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C A S E S T U D Y

TEACHING
FOR THE FUTURE B Y C H R I S T O P H E R G E R B E R , A I A A N D E R I C N A S L U N D, FA I A
© Jim Brady

Located seven miles south of San Diego and seven miles north of Tijuana,
Mexico, High Tech High Chula Vista serves one of the more culturally
diverse zones in the U.S. The school is one of 11 High Tech High (HTH)
public high, middle and elementary schools in San Diego County. All
prepare students to work in high tech industries. The students for these
schools are selected via a nonmeritocratic, ZIP-code based lottery.

6 HIGH PERFORMING B U I L D I N G S   Summer 2012


This article was published in High Performing Buildings, Summer 2012. Copyright 2012 ASHRAE. Posted at www.hpbmagazine.org. This article may not
be copied and/or distributed electronically or in paper form without permission of ASHRAE. For more information about High Performing Buildings, visit
www.hpbmagazine.org.
H I G H T E C H H I G H C H U L A V I S T A

S
ome 550 students in grades
9 – 12 attend High Tech
High Chula Vista. The
school is organized into
neighborhoods that are linked to
a gallery that spans the length of
the school. The neighborhoods
consist of adjacent seminar rooms,
© Jim Brady

studio spaces and teachers’ offices,


designed to promote team teach-
ing as well as a sense of ownership Above  The school uses “exploratories”
for specific teaching areas. These rooms
and place. Learning takes place In addition, the roof canopy acts are flexible and roll out onto outdoor
in a variety of settings, including as an umbrella and integrates a work yards.
labs with yards for art and science photovoltaic array, which exports Opposite  The modular portions of High
instruction and a commons area electricity off site. Tech High Chula Vista are stitched
together with site-built circulation and
for school meetings, instruction The compact plan has three inte- common spaces.
and presentations. The open-plan rior courtyards, which break the
layout with movable walls supports building into smaller parts, provid-
a variety of room configurations ing fresh air and side lighting deep B U I L D I N G AT A G L A N C E
and activities. into the interior spaces, and add-
Students and faculty contribute to ing instructional and work space. Building Name 
High Tech High Chula Vista
the school’s ongoing sustainability Large screened shade canopies
Location  Chula Vista, Calif.
by participating in carpooling, allow for natural light and ventila-
(seven miles south of San Diego)
on-site recycling, composting and tion. Sunlight is the primary lighting
Owner  High Tech High
vermiculture. Extensive daylight- source for all circulation and occu-
Building Use  Public Charter School
ing and a hybrid ventilation system pied areas. The building envelope
Includes  grades 9–12
contribute to an annual energy use includes diffuse clerestory lighting
Employees /Occupants 
of 23.8 kBtu/ft2 and an ENERGY panels, exterior view glazing and 36 Staff /550 students
STAR rating of 94. skylights, which provide daylighting
Occupancy 100%
to 86% of the building.
Gross Square Footage 44,370
Energy-Efficient Design Though all occupied areas have Conditioned Space 32,284
The school’s primary environmental air conditioning for those extreme
Year construction started  June 2008
goal involved reducing energy con- weather days, all classrooms have
Substantial Completion/Occupancy 
sumption while capturing energy operable windows for natural venti- January 2009
available on site. Harvesting sun- lation. The school provides natural
Total building cost  $7,750,000
light for daylighting and power, ventilation to 88% of spaces via Cost per square foot $175
and shading walls and windows to operable windows and skylights. Distinctions/Awards
reduce heat gain provides the most Break-out spaces between class- 2010 LEED Gold
energy savings. rooms and the hallways are passively 2010 Modular Building Institute Award
of Distinction
The project minimizes energy conditioned. These areas are covered
2010 ENERGY STAR Rated (94)
demand through compact planning, by the photovoltaic roof canopy and
2011 AIA Committee on the Environ-
natural ventilation, daylighting and enclosed with an aluminum store-
ment Top Ten Green Projects Award
an efficient envelope and fixtures. front system that has screen mesh

