Baca/Dlo'ay azhi Community School

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Table of contents

Overview

• Location: Prewitt, NM
• Building type(s): K-12 education
• New construction
• 78,900 sq. feet (7,330 sq. meters)
• Project scope: a single building
• Rural setting
• Completed August 2003

• Rating: U.S. Green Building Council LEED-NC, v.2/v.2.1--Level: Certified (26 points)

The Baca Dlo'ay azhi Community School, located on the Navajo Nation reservation in Prewitt, New Mexico, serves students in kindergarten through grade six. The building incorporates Native American cultural concepts including an orientation that reflects the meanings associated with the four cardinal directions. The name means "little prairie dog" in Navajo.

Environmental Aspects

A number of strategies contributed to the project's environmental responsibility and its LEED(r) Certification. Light-colored materials were used for the majority of the building site's impervious surfaces, keeping the site more comfortable and reducing its contribution to the heat-island effect. Parking was kept to a minimum, and employees and visitors are encouraged to carpool or bicycle to the school. The school also has the capacity to charge electric vehicles.

Energy use at the school is expected to be 20% lower than in a comparable, conventional facility. This was accomplished through the use of daylighting, low-emissivity windows, shading, an efficient mechanical system, and a sophisticated energy-management system. The school has also purchases wind power for half of its energy use. Water use is kept low through the use of low-flow faucets and native, xeric landscaping. The school is expected to use at least 30% less water than a comparable, conventional facility.

Materials were selected for their recycled content and their proximity to the building site. More than 60% of the building materials, by cost, were sourced within 500 miles of the site. Several factors, including daylighting, air filtration, a track-off entryway system, and a green housekeeping plan, contribute to a healthy indoor environment.

Owner & Occupancy

• Owned by Bureau of Indian Affairs, Federal government
• Occupants: Local government
• Typically occupied by 450 people, 40 hours per person per week

Building Programs

Indoor Spaces:

Classroom, Circulation, Electrical systems, Public assembly, Gymnasium, Cafeteria, Restrooms

Keywords

Integrated team, Green framework, Open space preservation, Indigenous vegetation, Stormwater management, Efficient fixtures and appliances, Drought-tolerant landscaping, Glazing, Passive solar, Recycled materials, Local materials, Occupant recycling, Connection to outdoors, Daylighting, Indoor air quality monitoring

Team & Process

The purpose of this project was to replace two existing schools, which were built in the early 1900s and had long since failed to meet the community's needs. They did not meet life safety requirements or current building codes. The fire alarm for one of the schools consisted of the principal walking between the scattered classroom buildings, ringing a cowbell and yelling. Poor facilities are not conducive to learning, and students in poor facilities tend to feel they are not valued by society.

In the late 1990s, the Department of the Interior and the Bureau of Indian Affairs energized the effort to provide all children with access to schools that are conducive to learning and meet minimum standards.

The project delivery team began planning the Baca project in March 2001, with the submittal of the initial project proposal to the Bureau of Indian Affairs (BIA). After BIA accepted the Army Corps of Engineers proposal, the project delivery team began developing the contract documents for the project to be executed through a design-build process. The contract was awarded on June 10, 2002, and construction began on August 12, 2002.

While the basic requirements for this building were fairly straightforward, a number of factors greatly increased the technical complexity of the project. The most obvious factor was the decision, after construction had begun, to make the facility LEED(r) Certified. This seemingly simple decision required a huge amount of effort. It required the team to work closely together to find every possible way to incorporate LEED requirements into the project without significantly increasing the project cost or impacting the schedule.

These changes ran the gamut from revising the design of the facility itself to changing how the facility would be operated and rethinking the exterior landscaping. Every possibility for increasing the project's energy efficiency and environmental sustainability had to be examined and reviewed to ensure that it did not pose a problem for any of the team members' interests. For example, energy efficiency could not be improved by reducing lighting levels if it would degrade the students' ability to learn.

Construction was completed on August 26, 2003, in time for the facility to be in service for the 2003-2004 school year.

To encourage students and community members to utilize their building as an interactive educational tool, brochures and poster boards in the main lobby explain the green strategies employed in the building. Signs near the actual green features further describe their relevance. Other signs describe design elements not incorporated in this project and larger environmental systems. These signs ask questions such as, "What if there were skylights in this corridor," and "Where is the water from this sink going?" The school was intended to be a springboard to interest students in a broad range of environmental issues and to stimulate further research and exploration.

