How building envelope materials and methods play a part in achieving net-zero certification

by George Klett, Development Project Manager in Los Angeles, CA

At Discovery Elementary School in Arlington, Virginia, as students enter through glass vestibules, they are not entering a run-of-the-mill elementary school. Instead they are walking into the largest net-zero certified building in the world. While the building is contemporary in design and possibly stands out as luxurious for a public school (with a $42 million budget), its relatively “normal” materiality and design belie its superstar-green status. This is in part by design, but also because many of the architectural design features and decisions that make it an energy powerhouse are relatively subdued and surprisingly low-tech.

While the school relies on a number complex systems (a 150 geothermal well field, over 1,500 PV solar panels, and a robust energy management system) to achieve its net-zero status, it also relies in large part on relatively low-tech building methods and materials. These are found primarily as part of the building’s envelope. 

The Whole is Greater than the Sum

The full benefit of these high tech systems cannot be fully realized unless the physical building itself efficiently manages and retains the renewable energy it generates. The energy generating systems and the building envelope work hand-in-hand to achieve its net-zero (and occasionally net-positive) status. Keeping energy in (and out) is arguably just as important as how it is generated. This is where the exterior envelope comes into play. 

    Some of the major building envelope systems used at Discovery include its wall types, window types, and shading mechanisms.

Discovery Elementary School in Arlington, Virginia (Image: VMDO Architects, Alan Karchmer Photography)

Not Your Average Wall

Starting with the walls, Discovery used in large part Insulated Concrete Forms, or ICF. Not used as widely in the US as it is elsewhere in the world, and used even less in commercial construction, ICF was attractive for this project because of the high R-value it achieved on its own, even before additional finish materials were added on the interior and exterior faces. As an added bonus, for Discovery, it acts as a structural wall.

An ICF block (think large, foam Legos that stack and get filled with concrete) typically has 2-3 inch EPS foam on two sides, with plastic ties connecting those two pieces. The cavity is usually between 6 and 9 inches. The combination of two layers of foam with 6-9 inches of concrete between them, and the utilization of plastic ties means that there is no thermal bridge between the exterior and interior face of the building.

The inherent monolithic construction of ICF blocks dictated much of the façade design. While the building utilizes large walls of glass in strategic areas (places either facing north or that can be shaded), the majority of the openings are punched through the ICF walls. What resulted was a largely brick façade that complimented the building’s context of a 1950s brick middle school, and brick-clad residential homes. 

During the construction process further benefits of using ICF were discovered. For example, gypsum board could be applied directly to the inner foam face, and installing conduit was as easy as routing out some foam and putting a wall over it.

Windows – Where and What?

As mentioned previously, while ICF was used in large quantities in part to help with achieving maximum insulation, it was still important to provide generous amounts of glass throughout the building to create an ideal learning environment. It may come as a surprise, but with the recent advances in LED lighting, depending on climate, glass type, and orientation, using LED lights in lieu of natural light provided by windows can actually be more energy efficient when heating loads from the sun are taken into account. However constructing a building without any windows in the name of efficiency would not make for a great school. 

In this project windows were placed strategically to achieve optimal lighting for the building’s users, while simultaneously balancing the effect they have on the building’s energy efficiency. Along the southern face of the building, almost every window utilizes some sort of external shading feature to reduce solar heat gain (see image below). Long window walls along corridors and the cafeteria were accompanied by long roof overhangs (in some areas as deep as 20 feet).

South-facing classroom windows utilize colorful aluminum exterior sunshades. A portion of the 1,500 rooftop PV panels are visible to the students and serve as a teaching tool. (Image: VMDO Architects, Lincoln Barbour Photography)

Shade is Vital

Large overhangs protect the interior spaces from direct sunlight, while also creating shaded occupiable areas outside. (Image: VMDO Architects, Lincoln Barbour Photography)

Ensuring that the shading mechanisms were part of the physical envelope of the building, and not simply internal blinds installed as an afterthought was important in ensuring the longevity of the building’s energy efficiency.

The shading mechanisms employed are just as important as the glass types chosen. Discovery used double-pane glass (with multiple layers of film) throughout, and while the designers could have employed the use of triple-pane glass, the material cost increase was not in line with the energy savings that would be made by adding additional PV panels at a comparatively lower cost. The combination of strategic window placement and exterior shading as part of the building envelope ultimately led to cost savings while still achieving a net-zero energy goal.

It was decisions like these that ultimately made the project both feasible from a constructability and financial aspect, while still achieving its goal of reaching net-zero certification. High tech energy management systems were utilized in conjunction with relatively simple construction techniques and design decisions. 

About the Author

George Klett is currently pursuing his Master of Real Estate Development at the University of Southern California. He has previously worked on the entitlement and construction documentation of a variety of mixed-use projects in the LA area. Prior to working in LA, he worked as a Junior Designer at VMDO architects, where he had the pleasure of working on the construction documents for Discovery Elementary School. For further information on this project, please contact George at g.d.klett@gmail.com