LEED™ Platinum Certified.

Timmons Designs Engineers was commissioned by Ratcliff Architects to provide Mechanical, Electrical, Plumbing and Photovoltaic design services for Windrush School’s Sustainable Classroom addition project located in El Cerrito, California.  This project was the first step in a larger master plan developed by Ratcliff Architects to help make Windrush School into a more environmentally conscious campus.  The project goals were to achieve LEED™ Silver certification, but resulted in LEED Platinum.

This project consisted of replacing an existing one-story building with a new, eight classroom, two-story structure.  The new classroom building is attached to an existing gymnasium building in which new locker rooms, offices and after-school areas were added.

The new building was designed to operate with the smallest energy footprint possible, and is intended to be a carbon neutral building depending on occupant utility usage. To achieve this level of energy efficiency, a number of strategies were used including insulated concrete form to reduce HVAC loads, building siting to take advantage of natural ventilation, photovoltaics, radiant floors, and performed daylighting studies to maximize natural light in the space. Architect: Ratcliff Architects