Aspen Community School

Aspen Community School (ACS) occupies a mountain plateau overlooking the Roaring Fork Valley near Aspen, Colorado. Since its founding as an experimental school in 1970, the campus has grown to serve approximately 130 students in Kindergarten through 8th Grade. While the school enjoyed steady academic success, by 2013 its original and site-constructed log buildings were failing and could no longer support educational goals. ACS earned a significant public grant and achieved fundraising success during the recession to build new classroom and gymnasium buildings, as well as renovate portions of the campus. As a community school, ACS took very seriously the engagement process with its alumni, students, staff, parents, neighbors, donors, and board members. The school was vocal about the importance of honoring the school's unique culture and passion for the surrounding environment, so we chose to pursue LEED Certification to demonstrate this commitment. To achieve LEED Certification, Cuningham Group, in collaboration with Studio B Architects, began with an early sustainability workshop, where energy targets were established and critical sustainability goals were identified. School leadership embraced AIA 2030, empowering the design team to strive for and earn all 19 points for Optimizing Energy Performance. This was done using a system of in-floor radiant heating with an energy recovery ventilator and supplemented by natural ventilation. The school's concern for air quality and desire for natural materials led to a high-performing exterior envelope using mineral wool insulation and cedar siding as a rain screen facade, along with casework, gym flooring, and other finishes meeting FSC certification. A passion for global responsibility led the school to choose carpet made of recycled fishing nets. The school built a strong relationship with the local Community Office for Resource Efficiency and was ultimately awarded $120,000 in additional grant monies toward several high-performance features, most visibly a 39kW PV system that earned all 7 On-Site Renewable Energy points. The school earned more LEED credits by providing Daylight in Learning Spaces and Offices using roof monitors, shading structures, and translucent clerestory windows; completion of Enhanced Commissioning and full Measurement and Verification; Maximized Open Space; and using the School as a Teaching Tool. Key challenges in the completion of the project included finding a balance between occupant comfort and energy use, primarily driven by recent and unprecedented warm winters. Post-occupancy discussions and polling of staff were important steps in learning about and fine-tuning building controls for comfort in this award-winning school.