SVA's La Escuelita Education Center Earns State's Highest Honor for Sustainable Schools

SVA-Designed School Earns One of the Highest CHPS Scores Ever

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Oct 20, 2014, 12:00 ET

OAKLAND, Calif., Oct. 20, 2014 /PRNewswire/ -- SVA Architects, Inc. is pleased to announce that La Escuelita Education Center recently received California's highest distinction for sustainable schools, The Collaborative for High Performance Schools (CHPS) verification. CHPS certified La Escuelita Education Center as meeting its rigorous standard for green buildings, a benchmark only a small percentage of schools have met. State Senator Loni Hancock and California Energy Commissioner Andrew McAllister presented the award to the Oakland Board of Education and Oakland Unified School District Superintendent, Antwan Wilson, at a ceremony on Friday, October 3, 2014. Compliance with the CHPS program demonstrates that La Escuelita Education Center has satisfied one of the strictest standards for green school design.

Designed by SVA Architects, Inc., the "Townhall" space at MetWest High School within La Escuelita Education Center uses daylight harvesting to take advantage of natural light. The high performance glazing used in the space has different characteristics to handle the type of daylighting, but within the space the north and south glazing appear uniform. On warmer days, the large, low speed fans automatically turn on. These are controlled by a central energy management system that moves air either up or down depending on whether the system is in cooling or warming mode.

Designed by SVA Architects, La Escuelita Education Center is an inner-city, mixed-use learning environment including a K-5 elementary school, a program-based high school, a child development center, a studio for KDOL TV station, and a community health clinic. The sustainable project received a rating of 56 points, one of the highest scoring CHPS-Verified projects in the state. CHPS schools focus on creating educational facilities that are healthy, comfortable, energy-efficient, safe, adaptable, buildings that teach, and serve as a community resource. The facility creates minimal environmental impact and its numerous conservation features provide rich learning opportunities for students.

Robert Simons, AIA, President of SVA Architects states, "La Escuelita was designed with a community in mind. Not only do the facilities serve the community and its children, but they are part of the long-term goal to create a healthy, sustainable neighborhood. We are very grateful to the Oakland Unified Board, and District Superintendent, for inspiring SVA to create this exceptional community benefit."

Founded in 2003, SVA Architects (formerly MVE Institutional) has become one of the Country's most innovative and respected design and planning organizations. The award-winning firm specializes in planning, architecture, and interior design of corporate, public, mixed-use residential and student housing, as well as institutional facilities. SVA Architects values institutional and public environments as the foundation of a community and the backdrop against which we live, learn, work, worship, and play. The company is headquartered in Santa Ana with offices in Oakland, San Diego, and Honolulu. For more information, visit www.sva-architects.com.

Media Contact: Beth Binger
BCI
Mobile: (619) 987-6658
[email protected]

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SOURCE SVA Architects, Inc.