Dr. David Suzuki Public School. An Energy & Environmental Technology Demonstration Project. Earth Keeper Theme Elements

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1 Designing Dr. David Suzuki Public School An Energy & Environmental Technology Demonstration Project Earth Keeper Theme Elements G R E A T E R E S S E C O U N T Y D I S T R I C T S C H O O L B O A R D 451 Park Street West, Windsor Ontario Canada

2 Theme - Earth Keepers Geothermal heating and cooling systems, solar panels, a wind mill, grey water recovery and reuse systems, GPS tracking skylights, solar light tubes, a highly reflective roof... the list of energy and environmental technologies which are elements of the new Dr. David Suzuki Public School in Windsor, Ontario is long and impressive. When it opened in September 2010, Dr. David Suzuki Public School was the first LEED platinum school building in Canada, one of a select few in North America, and a magnet for architects, planners, designers, educational facility developers and others interested in learning about the newest and most effective energy and environmental green building systems. Dr. David Suzuki Public School has been designed to be a demonstration project, intended to inform and inspire the future of other educational, institutional, commercial and private building initiatives. While older students in this exciting new elementary school will be able to track and monitor the building s energy and water use, many of these wonders of sustainable building practices will not yet be understandable to much of the younger student population. For this reason, and to inspire the students and community as a whole, Dr. David Suzuki Public School will also demonstrate how an entire school building can inspire learning. The school has been designed to reflect five distinct natural life zones in Canada - the Arctic, the temperate forest, the great plains, the mountains and marine habitats. Throughout the building very special features have been incorporated to reflect these natural areas. From the full-sized replica whales in the lobby, to the Carolinian forest wall in the main hallway, the two giant acrylic globes in stairwells and massive photographic images of Canadian landscapes - these elements add exceptional touches to this amazing building. When you have a one-of-a-kind building which is generating excitement and interest throughout Canada and beyond - you know that you are going to be hosting many groups and individuals and will need to demonstrate how new school buildings can teach too. Not to mention that your building has been fortunate to carry the name of Canada s foremost environmentalist - a man with a world-wide reputation for promoting our stewardship of our planet and the wonderful array of living things with which we share it. The theme of Earth Keepers has been an important aspect of Dr. David Suzuki Public School. It provided the inspiration for the design - a transparency whereby children and adults alike can see how a school building can incorporate both green building technologies and an environmental ethic. The theme reinforces the identity of the building as Canada s foremost environmentally sensitive, energy efficient school facility and establishes a new concept in education - a school where the building teaches too!

3 2 The Carolinian Forest Grove Consisting of full-sized trees and natural ground cover, this area of full-sized trees provides the separation between the corridor and the school library. 3 Marine Mammals The second story space of the lobby entrance to the school represents the Arctic biome and features full-sized replicas of a Narwhal, and an adult Beluga whale and her calf Earth Keeper The namesake for our school, Dr. David Suzuki, is honoured by a full-sized bronze sculpture of a ten-year-old child resting on a large rock from our Canadian shield - representing the schools ideal that all children have the potential to grow into adults who advocate for the welfare of our planet.

4 6 Three large photographic images capture the dramatic landscape of the Canadian prairie grasslands and topography. 4 A small flock of full-sized, replica snow geese seem to be gliding in from the large clerestory skylight 9 What appears to be a window looking out onto a vast prairie landscape is really a state-of-the-art, low energy LED technology light box. 7 The central staircase is dominated by a five foot diameter, slowly revolving, internally lit earth globe - featuring state-of-the-art satellite imaging to provide a unique portrait of our planet A huge photographic image of the rugged marine coastline reminds us that Canada borders three of the world s great oceans. A huge mountain vista frames the area of the two-story light well, with the tree-tops from the Carolinian forest wall below providing an illusion of standing at a lookout, viewing the scene. 8 The Earth at Night A large, internally lit, five foot diameter, revolving globe represents the earth at night - where the areas of human habitation are clearly seen by the artificial lights we use.

5 1 EARTH KEEPER The signature feature for Dr. David Suzuki Public School is the figure of a tenyear-old boy, resting on a large rock, reaching an open hand toward a small frog. The figure reminds all visitors that every child in the building has the potential and promise to become an advocate for protecting our natural environments and becoming stewards of our planet. It also reminds us that those who today champion environmental causes were once themselves children - children who grew into adulthood having never lost that marvelous sense of wonder about the natural world that we all once possessed. A full-sized bronze figure positioned on a natural granite boulder placed in the school during construction, the sculpture was created by Andrew Ackerman, an exceptionally talented Canadian artist from Northern Ontario.

