Sanger ISD Receives a Green School, Plus Money Returned
November 12, 2008
In today’s troubled economy, volatile construction market and hard times for Texas public school budgets, it is encouraging to hear good news! On Monday, November 10, the Board of Trustees in Sanger ISD learned that their new project, Butterfield Elementary School, was completed under budget, allowing over $131,000 to be returned to the District. In addition to the savings, board members were given a tour of the school’s green features that will help to save the District money over the life of the facility.
"The new elementary school is an exciting project because of the tremendous value the District received," said Gary Rademacher, project manager at Huckabee, the district’s architectural firm. "Not only were we able to build them a school at a great price, but we were also able to give them a school that will save them money over the lifecycle of the facility due to its sustainable features. This is extremely important as Maintenance & Operations budgets are strained for many Texas school districts."
Butterfield Elementary School’s green features include:
- Natural daylighting that allows the facility to use less energy and connects students and teachers to the outdoors
- A sloped, light-colored metal roof that will help to diminish the energy load, reflect sunlight and reduce heat gain inside the building
- A solid masonry building envelope consisting a brick veneer backed up with concrete masonry units, preventing the development of mold and mildew within the facility
- High-SEER rated rooftop units that are controlled by a central control system, allowing them to heat and cool the building as needed, providing for greater energy efficiency
- A geothermal HVAC system which heats and cools the building naturally, using the earth’s temperature, which can reduce energy consumption. Also, geothermal heat pumps are a cleaner energy source.
- ICF wall system technology comprised of interlocking concrete and foam panels that have a higher resistance to heat flow, therefore, reducing energy costs. Butterfield Elementary is the first school in the State of Texas to be constructed with this wall system.
- Native landscaping that is adapted to the Texas climate so it requires less water to survive and rain sensors keeps the irrigation systems from running when it has rained recently or is raining
- Joint-use of the full size competition gymnasium, allowing the adjacent Sanger High School as well as the entire community to utilize this space
The project was completed in August and serves about 600 students in Sanger. The final construction cost was $13,011,751. Butterfield Elementary School has recently been recognized by Texas Construction magazine as an Award of Excellence in K-12 Design winner.