Dyron Murphy Dyron Murphy Architects, P.C. Architect (Principal in charge) Albuquerque, NM [http://www.dm-architects.com](http://www.dm-architects.com)

Greg Comer Dyron Murphy Architects, P.C. Architect (Project architect) Albuquerque, NM [http://www.dm-architects.com](http://www.dm-architects.com)

[Barbara Borgeson](learnmore.cfm?ProjectID=387) Bureau of Indian Affairs Owner/developer (Project manager)

U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, Albuquerque District Design-build oversight Albuquerque, NM [http://www.spa.usace.army.mil](http://www.spa.usace.army.mil)

Dan Lyons Bradbury Stamm Construction, Inc. Contractor (Project manager) Albequerque, NM [http://www.bradburystamm.com](http://www.bradburystamm.com)

Chavez Grieves Consulting Engineers, Inc. Structural engineer Albuquerque, NM [http://www.cg-engrs.com/](http://www.cg-engrs.com/)

Bridgers and Paxton Consulting Engineers, Inc. Mechanical and electrical engineer Albuquerque, NM

[Kris Callori](learnmore.cfm?ProjectID=387) Environmental Dynamics, Inc. Environmental building consultant Albuquerque, NM [http://www.edi-arch.com](http://www.edi-arch.com)

Jacque Mangham Baca Community School School principal Albuquerque, NM

Finance & Cost

Once it was determined that the design team would aim for LEED Certification, the Bureau of Indian Affairs agreed to provide an additional $300,000 to cover the necessary work. The represented an increase of just 2.5% of the original project cost to incorporate environmentally sensitive features into the project at a relatively late stage.

• Equity: Government appropriation
• Procurement process: Design-build

Cost data in U.S. dollars as of date of completion.

• Total project cost (land excluded): $10,400,000

Land Use & Community

The Baca/Dlo'ay azhi Community School includes 100 parking spaces — one space per staff member and 50 spaces for visitors, parents, and suppliers. This number was reduced from the original recommendation of 460 parking spaces, based on the building occupancy of 450 people.

The School encourages staff members to carpool to work. As is common at a rural school, the staff residences are scattered across a wide geographical area, and carpooling greatly reduces fuel consumption, emissions, and vehicle wear. A dozen spaces are reserved, during school hours, for registered vanpooling and carpooling vehicles. Three fueling stations were installed for electric and hybrid vehicles. Storage space for 24 bicycles is also available, along with showers and changing facilities.

In order to reduce the project's contribution to the heat-island effect, the design team specified light-colored, high-albedo materials for at least 60% of the site's non-roof impervious surfaces. This includes about 62,000 ft2 of white-colored gravel driveways and 38,000 ft2 of gray concrete. The building's exterior was also designed to limit the amount of light pollution leaving the site.

The school reaches out to the surrounding community in many ways, in the belief that family and community involvement in education enriches everyone's lives. The school administration integrated the green aspects of the project into the school's dedication ceremonies as a way of exposing the community to some of the factors involved in the design of the school.

Navajo design

The design firm, which is Native American owned and specializes in Native American design, looked to Dyron Murphy, principal-in-charge and citizen of the Navajo Nation, for elements important to the culture of the students and the community who would use the facility.

The building's main entrance was positioned to the east to welcome the morning sun, which symbolizes the beginning of life. The Building is laid out around a circular core. Classes of younger children are located to the south of the main entrance, and each class of progressively older children is arranged in order clockwise around the building's center, ending with the administrative offices just to the north of the main entrance. This layout represents the Navajo Circle of Life. The library and cultural classes were located at the center of the building to represent the traditional fire pit, which is the gathering place at the center of every Navajo home and represents the heart of the home.

The building's four wings represent the four cardinal directions of north, south, east, and west, and are painted in the corresponding sacred colors attributed by the Navajo people to each direction. In addition to the unique cultural considerations in the design, the construction firm gave special consideration to hiring local qualified labor for the construction of the project.

The school faculty also designs lessons around local elders, who retain knowledge of traditional plants, medicines, and other local lore. Field trips to both the immediate and surrounding areas introduce the Navajo students to the crafts and knowledge of their forebears.

• Responsible Planning

  • Ensure that development fits within a responsible local and regional planning framework

• Support for Appropriate Transportation

  • Provide showers and changing areas for bicycle and pedestrian commuters

  • Provide storage area for bicycles
  • Provide vehicle access to support car and vanpooling
  • Provide for electric vehicle charging

• Property Selection Opportunities

  • Select already-developed sites for new development

Site Description

The building site, located in McKinley County, New Mexico, slopes from southwest to northeast at 1% to 4%, falling approximately 25 feet. Prior to the start of construction, the site had several existing school buildings, many of which were built during the 1930s. The remaining area consisted of a large, open tract of land with native, desert plants and grasses. After construction of the new school building and parking lots, at least 50% of the site received new native grass seeding and plantings.