Summer 2012  H I G H PERFORMING BUILDINGS 7


in the upper panels and glass in the
KEY SUSTAINABLE FEATURES
lower panels. This allows heat to
Water Conservation  Reclaimed water Individual Controls  Robust building man- rise and escape and moderates the
supplied by the local water authority is agement system integrates individual occupant-level temperatures.
used for 100% of outdoor irrigation. Both thermostat controls in all occupied areas
reclaimed and potable water are managed and lighting controls. The building management system
by the building management system to
Passive Ventilation  The core circulation
(BMS) integrates a weather station,
monitor and control use, which includes
an active leak detection system to shut areas (hallways/galleries/studios) are which monitors and controls the
designed as passively ventilated spaces lighting and mechanical systems and
off affected areas and alert maintenance
with high thermal mass floors, low ther-
personnel. Low-water-use fixtures include the irrigation and domestic water sys-
mal mass roofs, glass panels below 8 ft
waterless urinals, 0.5 gpm aerators on all
faucets and dual-flush water closets. and screens above 8 ft. This moderates tems. This optimizes thermal comfort,
the temperature of these circulation
Recycled Materials  Recycled rubber floor- areas, maintaining comfort on even the
indoor air quality, lighting levels and
ing; bamboo/sorghum stalk wood panel- most extreme temperature days. conserves energy and water.
ing; recycled newsprint wall paneling; recy-
Transportation Mitigation  On-site show-
cled rubber walk-off mats; recycled mineral
fiber ceiling panels; and a comprehensive ers encourage staff to bicycle to work. Bioclimatic Design
A school-initiated carpool/rideshare pro-
waste and recycling management plan for
gram reduces vehicle pollution.
The site is 10 miles inland from the
ongoing process improvement.
Pacific Ocean and has a semi-arid
Construction Waste  83% was diverted
Daylighting  Every classroom and 90% of warm steppe climate. Temperatures
from the landfill.
all offices achieve a 2% daylight factor
through optimal layout of skylights, translu- can be 20 degrees cooler at night
cent panel clerestories and vision glazing. and 20 degrees warmer during the
day than at the coast.

N AT U R A L V E N T I L AT I O N A N D D AY L I G H T I N G

While all occupied areas have air con-


ditioning for extreme weather days,
operable windows and venting skylights
provide natural ventilation. A photovoltaic
canopy prevents heat gain in the pas-
sively conditioned hallways and break-out
areas. Diffuse clerestory lighting panels
and exterior view glazing help provide
daylighting to 86% of the building.

© Studio E Architects

8 HIGH PERFORMING B U I L D I N G S   Summer 2012


HPB.hotims.com/37999-15
The project climatic response
BUILDING TEAM
involves breaking the building into
discrete parts with internal courtyard Building Owner/Representative
spaces between them, a conditioned High Tech High

crawlspace below and a broad solar Architect  Studio E Architects


canopy above. The courtyard strategy General Contractor 
allows for every space to access cross Bycor General Contractors

ventilation and abundant daylight- Modular Contract Williams-Scotsman


ing. Internal venting skylights fully Mechanical Engineer  BTA Engineering
balance the lighting. Electrical Engineer 
The building’s southeast-northwest Michael Wall Engineering
© Jim Brady

orientation provides maximum solar Energy Modeler 


access to all areas. The solar canopy Brummitt Energy Associates

acts as an umbrella, protecting the Structural Engineer  R&S Tavares


building’s façade and passively- Civil Engineer, Environmental Consultant 
conditioned, screened circulation RBF Consulting

spaces from heat gain. Landscape Architect 


Ivy Landscape Architects
The conditioned crawlspace has
air transfer grilles between it and Lighting Design  Michael Wall Engineering

the spaces. The air of the condi- Plumbing Designer 


Oakley Construction Plumbing
tioned spaces above flows through
the high-mass, insulated crawlspace, Commissioning Agent MBO

moderating the temperature — keep- LEED Consultant  High Tech High


Learning (a non-profit that develops
ing the spaces warmer in the winter
High Tech High Schools)
© Jim Brady

and cooler in the summer.


E N E R G Y AT A G L A N C E
Top  High Tech High operates based on a Water Cycle
principle of open learning. Classrooms and Annual rainfall is less than 10 in. Annual Energy Use Intensity (Site) 
exploratories open directly onto to the main 23.8 kBtu/ft2
circulation routes. in this desert microclimate. When Natural Gas  6.8 kBtu/ft2
Above  Classrooms are paired to allow team it does rain, it can rain heavily. The Electricity  17 kBtu/ft2
teaching and cross discipline projects. The project includes vegetated swales Annual Source Energy  64 kBtu/ft2
modular units arrived with corrugated metal
ceilings and cellulose-based fiber wallboard
and detention basins to regulate Annual Energy Cost Index (ECI)  $1.18/ft2
suitable for pinups and displays. flows and reduce runoff rates below
Renewable Energy Exported Off Site 
predevelopment conditions. 14.3 kBtu/ft2 (PV)
Solar access is high and readily To ensure the basins are not Annual Load Factor  20.4%
available. Prevailing breezes gener- breeding grounds for insects, they
Savings vs. Standard 90.1-2004
ally flow onshore, over the ocean are designed to not allow standing Design Building 54.6%
from the west. A temperate climate water for more than 72 hours and ENERGY STAR Rating 94
such as this allows for year-round to maximize infiltration within the
Heating Degree Days 718
connections to the outdoors. site’s technical limitations.
Cooling Degree Days 2506
To help students and staff connect With such a scarcity of water in the
with nature, this design offers direct region, water demand is minimized ASHRAE 90.1-2004 Energy Model
Savings 50%*
visual access to the outdoors from on site and within the building. The
every learning space and direct building management system (BMS) * The base case was developed following the
California Title 24-2005 Energy Code and using
physical access to the outdoors from includes water management controls, the Performance Rating Method, ASHRAE 90.1-
2004 Appendix G. The software simulation
all project workspaces. which respond to changing weather program was EnergyPro v4.415, weather file
CZ07RV2.WY2, with the California Title 24-2005
Energy Code and California Climate Zone 07.

