A second element allows approximately two-thirds of all corridor lighting to automatically shut off while classes are in session. Corridor lighting, which is typically operating up to 10 hours per day, is only on during periods of high corridor traffic, or about three hours per day.
These solutions are possible using Oak Ridge’s master clock, which is part of the intercom system and controls the school-bell system. The master clock is interfaced with the relay-panel system, which controls the corridor lighting circuits and sends signals to turn lighting on and off throughout the day.
In addition to leveraging technology to create an innovative lighting plan, Oak Ridge High School is filled with natural daylight. From the commons to the media center and classrooms, students and staff are connected to the outside with an abundance of natural light. More than 85 percent of core learning spaces benefit from natural daylighting, the centerpiece being large sloped skylights that flood the new media center with daylight.
HEAT
Engineering played a significant role in the energy savings at Oak Ridge High School. A hybrid geothermal mechanical system and water-source heat pump use 41 percent less energy than a comparable conventional chiller and gas-fired boiler system. These systems use the relatively stable Earth temperature to heat or cool a building by circulating water through a continuous loop of buried pipes. They are a good choice for a school if the site and sub-soil condi- tions can accommodate geothermal wells. At Oak Ridge, 200 geothermal wells were installed more than 300 feet below the ground to utilize the Earth as a heat sink.
LAND
One of the most important decisions district officials faced in the planning process was to renovate the existing facility or build a brand new school.
“Generations of families have passed through the halls of Oak Ridge High School,” Bailey explains. “We considered the history of the school and its meaning to the community when we decided the best option was to renovate versus build a new facility.”
The district opted to improve the existing 58.5-acre school site instead of developing a new property. However, most high schools of similar size with comparable site facilities can require up to 70 or 80 acres, so DLR Group used creative means to accomplish the district’s goal.
Designers created a multi-story building that stacks educational spaces and resources for a smaller building footprint. They also reconfigured existing parking to gain spaces lost by the building addition.
Native and adaptable vegetation incorporated in the site require zero irrigation. Water usage for the facility is reduced by approximately 24 percent through high-performance and low-flow fixtures.
Resourceful use of existing materials diverted waste from the landfill by extending the life of 65 percent of the building’s walls, floors and roof.
Keys to Academic Achievement
Oak Ridge students regularly win state and national science competitions. As home to ORNL, the curriculum reflects the highest emphasis on science instruction. The new facility provides modern classrooms and laboratories, as well as state-of-the-art equipment to continue with Oak Ridge’s tradition of excellence.