Skip to main content
Add as a preferred source on Google

Daylighting Systems for Energy Efficiency

  • 06/01/18
Solatube

Solatube Daylighting Systems were used throughout the classrooms and labs at Allegheny College, allowing the buildings to cut down on electricity used and harness the power of daylighting.

Founded in 1815, Allegheny College is a private liberal arts college located in Meadville, PA, and an acknowledged leader in sustainability. The college was one of the first to join the U.S. Department of Energy’s Better Buildings Challenge to upgrade energy performance by a minimum of 20 percent by the year 2020.

Carr Hall, an existing building built in the 1960s, was renovated to become a showcase for the campus’ environmental stewardship. The renovated building is home to the new Richard J. Cook Center for Environmental Science, honoring the former Allegheny College president who was passionate about science education and the environment. The Pittsburgh architectural firm of Perfido Weiskopf Wagstaff + Goettel teamed up with Massaro Corporation to achieve LEED Gold certification for Commercial Interiors. Providing daylight throughout the labs, classrooms, and lobby in this multistory building was one of the primary objectives.

Solatube Daylighting Systems, supplied by local representative M&M Specialty Products, were used throughout the classrooms and labs, allowing for the spaces to be independent of electric lighting most days. The most striking Solatube application is in the lobby area. Special custom black sleeves were designed to fit over the Solatube tubing to create a striking visual against the custom wood ceiling. The Solatube units in the lobby also serve to provide daylight for a living wall of plants.

“We’ve been extremely pleased with the inclusion of a large number of Solatube Daylighting Systems throughout the renovation. It is one of the features that most excites visitors and those that study and work in the building—first because they’re so surprised to hear that daylight rather than artificial light is illuminating the space, and second because it adds to the warm, natural quality of the space. They have allowed us to reduce our electricity consumption while maintaining plenty of light,” says Kelly Boulton, sustainability coordinator for the college.

www.solatube.com

This article originally appeared in the College Planning & Management June 2018 issue of Spaces4Learning.

Featured

  • Phoenix School District Breaks Ground on New Prep Academy

    The Creighton Elementary School District near Phoenix, Ariz., recently broke ground on a campus replacement for Biltmore Preparatory Academy, according to a news release. The new space will allow the school to expand its enrollment by 50 percent for K–8 students and accommodate modern, collaborative learning styles.

  • Virginia Tech Tops Out New College of Engineering Building

    Virginia Tech in Blacksburg, Va., recently celebrated the topping out of Mitchell Hall, which will soon stand as the largest College of Engineering building on campus, according to a news release. The university partnered with Skanska on the 285,500-square-foot facility, which has an expected completion date of winter 2028.

  • University of Kentucky Reopens Scovell Hall

    The University of Kentucky recently reopened Scovell Hall, part of the Martin-Gatton College of Agriculture, Food and Environment (CAFE), following comprehensive renovations to the 120-year-old facility in Lexington, Ky., according to a news release.

  • Tennessee Middle School Completes Health, Life Safety Renovations

    The Giles County Board of Education in Pulaski, Tenn., recently announced that a series of renovation projects has been completed at Bridgeforth Middle School, according to a news release. The district partnered with Wold Architects & Engineers and Brindley Construction to modernize building systems at one of the district’s oldest schools.