January 22nd, 2010
Putney School, a prep boarding school for grades 9-12, needed a field house and retained Maclay Architects to design a green one. Literally. The ~$5 million green building is one of only a few net-zero energy buildings of its kind. It’s also a contender for LEED Platinum certification and boasts a number of impressive green elements.
This 16,800 square-foot facility was designed for maximum energy efficiency, but that doesn’t mean it’s without green technology. The field house is powered by a 36.8 kW field of 16 sun tracking photovoltaics. Over the course of a year, the grid-tied system should neutralize energy costs.
Putney School Field House has abundant sky lighting, and all other lighting is connected to daylighting and occupancy sensors. Windows automatically open for night-time flushing, and the ventilation system is connected to CO2 and occupancy sensors.
The efficient building was constructed with R60 roof, R45 wall, and R20 foundation insulation. Energy is also conserved with drainpipes that wrap around incoming water pipes to preheat what’s being fed into the system. Plus, everything is monitored.
No irrigation is required and composting toilets minimize water usage (see below). The compost is used for the farm. All in all, this green building in Vermont is a fascinating display of the future of high-performance, green buildings.
Photo credits: The Putney School and Maclay Architects.
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