Entry number: B07022
Project Name: CCSD Northwest Career & Technical Academy
Location: 8200 W. Tropical, Las Vegas
Building Type: Educational: Career & Technical High School
Completion Date: July 2007
Architect:  SH Architecture


Sustainable Description

Design Team:
Architect / Interior Designer: SH Architecture
Civil Engineer: Taney Engineering
Electrical Engineer: MSA Engineers
General Contractor: Sletten Construction
Landscape Architect: Southwick Landscape Architects
Structural Engineer: Mendenhall Smith

Narrative/Project Description:

The Architect designed the Northwest Career & Technical Academy (NWCTA) to be an extraordinary facility for mature, motivated students. The building itself is a learning tool; its components work together to save energy, while its plan promotes collaboration and integration across the six career training academies. The Clark County School District mandated that the new NWCTA operates on half the energy of a typical high school, and that it receive a LEED Silver Certification. To date the architect expects a LEED Silver rating, though the LEED documentation process is not complete. They engaged CCSD administration, faculty and facilities managers, as well as industry leaders in each of the academy focus fields in our collaborative, consensus based design process. In addition, our team of specialists included engineers focused on integrating a suite of building systems to maximize building efficiency. The architect acknowledged the advanced, mature character of the student body by designing the school as a corporate campus. The materials and palette are not typical high school fare. Interiors feature muted accents, student conference rooms bounded by plate glass walls, and informal presentation and collaboration spaces. The curriculum of the school integrates core academics with simulated work experiences. To accommodate this, the architects designed two-story academic buildings to house the typical classrooms. Each of the two academic buildings has highly specialized career training facilities at its perimeter. The NWCTA is a high performance and Energy Star school.

Sustainability Description:

Design Level: USGBC LEED Silver (39 points)
General Information:

• 217,000 Total square feet
• 30-Acre site
• 2,010 Students
• 104 Sq. ft. per student

Energy

• Geothermal heat exchange handles 80% of building cooling load, the remaining 20% is cooled with a cooling tower
• Cooling tower pre-cools the geothermal loop during the night to prepare for the daytime cooling needs
• Designed to use 40% the energy of a typical school of the same size
• Energy budget 30,000 BTU/Sq. ft./Year ($0.87/Sq. ft./Year)
• High-efficiency lighting
• Natural day lighting
• Occupancy sensors to manage HVAC and lighting
• Advanced metering for performance and accountability
• No Boiler, all domestic hot water heated with building’s own waste heat
• Awarded EPA’s Energy Star rating

Indoor Environmental Quality

• Day lighting and views in 90% of the spaces
• Low VOC finishes, adhesives, and substrates
• High-performance air filtration
• Individual climate and lighting controls
• Acoustics and amplification
• Enhanced commissioning

Site, Materials, Resources, and Innovation

• Xeriscape, native landscapes (no turf)
• Increased shading (Heat Island Reduction)
• Fitness trail in conjunction with habitat restoration
• On-site stormwater handling
• Recycled steel components, ceiling tile, concrete with fly ash
• 2725 lbs CO2 emissions annually, 44.2% savings from average building
• Building as a learning tool