10 HIGH PERFORMING B U I L D I N G S   Summer 2012


HPB.hotims.com/37999-20 HPB.hotims.com/37999-5
P L A N N I N G F O R S U S TA I N A B I L I T Y

© Studio E Architects
The building is planned around a series of
courtyards and open walkways that intro-
duce light and ventilation. The courtyards
BUILDING ENVELOPE conditions by adjusting the irrigation are outdoor learning and working spaces,
schedule in real time. and the central spine has become an “arti-
Roof Flow sensors and motorized valves factorium” displaying student work.
Type  Polyurethane foam
Overall R-value R-30 can turn off zones immediately
Solar Reflectance Index 103 in the event of a broken head or
Walls line. This also triggers the BMS to Materials and Construction
Type  Gypsum wall board + 6 in. metal send an alert to groundskeepers, High Tech High is constructed
stud + fiberglass mat gypsum panel +
fiber cement panel so they can address the issues at with a mix of off-site custom modu-
Overall R-value R-19 their next opportunity. Reclaimed lar, factory-built components and
Glazing Percentage  27.1%
water is used for 100% of the site’s more traditional on-site compo-
Basement/Foundation irrigation needs. nents. Using repetitive parts based
Slab Edge Insulation R-value 0
Basement Wall Insulation R-value  Every fixture in the building was on industry standard sizing and
R-19 at crawlspace wall and sill plate scrutinized for water use, durability, assembly line production reduced
Under Slab Insulation R-value  0
and ability to ensure sanitary condi- construction waste and increased
Windows tions. Due to the waterless urinals, construction quality.
U-value 0.69
Solar Heat Gain Coefficient (SHGC)  0.407 faucet aerators, low-flow shower- The assembly line technique
Visual Transmittance 0.7 heads and low-flow water closets, allowed cost-effective and sched-
Location the project demands 52% less water ule-efficient integration of all
Latitude 32.62 than the EPAct-1992 baseline. This building systems, which saved
Orientation 45°
equates to a savings of $5,000 per on construction labor hours and
year in operating costs. the cutting, fitting and patching

12 HIGH PERFORMING B U I L D I N G S   Summer 2012


necessary with traditional site-built siding. These core building materi-
wood-framed construction. als ensure a building life cycle of
The school layout was developed more than 100 years.
with factory-made modules and All construction materials were
delivered to site ready to be assem- selected for their overall environ-
bled in a matter of days, which mental and health performance.

© Jim Brady
reduced on-site construction time, Products with wood, lead, and
as well as air, noise and stormwater mercury were banned from the
pollution associated with on-site project’s structure. Pest and mold Corridors, courtyards and common studio
construction activities. The modules resistance were addressed through spaces become work spaces in support of
this project-based-learning school.
can be easily disassembled, relo- a monolithic foam over metal deck
cated, and reused in the future. The roof, steel moment-frame and metal
modular construction system also stud infill structure, metal deck and minimal school culture ben-
accommodates changes in technol- and exposed concrete floors over an efits. High Tech High partnered
ogy and allows energy and HVAC insulated concrete crawlspace and with the local utility company to
systems to serve only currently fiber-cement siding. lease the rooftop for a photovoltaic
occupied areas. array owned and operated by the
The project incorporates durable, Project Finance local utility. The system feeds the
low-toxicity, low-maintenance With a $175/ft2 budget, it was community grid with renewable
materials such as polished concrete clear that a large renewable energy
floors, steel framing, steel roof and system was not in the base budget
floor decking and fiber-cement because of the long payback period 2011 ENERGY USE,
PRODUCTION