6 2 BOREAL FOREST GROVE In place of a concrete wall more typical of school designs, the library and hallway in Dr. David Suzuki Public School are separated by a realistic Carolinian forest grove. Consisting of native deciduous trees such as birch, oak and maple, along with a ground cover of ferns, small bushes and wild flowers, our artificial forest grove provides a connection between our outside natural environment and the areas we create inside our buildings. Large limestone rocks are scattered throughout the forest grove, providing in some cases, seating areas for students and visitors alike.

7 3 ARCTIC WATERS The lobby of the school represents the Arctic biome of northern Canada. With a water-like architectural ceiling and stark grey walls, the area evokes the feeling of our beautiful, yet stark, Arctic environment. A full-sized sculpture of a Beluga whale and calf, along with a full-sized Narwhal, are suspended in the second story space of the lobby, dramatic reminders of the unique and wonderful living beings with whom we share this planet. Created by local artist Robert Coyle, each of the whale sculptures is detailed with care and precision to bring invoke a sense of movement to these amazing creatures. Visible from below and more closely from the second floor bridge which connects the two wings of the school, the whales are an important reminder of why the protection of natural wildlife habitat in even the most remote areas of Canada is so important.

8 4 SNOW GEESE LANDING A small flock of sculpted Snow Geese, suspended in the heightened space of the east wing light well, are emerging from the open sky space and appear to be about to land. The birds move very slightly in the air currents of the clerestory space, above the trees and well above the heads of students, staff, visitors alike as they move along the second floor hallway.

9 5-6 PHOTOGRAPHIC MURAL IMAGES Throughout the building a total of five, wall-sized photographic murals capture some of Canada s amazing natural places. From the maritime vista in the west stairwell, to the three prairie images in the west light well and the panoramic mountain view in the east light well, these massive photographs are intended to inspire awe and wonder, as well as reminding us how important it is to preserve our natural heritage.

10 7 BIG BEAUTIFUL PLANET The central staircase of Dr. David Suzuki Public School is dominated by a fivefoot diameter, slowly revolving, internally lit Earth globe. Featuring state-of-the-art satellite photography, this spectacular image of our planet will be both an excellent teaching tool and a striking feature of the new school building. While easily seen from both the second and first floors of the school as well as the lobby, the globe is framed by a large window and will be highly visible to community members passing by the school.

11 8 THE EARTH AT NIGHT It is an amazing fact that much of the populated regions of Earth are easily visible from space at night simply through the outline of the billions of artificial lights we use to light our homes and communities. This five-foot diameter, slowly rotating, acrylic globe - lit by interior LED technology - clearly demonstrates this phenomena. Details of the earth at night, from fires in the Amazonian rain forests to the lights of fishing fleets in the southern Atlantic Ocean, are clearly visible in this amazing image of our planet. Located in the east stairwell, which was specially designed without exterior windows for the purpose of showcasing this globe, this theme features reminds us just how much we have impacted our night sky through the light pollution created by human activity.

12 9 PRAIRIE VISTA Standing on the bridge which crosses the lobby of Dr. David Suzuki School and looking east, one gazes through a window at the end of the hallway out onto a vast prairie landscape. But, how can this be? This is Southern Ontario and that side of the building overlooks a parking lot and neighbours houses. Demonstrating the power of low-energy consuming new LED technology with a spectacular back-lit photographic image of the prairies, this very special window illustrates how this application can be used to create the illusion of outdoor environments in building design. This technology has been used in medical facility designs where interior rooms are needed to house large medical diagnostic equipment - and the illusion is used in a faux skylight to provide employees and patients alike with a sense of natural space and outdoor lighting. We are using the technology in this application to demonstrate just how backlit windows can be used to provide students with a different perspective on their outdoor environment.

13 10 COASTAL BEAUTY The west stairwell of Dr. David Suzuki Public School is dominated by a 3.3m x 2.6m photographic mural of a Canadian coastal landscape. This rugged landscape reminds us that Canada borders three of the world s great oceans. The west stairwell has been designed without windows and the light is provided by specialized solar tubes which bathe the area in natural light throughout the daylight hours. The large photographic mural provides a window on an area of Canada s beautiful marine landscapes.