Learning Village, Charlottesville, VA

From deep in the ground to the highest structural point, the addition at St. Anne's-Belfield is a sustainable village. The new 105,000-square-foot building brought together St. Anne's and Belfield—two former independent schools. The new facility provides state-of-the-art indoor and outdoor learning and gathering spaces for kindergarten through eight grade students. Going green was an integral part of the design to save operational costs, such as water and electricity; to support the school's mission; and to teach students to be stewards of the earth. The school has a community-leading initiative to create a sustainable future in every possible way.

Green can be found at every level of the school, including the metal roof—Sentrigard ML150—installed by WA Lynch Roofing of Charlottesville. Sentrigard ML150 is a 1 ½-inch mechanical lock panel that creates a classic architectural standing seam. The seam creates a long-term, weather-tight system that is ideal for commercial and residential applications. The specially designed clips optimize the performance of the roof, allowing for thermal movement. ML150 has been rigorously tested and approved for uplift resistance, as well as tested and Miami-Dade County Product Control Approved. The school's roof assembly is 24-gauge steel with a custom Pewter color finish. About 60,000 square feet was installed.

Metal roofs are green by nature, with recycled content and recyclability. In addition, metal roofs add to sustainability by lasting longer than conventional roofing materials. Some studies put metal roofing's longevity at 40 years compared to 23 for asphalt shingles. Kynar 500 Roofing finishes give metal roofs high reflective values so the sun's heat is reflected off the roof instead of absorbed into a building, and they reduce the urban heat island effect. Because of these attributes and more, metal aids in creating cooler, inviting interior environments and lowering a building's energy consumption.

This roof joins a list of materials that puts the school on track to receive LEED Gold Certification. Additional sustainable systems include insulated concrete forms for exterior walls, energy-efficient windows, pervious concrete, concrete pavers, a 75,000-gallon cistern and 110 geothermal wells for the HVAC system. The rainwater cistern runoff from the roof and pervious system are used for grey water reuse to irrigate the athletic fields and landscaping.

Active kiosks have been incorporated in the building and online so the building's performance can be observed and studied. This gives students, visitors and the community the opportunity to see in real time how St. Anne's-Belfield is top down a sustainable village.

Students in Heathsville, VA, have the pleasure of learning in a unique environment with a sense of familiarity and culture. According to Moseley Architects, Richmond, VA, the school district asked for a compact structure with distinct school identities for the high school and middle school. The new schools are distinguishably independent structures—with separate entrances, bus drop offs and parking—but they are connected by central common areas. With this design scheme and the use of warm color palettes, passive security systems and abundant daylighting, the campus facilitates separate age-appropriate education with a sense of togetherness.

The schools also are united by design components that reflect the maritime and agricultural rural community. Metal roofing and wall panels create this look and blend with the local board-and-batten context. The roof is Sentrigard ML150 in Classic Green. Moseley Architects selected this profile because of competitive pricing, lower maintenance and longer lifespan. About 10,000 squares of the 24-gauge roofing panels cover the structures. The roof was installed by Roof Systems of Virginia Inc., Richmond, and English Construction, Lynchburg, VA, was the builder. Construction took place from January 2009 to January 2010.

ML150 is a 1 ½-inch mechanical lock panel that creates a classic architectural standing seam. The seam creates a long-term, weather-tight system that is ideal for both commercial and residential projects. The specially designed clips optimize the performance of the roof, allowing for thermal movement. ML150 has been tested and Miami-Dade County Product Control Approved. Metal walls from Fabral, Lancaster, PA., complement the aesthetics of the metal roof. The walls are 24-gauge Thin Seam in Almond. About 600 squares of the snap-together panels were installed.

School projects can be challenging with the needs of school boards and districts, separate building owners for private schools, community demands, land issues, codes and other factors. Northumberland may have left a few people scratching their heads trying to meet these typical school demands while also creating not one but two schools with a unified aesthetic and separate identities. The use of metal not only accomplished these goals, but the material also made the maritime and agriculture community feel at place in their new schools.