Solar PV
2 0 1 1 O P E R AT I N G C O S T S , Gas Electricity Production
UTILITY CONSUMPTION/PRODUCTION (therms) (kWh) (kWh)
Jan. 746 4,037 11,186
High Tech High operates 11 public char- long-term cost payback and for its dem-
ter schools in San Diego County, and onstrated record of energy and cost sav- Feb. 565 4,196 12,327
the facilities team trends performance ings over time.
Mar. 539 4,590 16,505
parameters, including water and energy Custodial and maintenance costs are
use, to inform operations. HTH Chula also tracked, and HTH Chula Vista’s Apr. 396 4,716 18,562
Vista is the most cost-effective school to costs are less than all other schools in
operate on both a cost per square foot the HTH portfolio. This is attributed to May. 208 6,184 21,037
and cost per student basis. the low-maintenance rubber and polished
This is mostly attributed to the effi- concrete floors, cleanability of the rest- Jun. 285 6,187 21,609*
cient four-pipe fan-coil mechanical sys- rooms, and overall durability of materials
tem, efficient lighting, and ease of reli- from the fiber cement board walls and Jul. 67 4,882 21,157
ance on natural daylighting for spaces. metal panel ceilings to the native and
The four-pipe system was chosen for its adaptive plants. Aug. 62 4,398 19,508

Sep. 26 6,151 14,511*


Potable Water (Includes Central Plant 386,716 Gallons $4,747
and Domestic Water Fixtures) Oct. 85 4,867 14,570

Reclaimed Water 1,371,832 Gallons $6,442 Nov. 233 4,113 9,880


Gas (Central Boiler) 3,634 Therms $3,293 Dec. 422 4,232 9,697
Electricity 321,000 kWh $58,552
Total 3,634 58,552 154,430
PV Array Production 190,551 kWh
Note: Electricity generated by PV
Percent of Building Electricity Consumption 59.4% panels is exported off site.
Represented by PV Array Production *Estimated based on same month
from 2010 due to missing data.

Summer 2012  H I G H PERFORMING BUILDINGS 13


© Studio E Architects

© Jim Brady
Above Left  The modular components were
trucked in and placed in a few weeks.
Above Right  The school, composed of and daylighting directly impact and designers. Together the team
modular and site-built components, is student performance. This is where efficiently reached consensus on
divided into grade “neighborhoods.” Each the project team focused its efforts how to cost-effectively approach
grade is centered around commons
areas that are located under the raised and these became the metrics with indoor air quality, acoustics and
upswept roofs. which to measure the project. The daylighting.
school uses the Collaborative for The result is many low-tech
energy and the school receives a High Performance Schools (CHIPS) details that perform exceptionally
lease payment as well as a lobby Operations Report Card to evaluate well. Examples include trans-
kiosk with interactive access to the the facility on an ongoing basis. lucent polycarbonate window
array’s data. The project team included an panels, which add light while
Though water, energy, and energy modeling consultant and controlling glare, and insulated
resource efficiency are important for acoustical engineer to analyze perforated metal panel ceilings,
the community, evidence has shown various project attributes and work which absorb sound and reduce
that indoor air quality, acoustics, collaboratively with the contractors reverberation time.

LESSONS LEARNED

Since this particular school opened, scope were critical for everyone to be on Sizing the Server Room Mechanical
High Tech High has opened two more new the same page. Every project has its own System. The mechanical engineer worked
schools based on similar planning and set of considerations, and High Tech High closely with the High Tech High Information
sustainability principles, and is continu- looks forward to leveraging the benefits Technology team to properly design and
ing to grow with at least one new school of modular construction systems in an size the mechanical system to be a three-
per year. To accommodate this growth upcoming elementary school project. ton ductless split system independent of
and ensure best practices are replicated, the main four-pipe mechanical system.
Regulating Central Plant Water Use. A leak
stakeholders constantly evaluate lessons This allowed for the server room to be
detector with an electronic shutoff valve at
learned from data and user feedback. running 24/7, if necessary, even while
the building’s domestic water entry point the rest of the building was in holiday
Modular Construction Systems. A tra- is connected to the BMS. If a faucet leak mode. The mechanical engineer sized the
ditional reason for using modular con- occurs, or a toilet keeps running, the water tonnage of the server room split system
struction systems is to reduce the time to the building shuts off, and alarm noti- to include a 20% factor of safety. And,
between building design and building fication is sent to the facilities team. The just before opening, the local telephone
occupancy. Though the 18-month timeline central plant, however, was not designed company changed the phone system to
was a constraint on this project, High with something similar. The project has fiber-optic relays and added its own server
Tech High would not allow it to trump had a pipe leak in the chilled water supply to the room, along with an uninterruptable
other core project values such as plan- pipe of the four-pipe mechanical system. power supply (UPS). This addition causes
ning flexibility, sustainability, transparency When a small amount of water leaked out the split system to run nearly constantly
and architectural character. A modular of one of the pipes, a refill valve on the in the summer to keep up. High Tech High
construction systems manufacturer helped chiller simply added more. It wasn’t until intends to replace the existing 13.5 SEER
High Tech High understand that these someone noticed a wet spot in a crawl- three-ton unit with a 15 SEER five-ton
systems embodied the core design values space that the issue was found. A flow unit so the unit does not cycle on and off
and reduced the project schedule to a sensor and electronic valve will be added as frequently, and to ensure it can keep
minimum without increased risk to other to the refill valve to monitor how much up with the heat load on even the most
parts of the project. With scopes of work water is being added to the system, so demanding hot summer days.
occurring in parallel, rather than serially, that abnormalities may be caught early.
management of communications and

