Boulder Valley School District Columbine Replacement Elementary

The new, two-story Columbine Replacement Elementary School has 68,294-sf (an increase of nearly 20,000 sf) and the capacity to house 500 students. The new school provides a quality, modern 21st-century learning environment and ample flexible space for its students. The incorporation of “green” design principles significantly reduce the annual operation and maintenance costs, and provide the opportunity to educate children about green technologies and resource conservation.

Boulder Valley School District

K-12

CannonDesign

Boulder, CO

68,294 sf

Boulder Valley Green Building, Best Sustainable Project

ENR Mountain States, K12 Education - Merit

Columbine LIbrary

The project did not seek LEED certification, but the design team followed the LEED for Schools checklist to organize its approach and designed to the equivalent of LEED Gold (48 points). Highlights of the building’s green features and energy performance achievements include:

The selection of durable materials with high recycled content and low-off gassing natural materials connecting to the environment

  • The day lighting of all classrooms and most spaces
  • A high-efficiency building envelope, mechanical and electrical systems for energy conservation
  • A compact building massing to limit the exterior walls and roof surfaces but allow for enough windows for day lighting
  • The conservation of the existing site by limiting the building footprint
  • Overall building flexibility for long life and loose fitting of the program

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