Engineering News-Record, the leading trade publication for engineering and construction professionals, has announced the winners of its ENR’s Southeast 2020 Best Projects awards competition — and Raleigh-based SfL+a Architects and Firstfloor earned the “Best Project” award in the K-12 Education category for its energy-positive K-12 Jones School project in Trenton, NC.
Located in Trenton, North Carolina, the project features a unique design separating the elementary, middle, and high schools into three wings. SfL+a Architects and Firstfloor’s energy-positive facilities aim to provide creative, cost-effective solutions, all while greatly benefiting students and teachers alike with modernized and sustainable buildings.
The new school is unique for the county, showcasing a modern take on the traditional library with media spaces that open from the classrooms for a student-centered learning environment. A robust CTE (Career Technical Education) department with a strong focus on agriculture and fostering the ability for career readiness is also featured in this state of the art facility. With a food court style cafeteria and a new hub for community gatherings, this K-12 school is unlike anything Jones County has seen.
By using geothermal well field heat pumps, LED lighting, high performance glass, a superior building envelope, natural daylight and over 100,000 sq. ft of solar panels, the building is predicted to generate 75% more energy than it consumes. Teachers will be able to use the school building as a learning tool with an internal dashboard that shows how school systems are performing.
To increase a sense of openness and inspiration, the interior of the school will be lined with glass walls. Exposed beam style ceilings contribute to the sense of endless opportunity the school provides for its students. These and a variety of other design elements are all focused around providing students and staff with an environment to foster growth as individuals and academics.
The 2020 award-winning projects will be highlighted in ENR Southeast’s Nov. 2 print edition. Then, on Nov. 5, ENR Southeast will celebrate with its 20th Annual Best Projects awards event. For more information on the event, or to register, click here.
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