14 HIGH PERFORMING B U I L D I N G S   Summer 2012


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H T H G E T S R E S U LT S

Originally conceived by a group of San


Diego civic and high tech business
leaders concerned by the challenge
of finding qualified individuals for the
high tech work force, the original High
Tech High opened in September 2000.
Since then it has opened five high
schools four middle schools and two
elementary schools.
The design of the schools creates envi-
ronments where teachers and students
can teach and learn effectively. The
proof of this concept is in the achieve-
ments of students and faculty.

100% of HTH’s graduates have


been admitted to college, 80% to
four-year programs.
© Jim Brady

About 35% of HTH graduates are first-


generation college students.

More than 30% of HTH alumni enter The school’s central commons was site
math or science fields (vs. 17% built and is a place for large gatherings
national rate) and performances.
Conclusion
HTH is the first California public school High Tech High Chula Vista dem-
organization authorized to operate its
own teacher credentialing program. The CHPS ORC provides a report onstrates that high performance,
First charter management organization
card of results and makes sugges- sustainable buildings don’t have to
to operate its own Graduate School tions for improvement. be costly or complicated to achieve
of Education. For example, user surveys showed significant energy savings and to
that some teachers had complaints meet the goals of building users.
Source: www.hightechhigh.org about how the daylighting was over- Unconventional construction and
powering the digital projectors at design methods such as using mod-
Commissioning, Maintenance certain times of the day. Through ular systems and using a crawlspace
and Measurement the CHPS ORC program, lighting and photovoltaic canopy to facilitate
HTH stakeholders participated was measured at different times of natural ventilation can reap signifi-
in enhanced commissioning to the day and subsequent analysis cant benefits. The lessons learned
ensure the project functioned as showed that the excessive light was from HTH Chula Vista will be
intended. This commissioning pro- coming through a series of clere- incorporated in future HTH schools,
cess included traditional energy and story windows. Simple blinds were which will provide unconventional
thermal comfort systems, and other added to the clerestory windows, school environments to challenge
staff-related systems such as irriga- alleviating the issue. and inspire students. •
tion, audio/visual, security, trans- In addition to those factors affect-
portation and storage. ing student performance indoors, ABOUT THE AUTHORS
The school participates in the High Tech High also surveys staff
Collaborative for High Performance and students on transportation to/ Christopher Gerber, AIA, is the direc-
tor of facilities for High Tech High, a
Schools (CHPS) Operations Report from school, lunch program food nonprofit in San Diego dedicated to the
Card (ORC) to benchmark systems quality and custodial effectiveness development and operations of high
performance schools.
that affect student performance to ensure the learning environment
Eric Naslund, FAIA, is a partner at
including thermal comfort, lighting, performs as well as possible.
Studio E Architects in San Diego.
acoustics and indoor air quality.

16 HIGH PERFORMING B U I L D I N G S   Summer 2012


Airtightness Testing
Not Just for Homes Anymore
Airtightness testing of homes has Efforts to make commercial
been around for more than 20 years. buildings more energy efficient in the
Various energy programs and US has only recently been incorporated
fluctuating energy bills have provided into various “green” initiatives. Tests of
homeowners an incentive to improve commercial buildings show that they
the airtightness of their homes. Energy tend to be more leaky than the average
tax credits can also be received by the house, based on air leakage per square
homeowner but only if the house foot of surface area. That means that
airtightness has been verified that it is commercial buildings are less energy
less leaky after remodeling than before. efficient than the average house.
To measure the actual airtightness
of a large building means more air is more air for accurate and reliable
needed to maintain a reasonable test measurements of air leakage for testing
pressure. The Energy Conservatory, a before and after retrofitting.
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