Nueva School Science and Environmental Center building California, Hillsborough education facility, USA school architecture photos

Nueva School Science and Environmental Center, Hillsborough, CA

March 16 + 8, 2024

Architecture: Leddy Maytum Stacy Architects

Location: Hillsborough is an incorporated town in San Mateo County, California, United States, in the San Francisco Bay Area, USA

Science and Environmental Center at Nueva School, Hillsborough

Nueva School Science and Environmental Center, Hillsborough

Photos by Richard Barnes, Bruce Damonte

Science and Environmental Center at Nueva School, Hillsborough, California, USA

The Science and Environmental Center embodies the Nueva School’s mission is to inspire passion for lifelong learning, foster social acuity and environmental citizenship, and develop the child’s imaginative mind, enabling students to learn how to make choices that will benefit the world.

Founded in 1967, the Nueva School is an independent school, with the Hillsborough campus serving over 500 students from pre-kindergarten to eighth grade. The 33-acre campus, located in the semi-rural coastal hills of the San Francisco Peninsula, features a thriving coastal live oak woodland ecosystem, a variety of dispersed structures and dramatic views of San Francisco Bay.

Nueva School Science and Environmental Center, Hillsborough

The 11,600-square-foot, two-story building includes eight flexible environmental science classrooms with exterior learning spaces that support interdisciplinary learning. To meet the specific goals of the masterplan the project was designed for:

· Carbon Reduction: All electric building, zero net energy / zero net carbon
· Water Conservation: Reduce potable water use in the building by at least 70%
· Habitat Preservation and Restoration: Preserve and enhance access to campus and regional open space
· Resiliency: Provide flexible and adaptable educational environments that support evolving pedagogies and expanding community outreach programs in earthquake and wildfire safe construction.

Nueva School Science and Environmental Center, Hillsborough
The design integrates straightforward, appropriate, and cost-effective sustainable design solutions that provide practical and poetic connections between people and the natural world. The building shape echoes the landform, following the topography of the hillside to minimize excavation and maximize outdoor education space that extend ground floor classrooms. The narrow floor plate minimizes impacts to the existing natural features of the site, while maximizing daylighting and natural ventilation within the classrooms—two passive strategies that connect students to the seasonal rhythms of the site while reducing energy loads in the building.

Hillsborough education facility, California

The Canopy Walk provides a universally accessible journey through the forest that connects the new Environmental Center with the existing Hillside Learning Complex. The previously disturbed landscape in this area was restored to an oak woodland habitat with native and adapted planting to promote biodiversity. This heightened beauty and presence of the native ecology further grounds us to place, reminding students and visitors of the active role we must take in conservation and stewardship. The project includes eight classrooms and support spaces that provide a variety of innovative educational environments that connect students and faculty to the world around them, promoting environmental stewardship and lifelong learning daily.

Hillsborough education facility, California

Through a variety of simple, observable systems and strategies, the project is designed to be zero net energy / zero net carbon—an all-electric building that models a resilient, low carbon future. Energy efficient building systems combined with a high-performance building envelope reduce building EUI to 23, a 71% reduction from baseline.

Hillsborough education facility, California

A 70kw photovoltaic array located on the roof of the building provides energy production to offset the building’s anticipated annual energy use. As climate change continues to impact California’s potable water supply, the project takes an active role in reducing potable water use by 89% below baseline.

The exterior circulation allows the classrooms to have windows at each side of the room, maximizing daylighting and natural ventilation -two passive systems that reduce energy loads and operation costs in the building. Ceiling fans are provided to further promote air circulation and increase occupant thermal comfort. This strategy allowed for mechanical cooling and associated costs to be eliminated from the project.

Hillsborough education facility, California

The exterior circulation at the second floor also acts as a sunshade blocking daylight from entering the classrooms in warmer late spring and summer afternoons. A low window / wall ratio of 13% maximizes daylight, views, and natural ventilation for the classrooms, while providing an energy efficient exterior envelope that reduces thermal bridging and conserves interior thermal comfort. The project is LEED Gold certified.

Nueva School Science and Environmental Center, Hillsborough

Science and Environmental Center at Nueva School, Hillsborough, California – Building Information

Consultant team:

Architecture: Leddy Maytum Stacy Architects (LMSa)
Civil: BKF
Landscape: CMG
Structural: MBC
Mechanical: PEI (Basis of Design), Air Systems (EOR)
Plumbing: PEI (Basis of Design), Air Systems (EOR)
Electrical: PEI (Basis of Design), Air Systems (EOR)
Furniture: One Work Place
Joint Trench: UDCE
Waterproofing: WJE
Acoustical: Salter
Lab: HERA
Food Service: Pat Stein
Audio Visual: Shalleck

LMSa team
Bill Leddy
Jasen Bohlander
LJ Bryant
Alice Kao
Enrique Sanchez
Ian Ashcraft-Williams

Photography by Richard Barnes, Bruce Damonte

Hillsborough education facility, California

CREDITS

Architect:
Leddy Maytum Stacy Architects
1940 Bryant Street, San Francisco CA 94110
415 495 1799
www.lmsarch.com

Personnel in architect’s firm who should receive special credit:
Bill Leddy, Principal
Jasen Bohlander, Project Manager
Ian Ashcraft-Williams, Project Architect

Architect of record:
Leddy Maytum Stacy Architects

Engineers:
Civil: BKF Engineers
Structural: Murphy Burr Curry
MEP: Point Energy Innovation (Basis of Design)
Electrical: Cupertino (Eng. of Record)
Mech/Plumbing: Air Systems

Consultants:
Landscape: CMG Landscape Architecture
Joint Trench: UDCE
Waterproofing: WJE
Acoustical: Salter
Lab: HERA
Audio Visual: Shalleck

General contractor: WL Butler

SPECIFICATIONS

Structural System:
Manufacturer of any structural components unique to this project: Valley Iron Works

Exterior Cladding:
Wood: Western Red Cedar
EIFS, ACM, or other: Dryvit Cement Plaster
Moisture barrier: Grace
Other cladding unique to this project: Hardie

Roofing:
Other: GAF

Windows:
Metal frame: EFCO

Glazing:
Glass: Vitro Solarban 70XL
Skylights: Vitro Solarban 70 Solargray

Doors:
Entrances: EFCO
Metal doors: Ceco Door
Wood doors: Masonite Architectural
Sliding doors: Fleetwood

Hardware:
Locksets: Schlage
Closers: LCN

Interior Finishes:
Acoustical ceilings: Armstrong
Suspension grid: Armstrong
Cabinetwork and custom woodwork: ICI Scientific
Paints and stains: Sherwin Williams
Solid surfacing: Durcon, Inc
Floor and wall tile: Daltile
Resilient flooring: Forbo
Special interior finishes unique to this project: Claridge Markerboards

Lighting:
Interior ambient lighting: Finelite
Downlights: Finelite
Exterior: BK Lighting
Dimming system or other lighting controls: Wattstopper

Conveyance:
Elevators/escalators: Otis

Plumbing:
Electric Water Heater: AO Smith
Plumbing Fixtures: American Standard, Sloan

Energy:
Energy management or building automation system: Air Systems
Photovoltaic system: SunPower
Other unique products that contribute to sustainability: Xerxes Rainwater Tank

Science and Environmental Center at Nueva School, Hillsborough, California, USA images / information received 080324

Location: Hillsborough, California, USA

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