• Lot size: 23.86 acres
• Building footprint: 78,900 sq ft (7,330 sq meters)
• Previously developed land

Water Conservation and Use

The site is located in an arid region in the midst of a long-term drought. Water in this area is obtained from deep, low-producing wells. Due to the its remote location, the school needed its own water supply, and a water tower was included in the project.

Low-flow fixtures (using 0.5 gallons of water per minute) with motion sensors save a significant amount of water. The building is expected to use at least 30% less water than a comparable, conventionally designed building.

Since water use for any purpose is expensive, exterior use can be justified only for the establishment of drought-tolerant plants that require little water. The design team selected netleaf hackberry, rocky mountain juniper, valley cottonwood, and purple robe locust trees; fourwing saltbush and chamisa shrubs; beargrass and banana yucca succulents; and winecups groundcover. It is hoped that the natural landscaping will form a part of the educational curriculum and teach children about the ecology of the area.

After a period of temporary drip irrigation (a maximum of two years) all of these plants will be forced to depend on rainfall to survive. At that point, all visible emitters from the drip irrigation system and all control valves and controllers will be removed. The underground plastic piping will be abandoned.

Runoff from the building is channeled through carefully sculpted rock arroyos to maximize onsite infiltration. Native plants will be allowed to grow along these areas. As much site runoff as possible is channeled to low-lying areas to maximize onsite infiltration.

Water Use -

Indoor potable water use: 469,000 gal/yr (1,780,000 liters/yr)

• Outdoor potable water use: 0 gal/yr (0 liters/yr)

• Total potable water use: 469,000 gal/yr (1,780,000 liters/yr)

• Potable water use per unit area: 5.95 gal/sq ft (242 liters/sq meter)

• Development Impacts

  • Limit parking area

• Water Conservation Education

  • Educate residents about water conservation

• Landscape Plantings

  • Landscape with indigenous vegetation
  • Minimize turf area

• Managing Stormwater

  • Disconnect roof leaders and storm drains from conventional infrastructure

• Demand for Irrigation

  • Select plants for drought tolerance

• Irrigation Systems

  • Use appropriate grading to retain irrigation and reduce runoff

Energy

The building was designed to use 20% less energy than a conventional school designed in minimal compliance with ASHRAE 90.1-1999 regulations (not including process loads). This efficiency was achieved through a number of energy-efficient design strategies.

The building is extensively daylit, reducing the need for electric lighting. Windows throughout the facility were given a low-emissivity coating to reduce the heat gain from sunlight entering the building, lowering summer cooling costs. Windows have a U-value of 0.65 and solar coefficient of 0.57. Appropriate shading further reduces heat gain and glare. Efficient fluorescent T-8 bulbs further reduce energy use for lighting.

The building is insulated to R-33 in the roof, R-10.1 in the mass walls, and R-14.9 in the frame walls.

The mechanical system uses variable-volume air handlers with terminal hot-water reheat. Chilled water is provided by an air-cooled chiller with a variable-volume pumping system. Hot water is provided by an 82% efficient boiler with a variable-flow pumping system. No CFC-based refrigerants were used in the mechanical systems for the building.

A computerized energy-management system was employed in the school. The lights are controlled by occupant sensors and the temperature also adjusts automatically. The project includes carbon dioxide (CO2) sensors that automatically open fresh-air ducts when CO2 levels get too high.

The school signed a two-year contract with the Bonneville Environmental Foundation, to begin in January 2003, for the purchase of Green-e certified renewable power to offset half of the building's energy use. The school purchased 680 Green Tags, representing 1 megawatt-hour of electricity each, for $12.50 each. Therefore, the school purchased 680 MWhs of green power for $8,500.

 

Materials & Resources

Recycled materials were used wherever possible in the building construction. The concrete masonry units were manufactured with flyash replacing about 18% of the portland cement; recycled steel scrap provided more than 90% of building's structural steel; and the gypsum core of the wallboard products was comprised of about 8% recycled materials. In total, 6.9% of the building materials, by cost, were recycled, as per the LEED v2 calculations.

