Springfield Public Schools - Hickory Hills K-8 School

Springfield, MO

The new Hickory Hills K-8 school is designed for a new site on east Division and Farm Road 193 near the Lakes at Wild Horse subdivision. The twenty-two acre site will accommodate the new school building, a soccer field, a football field, a softball field, playground and required parking.

With sustainability always a part of the design process, the School Board decided to take the next step and pursue LEED certification. The project is designed to achieve 40-43 points, placing the building in the Silver category for LEED for Schools certification. Throughout the design process, achieving LEED points was never the primary goal; the real goal was making smart sustainable decisions that would result in a great building for the School District and the community. A focus was placed on sustainable solutions that offer direct economic payback and benefit the occupants of the building.

A heating and cooling system that is 40% more efficient than what is minimally required account for the majority of the economic payback. While this system is initially more expensive it will pay for itself in just seven to ten years. Water efficient plumbing fixtures and energy efficient lighting also contribute to lower operating costs. Fresh air ventilation, low-V.O.C. emitting finishes, and superior day-lighting contribute to a better indoor environment for students and faculty. An insulated, translucent roof over the hallways will bring sunlight in to areas of the building that typically rely solely on artificial light.

The building itself is designed to follow the contours of the existing site. Building form and materials pay homage to its agricultural heritage in a modern way with a touch of technicality. Constructed primarily of masonry and precast concrete, the durability of the building may be one of its most sustainable features- the life of this building is measured in decades, not years. The site has been designed as a whole, so that when the building and its exterior features are constructed they all work together to create a new ecosystem. A permanent wetland basin located on the northwest corner of the site controls both the quality and quantity of storm-water, using most of it on-site as opposed to piping it elsewhere. This feature, and several others, will be utilized not only by the students and faculty, but will be a contribution to the community, making the new Hickory Hills K-8 School truly a public project.

Environmental Works

Springfield, MO

Springfield Contractor's Association Project of the Year Award Winner

North Springfield Betterment Association Beautification Award Recipient

Rather than developing on an undisturbed prairie in south Springfield, Environmental Works owner Robin Melton decided to take a more sustainable route to the relocation of her company headquarters.  She chose to purchase a building in North Springfield, utilizing existing public infrastructure and bringing a breath of fresh air to an often overlooked part of town.

Although the purchase of an existing building was an environmentally friendly choice, the extensive amount of work needed to obtain LEED certification was determined economically unfeasible.  Sustainability is always a focus in all projects regardless of the pursuit of LEED; thus, the design team maintained several key sustainable features that make the building more environmentally friendly.

High performance, tinted, insulated curtain-wall replaced the original dated look on the front of the building.  Windows were cut into the front façade to bring natural daylight into private offices, and we reused the loading dock on the east side of the building as an exterior break room for employees.  A new high-efficiency HVAC unit now serves both the offices and the warehouse behind.  Reclaimed wood from the existing infill was utilized to make the sliding barn doors in the conference and break rooms.