Construction Complete on Blue Ridge Intermediate/Junior High School
September 16, 2008
NTD Architecture is pleased to announce that construction is complete on Blue Ridge Unified School District’s new Intermediate/Junior High School. The $17.8 million, 127,000 square-foot school is planned for year-round use with an emphasis on energy efficiency. Designed to serve grades 5-8, Blue Ridge is separated into two schools under one roof, one for grades 5/6 and one for grades 7/8.
“The progressive single-building design of this school is modeled after other prototypes that our firm has completed,” says Keith Wong, AIA, LEED AP, Senior Associate at NTD Architecture. “By housing all school functions under one roof, we were able to provide the District with a design that provided initial cost savings and will continue to reward them with energy cost savings for years to come.”
All grades share common facilities, including the media center with a computer lab, gymnasium with a weight room, and multipurpose room. A total of 74 teaching stations at the school includes 44 standard classrooms, eight for special education, five for science, two each for art and music, and eight computer/technology labs.
Sustainability played a major role in the design of Blue Ridge, which incorporates natural lighting and low-emittance windows for improved insulation during winter months. Individual air temperature controls and motion sensor lighting decrease the school’s unnecessary use of energy and low flow fixtures lessen water waste.
The site for the school was set below the main road elevation, and required additional grading and retention basins to keep storm water run-off from flooding the site. A portion of the natural landscape has been set aside for a future nature trail to provide outdoor classroom studies.
Publications
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- Lancaster’s Newest Comprehensive High School Ready for Students August 11, 2009
- Construction Comes to a Close on Murrieta’s Newest High School July 29, 2009