Materials manufactured regionally were also preferred, in order to minimize the transportation costs associated with the building. Just over 47% of the total value of the materials and products used were manufactured within a 500-mile radius of the building site, a region that includes Albuquerque, New Mexico; Phoenix and Tucson, Arizona; Salt Lake City, Utah; Colorado Springs, Colorado; and Lubbock and El Paso, Texas. Of those materials, at least 50% of the content was extracted within 500 miles of the site.

Designated recycling bins are located in key areas of the school, including the cafeteria, classrooms, copy areas, and workrooms. Products to be recycled include paper, glass, aluminum, and plastic. All recyclable materials are then placed in appropriate canisters in the recycling room or taken directly to larger receptacles adjacent to the loading dock at the service entry. All children are expected to participate in this program.

• Air Filters

• Protection of Global Ecosystem

  • Minimize ozone-depletion potential of refrigerants in cooling systems

• Recycling by Occupants

  • Specify recycling receptacles that are accessible to the occupants

• Transportation of Materials

  • Prefer materials that are sourced and manufactured within the local area

Indoor Environment

The building was designed to take advantage of New Mexico's abundant natural sunlight. Skylights were installed in the gymnasium and in the central core of the building, where the library is located. A series of 24 small clerestory windows also encircle the library. Exterior shading devices were used on windows with significant solar exposure. The percentage of indoor area with sufficient views, as defined by LEED, is 91%.

The building includes sensors that automatically open fresh-air ducts when unacceptable levels of carbon dioxide detected. Because the school is located in a rural community of fewer than 20,000 people, with no nearby sources of industrial pollution, the outdoor air quality is assumed to be acceptable. Copy rooms are kept at negative pressure and have independent exhaust ventilation.

A system of floor mats and grates designed to remove dirt and moisture from shoes was installed at every entrance to protect the indoor environment. This system is three times more effective than other textiles, according to the manufacturer.

The school has adopted a green housekeeping plan in accordance with the Eastern Navajo Agency's Green Housekeeping Program. This program focuses on enhanced custodial training and the use of cleaning chemicals approved by Green Seal. This program meets Executive Order 13101 on Greening the Government through Waste Prevention, Recycling, and Federal Acquisition and Section 23.703 of the Federal Acquisition Regulation, which requires federal agencies to consider environmental factors when purchasing products and services. Both the facilities manager and the lead janitorial staff member were trained in green housekeeping by the manufacturer of the cleaning products used at the school.

Construction IEQ management

Care was taken during construction to ensure that the indoor environment would be healthy upon occupancy. The HVAC systems were not started up until after the ceilings and other finishes were complete in each area, which reduced the potential for pollutants to enter the air-handling ducts and units. During installation, plastic covers at the ends of ductwork protected the HVAC system from airborne pollutants. Temporary construction air filters were routinely replaced during the construction process. Before installation, much of the HVAC material was stored in the gymnasium to provide extra protection from the weather and dust.

Ceiling tiles were installed after other finishes to lower the amount of airborne particles and odors absorbed by the ceiling material. Gasoline-powered equipment was not allowed inside the building after the building shell (roof deck and walls) was complete, and motor vehicles were not allowed near the air intakes for the air-handling units. In addition, a regular cleaning schedule kept dust pollutants to a minimum.

Though the owner was allowed to move equipment and furniture into several areas of the facility prior to the completion of all of the areas of construction, occupants were not in the facility on a regular basis for several days, thus allowing any final odors to be exhausted prior to full occupancy. A two-week building flushout, using MERV-13 filtration media and 100% outside air, took place prior to full occupancy of the building. New MERV-13 filters were installed following the flushout.

• Outdoor Pollution Sources

  • Locate building away from sources of pollution

• Entry of Pollutants

  • Design entry to facilitate removal of dirt before entering building

• Visual Comfort and The Building Envelope

  • Use skylights and/or clerestories for daylighting

• Visual Comfort and Interior Design

  • Locate floor openings under skylights to increase daylight penetration

• Ventilation and Filtration Systems

  • Specify ventilation rates that meet or exceed ASHRAE Standard 62-1999

• Direct Exhaust from High-source Locations

  • Provide local exhaust ventilation for rooms with high-emitting sources

• Ventilation During Construction

  • Provide temporary filters on any permanent air-handling devices used during construction

• Building Commissioning for IEQ

  • Commission the mechanical and electrical systems prior to occupancy

• Maintenance for IEQ

  • Specify use of only nontoxic cleaning products

• Facility Policies for IEQ

  • Recommend a non-smoking policy for the building

Awards

• White House Closing the Circle Award in 2005;  Category/title: Honorable Mention for a Green Building Project

• U.S. Department of the Interior in 2004;  Category/title: Facilities and Asset Management Award

