New Roots

NEW ROOTS CAPITAL PROJECT

Overview
The NEW ROOTS project is a proposed addition to Drew School’s campus where Drew has been located for almost a century. In keeping with Drew’s commitment to being a good citizen both locally and globally, this building will be an innovative and beautiful “green” building in multiple senses of the word. The new assembly wing, performing arts space, and classroom building will be among the first high school buildings in the Bay Area to attain LEED–Gold (Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design) Certification™ for New Construction and for School Pilot.

• Project budget of $14 million will be funded by individual (and foundation) donations and tax-free bonds
• New Assembly Wing with retractable seating, flexible performances spaces, and additional classrooms and faculty workspace
• Award-winning project team led by ROMA Design Group
• Green features include an external “living wall”/vertical garden, living roof, recycled and sustainable USGBC-certified materials, and environmental sensors

Fulfilling Drew’s Mission and Long–Term Vision – Drew School’s NEW ROOTS project will be a 14,500 square foot addition to its campus at the corner of California and Broderick streets, where Drew has been located for almost a century. This project is the final stage of Drew’s strategic vision for its future—conceived in the 1990’s and realized partially with the current classroom building that opened in 2001 (constructed in 12 months and on budget). Coupled with Drew’s 20-year gym lease, this addition ensures Drew will have its programmatic space needs fulfilled and enables us to usher in a “new era for a century-old school.” This building is central to Drew’s immediate needs as well as longer-term sustainability, and benefits its students and faculty—who in turn benefit the local community.

“Green” and Sustainable – In keeping with Drew’s commitment to being a good citizen both locally and globally, this building will be an innovative and beautiful “green” building—but literally and figuratively. The new assembly wing, performing arts space, and classroom building will be among the first high school buildings in the Bay Area to attain LEED Gold Certification™ for New Construction and for School Pilot. LEED (Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design) is a seal of approval given by the U.S. Green Building Council for buildings meeting a high level of environmental quality and strict standards. Furthermore, over 30% of the surface area will be covered by the living roof and vertical gardens, creating a vibrant green aesthetic.

Neighborhood and Community – Drew has been working closely with our neighbors and the local community to ensure all project and construction impacts are minimized. As of March 2008, we have spoken with 190 neighbors in person in our door-to-door outreach effort and have garnered support from a variety of people and organizations for our community involvement, vision, and dedication to the neighborhood and the environment. Groundbreaking is currently planned for January 2009, with the building scheduled to open in 2010.

Highlights of Drew’s NEW ROOTS Project:

• An external “living wall” by the inventor of the vertical garden, Patrick Blanc—his first such installation in the U.S.; this combined with the living roof, designed by Rana Creek (designers of the acclaimed green roof at the new California Academy of Sciences) will constitute nearly 30% of the new building’s visible surfaces.
• Focused on the courtyard, the addition will create a new center for the campus and provide the only indoor meeting space on school grounds large enough to hold the entire student body and faculty.
• The new Assembly Wing will include flexible assembly space with high glass doors that allow expansion into the courtyard and retractable seating; the flexible assembly space will support drama, music, and performing arts curricula in addition to all-school meetings and events; the new wing will include classrooms and faculty workspace.
• LEED systems will meet strict standards of energy efficiency, water use reduction, recycled and sustainable building materials and resources.
• Glazed windows and courtyard doors will enhance “daylighting”; in addition, the indoor environment will meet stringent health standards and produce an environment more conducive to learning
• The design will visually increase neighborhood “greening” and the number of outdoor plantings.
• Building support systems and environmental sensors will be integrated into the curriculum of the school, such that the building function as a ‘living laboratory.’

Project Team
Architect – ROMA Design Group
Contractor – Herrero
Living Wall/ Vertical Garden – Patrick Blanc
Living Roof – Rana Creek
Green Building Consultant – Simon and Associates, Inc.
Engineers – Structural: Simpson, Gumpertz & Heger
Theater: Auerbach Pollack and Friedlander
Mechanical & Electrical: Flack + Kurtz
Acoustical: Salter and Associates