Clearview Elementary School

As the first Pennsylvania school to achieve LEED certification, Clearview Elementary sets a standard of exemplary sustainable design and performance. The project team’s goal was to create an educational facility that would protect the health of its 250 students while teaching them how to protect the environment, and the school district has committed to continual engagement with these principles by augmenting its curriculum to include lessons the building teaches.

Energy performance was one focus of consulting services provided by 7group, which incorporated energy modeling, computer-simulated daylighting analysis, systems and materials selections based on life cycle analysis (LCA) comparisons produced with BEES software and LCA analysis utilizing the ATHENA^® Impact Estimator for Buildings. LCA helped provide crucial guidance throughout the design process, and offered an objective and quantified comparison of materials choices.

Clearview employs sustainable materials, technologies and strategies in nearly every aspect of design and function. At $6.3 million, construction costs were less than the average construction costs for all Pennsylvania elementary schools built in the same year; additionally, 56% energy savings were achieved, equating to $34,000 annually. The school has been awarded numerous honors, and was selected by the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) as one of five projects nationwide to represent the U.S. in the 2000 Green Building Challenge in Oslo, Norway. The DOE also featured Clearview as one of its Buildings for the 21st Century.

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• Above and behind the main corridor, high south-facing clerestory windows allow abundant natural light into second floor classrooms, and white reflective exposed roof decking and classroom walls evenly distribute sunlight.
• A curved masonry sunscreen wall lines the edge of the school’s main wing along its south façade, providing shade in the hot summer months.
• The curved sunscreen wall, which also serves as an acoustic backdrop for this outdoor amphitheater, incorporates a functional sundial into the design.

Location
Hanover, PA, USA

Project Owner
Hanover School District

Architect
L. Robert Kimball & Associates

Building Size
43,600 sf

Completed
December 2002

Cost
$6,900,000

LEED^® Status
LEED Gold (NCv2.0)
Certified