• U.S. Department of the Interior in 2004;  Category/title: Environmental Achievement Award

• Southwest Contractor Magazine in 2003;  Category/title: Best Design-Build for Projects Over $5 Million

• Associated General Contractors of New Mexico Category/title: Top Ten Design

• U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, Region 9 in 2005;  Category/title: Environmental Award

Ratings

• U.S. Green Building Council LEED-NC, v.2/v.2.1 in 2004;  achievement level: Certified (26 points)

  • Sustainable Sites, 8 of 14 possible points

    • SS Prerequisite 1, Erosion & Sedimentation Control
    • SS Credit 1, Site Selection

    • SS Credit 4.2, Alternative Transportation, Bicycle Storage & Changing Rooms

    • SS Credit 4.3, Alternative Transportation, Alternative Fuel Refueling Stations

    • SS Credit 4.4, Alternative Transportation, Parking Capacity

    • SS Credit 5.1, Reduced Site Disturbance, Protect or Restore Open Space

    • SS Credit 5.2, Reduced Site Disturbance, Development Footprint
    • SS Credit 6.1, Stormwater Management, Rate and Quantity

    • SS Credit 7.1, Landscape & Exterior Design to Reduce Heat Islands, Non-Roof

  • Water Efficiency, 4 of 5 possible points

    • WE Credit 1.1, Water Efficient Landscaping, Reduce by 50%

    • WE Credit 1.2, Water Efficient Landscaping, No Potable Water Use or No Irrigation

    • WE Credit 3.1, Water Use Reduction, 20% Reduction
    • WE Credit 3.2, Water Use Reduction, 30% Reduction

  • Energy and Atmosphere, 3 of 17 possible points

    • EA Prerequisite 1, Fundamental Building Systems Commissioning
    • EA Prerequisite 2, Minimum Energy Performance
    • EA Prerequisite 3, CFC Reduction in HVAC&R Equipment

    • EA Credit 1.1a, Optimize Energy Performance, 15% New 5% Existing

    • EA Credit 1.1b, Optimize Energy Performance, 20% New 10% Existing

    • EA Credit 6, Green Power

  • Materials and Resources, 2 of 13 possible points

    • MR Prerequisite 1, Storage & Collection of Recyclables

    • MR Credit 4.1, Recycled Content: 5% (post-consumer + 1/2 post-industrial)

    • MR Credit 5.1, Local/Regional Materials, 20% Manufactured Locally

  • Indoor Environmental Quality, 4 of 15 possible points

    • EQ Prerequisite 1, Minimum IAQ Performance
    • EQ Prerequisite 2, Environmental Tobacco Smoke (ETS) Control

    • EQ Credit 3.1, Construction IAQ Management Plan, During Construction

    • EQ Credit 3.2, Construction IAQ Management Plan, Before Occupancy

    • EQ Credit 5, Indoor Chemical & Pollutant Source Control
    • EQ Credit 6.2, Controllability of Systems, Non-Perimeter

  • Innovation and Design Process, 5 of 5 possible points

    • ID Credit 1.1, Innovation in Design "Sustainability education"
    • ID Credit 1.2, Innovation in Design "Green housekeeping"

    • ID Credit 1.3, Innovation in Design "Exemplary performance MRc5"

    • ID Credit 1.4, Innovation in Design "Exemplary performance SSc7.1"

    • ID Credit 2, LEED® Accredited Professional

Learn More

• Web sites

  • Baca Dlo' Ay Azhi Consolidated School (2004)
    Part of the architecture firm's website, this page gives a brief overview of the project.

• Others

  • Press release: Anderson Lauds Baca/Dlo'ay azhi School as First "Green" Building in New Mexico and BIA School System: School Receives LEED Certification from U.S. Green Building Council (April 20, 2004)
    This press release announces the school's formal LEED Certification and offers a brief overview of the project. http://www.doi.gov/news/040420c

  • Peer reviewed paper: Evaluating the Energy Performance of the First Generation of LEED-Certified Commercial Buildings by Diamond, Rick; Opitz, Mike; Hicks, Tom
    Publication: 2006 ACEEE Summer Study on Energy Efficiency in Buildings (2006)

*Primary Contact* Kris Callori Environmental Dynamics, Inc. Environmental building consultant 142 Truman St NE, Suite A-1 Albuquerque, NM  87108 505-242-2851 [http://www.edi-arch.com](http://www.edi-arch.com)

Barbara Borgeson Bureau of Indian Affairs Owner/developer (Project manager)   505-346-6508