Elementary school adds new environmentally-friendly features
Morgan Hill – Los Paseos Elementary students not only have a spacious new lunchroom, they also have a new computer lab, library and auditorium, all in one environmentally-friendly package.
The new multi-purpose building, which is Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design compliant, officially opened Jan. 20 with a celebration ceremony that included performances by Los Paseos students and the Sobrato High Swing Marching Band and speeches from school and city officials.
Students and their families, staff members, Morgan Hill School District officials and government representatives gathered at the south San Jose school along with architects and contractors who worked to build the first public school building in the state to meet the stringent LEED qualifications.
The new multi-purpose room, to be shared with the City of San Jose for some of its after-school programs for kids, is expected to use almost 25 percent less energy than a non-LEEDS building. LEED is a program of the U.S. Green Building Council.
What makes the new facility unique is that it is constructed from a building-block-like system like the children’s toy Legos.
“The Arxx Wallsystem utilizes Insulated Concrete Forms (ICFs), a concrete form technology specified for the structure’s walls that will allow the school to achieve potential LEED points in 13 different categories,” said Maureen Murray of Arxx Building Products. “The blocks or polystyrene forms are stacked on the jobsite and reinforced with rebar. The forms have layers of insulating and vapor barrier materials. Concrete is poured into the forms, creating a monolithic wall, so the combination of the forms and concrete create a highly energy efficient wall.”
“In addition, the non-wood construction saves trees, contributes to an excellent fire rating and provides a healthy indoor air environment for the children, since molds have no cavities or paper-based materials to feed on.”
During the ribbon cutting ceremony, architect Lesley Miles of Weston Miles Architects showed attendees one of the ICFs and commented on the cooperation between all parties in the project.
San Jose Mayor Ron Gonzales focused on the students and the other young people who would benefit from the new building.
“The future of the city rests with these young people,” Gonzales said. “All of us are in this together, and with this partnership between our city and the Morgan Hill School District, we see how wonderful things can be accomplished. We knew this was an important project, and we made sure we could find the funding.”
Los Paseos Principal Rhoda Wolfskehl praised the partnership which allowed the building to be built, noting that her students would not be the only beneficiaries of the project.
“This will truly be something the community can use,” she said. “There are some wonderful after-school ideas the advisory council has come up with.”
The building, which cost approximately $5 million to build, was funded by a grant from San Jose and Mello-Roos tax payments.
The school needed the building after closing Encinal Elementary, now used by the Charter School of Morgan Hill, and consolidating the two elementary schools.
The former multi-purpose room was renovated and reconfigured into classrooms.
