WE BUILT THIS CITY

    With the frequent use of lights, technology, and water on a grand scales, schools are some of the top energy consumers in communities. This extensive use of energy comes at a high price: energy costs are the leading draw on school district operating budgets, at approximately $8 billion per year nationwide. By improving energy-efficiency in K-12 schools, an estimated $2 billion could be saved. It is our goal to build a school that is sustainable and eco-friendly so we can reduce both the amount and cost of energy in our building. There’s no doubt that a school is an absolute necessity in an energy-efficient city, as education for the youth will result in more ideas towards a smarter, more environmentally-friendly zone. As a step towards a brighter future, we present to you, Matahari High. 

 

    With my partner, I conducted in-depth research on all things architecture, solar energy, and budgeting. We combined every scrap of knowledge to create the best possible energy-efficient school on the west coast. By constructing a general outline, we were able to sum up our information in simple terms for oral presentation purposes. 

 

 

Problem/ Prompt:

 

Design a building that is sustainable and eco-friendly that runs off a renewable energy source.

 

Plan:

 

We will design a school on the coast of California that runs mainly on solar energy and secondarily on ocean energy collected by the state.

 

Elements:

 

• 2 large science labs

• 2 large tech/ engineering labs

• 2 medium math classrooms

• 1 lecture hall

• 1 commons/ lunchroom

• 2 small art classrooms

 

Energy Efficient Elements

 

• Rooftop garden

  • Reduce carbon emissions

  • Filter rainwater

  • Combat habitat depletion

  • Insulate in winter

  • Cool in summer through evapotranspiration

• Rooftop solar panels (rotating)

  • Capture sun for conversion to electricity

  • Rotate to take advantage of the sun at all hours of the day

• Solar windows

  • Utilize window space

    • Many windows -> more natural light -> less electricity to light bulbs

  • Capture sun for conversion to electricity

• Use of state’s tidal energy supply

  • Wave energy

  • Backup in case of solar failure

• Utility grid to store energy