Our Campus

Every single classroom has windows that open and ceiling fans! That means that during mild weather, you can get fresh air without turning on the heating system. And it means that you can be comfortable without air-conditioning for more months of the year. Fans create a cooling effect as the breeze passes over our skin that can make us feel up to 10°F cooler.

Stratification means that the air in our spaces settles into layers based on temperature. Cold air is denser, so it sinks down to the floor, while warmer, lighter air rises to the ceiling. When the heat is on, the fans can push the heat down closer to where you are.

What about when the windows are closed? Our campus has a Dedicated Outdoor Air System (DOAS) - which means that fresh air is delivered to you all day long, and stale air is exhausted out. Energy Recovery Ventilators (ERVs) grab the heat from the stale air on its way out and transfer it to the fresh air that comes in. Carbon Dioxide (CO2) sensors respond to the number of people breathing in a space. They will turn the ERV fans up when there are a lot of people in the space, or turn them down when the fresh air is not needed.

There are 72 photovoltaic panels (PVs) on campus, that produce approximately 22.18 kW (22,180 watts) of power per year. Fourteen 300-watt panels are mounted on the canopy in front of the Giddens entry; fifty-eight 310-watt panels are on top of the Roof.

The PV panels used on this campus are made of solar cells sandwiched in between sheets of glass. Solar cells are made of silicon crystals. Solar cells convert the energy from sunlight into electrical energy, which is direct current (DC). Batteries use DC power, but the power that we use in our building is alternating current (AC). Each PV panel has a microinverter that converts the power from DC to AC so it can be used in the building.

Extra power that isn’t used on campus is fed back into the electrical grid and sold to the utility company.

Look up - the little holes you see in the steel ceiling are in front of an acoustically absorptive material that dampens sound. On the floor, there is a thin cushion under the flooring that absorbs sound before it heads to the level below. Walls between classrooms are made of steel studs with gypsum wallboard (GWB) on each side, which are smooth, dense panels that block sound. Inside the GWB is batt insulation, another material that helps absorb sound. At some classroom doors, rubber seals close up all the gaps that can let sound slip out into the hallway. A quieter classroom means that you can hear your teachers and each other.

Bioretention planters slow down the rate at which water is absorbed and sent into the storm system, allowing pollutants and sediment to settle out and filtering the water through the plants’ root system. Cleaner water helps our waterways and our salmon. Pervious concrete has gaps between the stone aggregate that allows water to pass through it, allowing the water to get filtered through the earth before it reaches the storm system.