library building is topped by a foot of dirt and sedum plant cover that baffles unwanted sound and provides a biological way to clean the air.
• Other high performance features include using recycled building materials, low-emission paints and adhesives to improve indoor air quality and plentiful natural lighting to cut energy usage.
• Landscaping to provide drought tolerant, low pollen emitting trees

Combined with the long–term financial benefits of building schools this way, HAH is a winner for the environment, the students and staff, and the taxpayers.