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ArchDC Winter 2017.qxp_Fall 2017  11/17/17  5:58 PM  Page 86

            Special Mentions
            Special Mentions






            Chapter President Cites


            Six Projects for Distinction  by G. Martin Moeller, Jr., Assoc. AIA

        Each year, the current AIA|DC chapter president has the opportunity  Arlington’s Discovery Elementary School, designed by VMDO
        to recognize projects in several specialized categories, including  Associates, is the first zero-energy school built in the Washington area,
        Sustainable Design, Design & Wellbeing, Universal Design, and  and the largest to date anywhere in the country. Encompassing
        Urban Catalyst. This year, President Carolyn Sponza, AIA, selected  some 98,000 square feet, the school can accommodate up to 650
        six projects for citations. Five of them are profiled below; the  students in grades pre-K through 5. The architects estimate that the
        sixth—Wood Cloud, by Studio Twenty Seven Architecture, which  building’s design will save the Arlington school system roughly
        was recognized for Universal Design—also won a Chapter Award  $100,000 per year based on current utility costs.
        and is featured in a separate article.                          That achievement required the design team to balance energy
                                                                conservation measures with carbon-neutral energy production
        Presidential Citation for Sustainable Design            techniques. To reduce consumption, for instance, highly efficient LED
                                                                lighting is used throughout the building, while insulated concrete
        Discovery Elementary School                             walls serve to mitigate heat gain and loss. On the production side,
        Arlington, VA                                           the project incorporates geothermal wells along with an impressive
                                                                array of 1,706 solar panels, spanning almost the entirety of the
        VMDO Associates                                         school’s roof. The plan and massing of the building were carefully
        Landscape Architects: OCULUS Landscape Architecture     manipulated not only to maximize energy efficiency, but also to
        Structural Engineers: Fox & Associates, Inc.            reduce the large structure’s apparent bulk within its predominantly
        MEP Engineers (mechanical, lighting, net-zero           residential neighborhood. In a similar vein, a large roof canopy
        energy design): CMTA Consulting Engineers               running the length of the building provides additional space for
        MEP Engineers (power, plumbing, fire protection):       photovoltaic panels while creating a “front porch” that shelters
        2rw Consultants, Inc.                                   outdoor activities.
        Civil Engineers: Bowman Consulting Group                        The project is also notable for the ways in which it actively
        Traffic Consultants: Toole Design Group                 engages students and teachers with the architecture. Interior spaces
        Cost Estimators: Downey & Scott                         are widely varied in form, color, and materials, and zoned so as to
        Food Service Consultants: EIS, Inc.                     reflect the expanding curricula and changing learning styles of
        Specifications Consultants: SpecGuy Specifications Consultants  students as they move up through the school’s grades. The building’s
        Construction Managers: HEERY                            sustainable features are a key component of this strategy, as well,
        General Contractor: SIGAL Construction Corporation      serving as hooks to encourage children to learn about subjects
                                                                such as water conservation, air quality, and even astronomy.
















                          Photo © Alan Karchmer
                        Architectural Photographer
        Dining Commons.







        Portico and outdoor play area of the
        Discovery Elementary School.

           86                     SPECIAL MENTIONS                                                     Photo © Lincoln Barbour
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