On the evening of May 4, 2007, a 1.7-mile-wide EF5 tornado cut a path through the middle of Greensburg, Kansas, destroying most of the town, including homes, the downtown business district, and local schools. Looking to replace its educational facilities as quickly as possible, Unified School District 422 chose a design from Kansas City-based BNIM for a single K-12 school complex that would still separate out the experiences of grade school, middle school, and high school. BNIM worked to optimize daylighting and ventilation throughout the facility through precision orientation and the use of expansive operable windows, and outdoors the firm had a number of wetlands and natural areas constructed or restored to help catch storm water and prevent runoff. Additionally, a 50-kilowatt wind turbine on-site and a wind farm outside of town were connected to provide 100 percent of the school’s energy needs, and structural insualted panels helped create a tight building envelope. Now, located in a town where practically the entire population pays attention to school sporting events, productions, and graduations, the new facility’s front doors open directly onto Greensburg’s restored main street in the middle of town, maximizing its relationship with the community at large. ABQ
On the land surrounding the school, walking trails weave through a series of bioswales and constructed and restored wetlands, which filter and treat rainwater and wastewater and reduce the heat-island effect while also providing students with immediate access to a natural local ecosystem. The newly planted native trees were selected for their adaptability to Kansas’s climatic extremes, and deep-rooted vegetation helps the soil absorb and store water to make up for the region’s low annual rainfall.Six water-storage units are located around the school to conserve as much of the rain that falls on the property as possible. Perforated sun-shading devices offer enhanced control of how much daylight will pour into each classroom at any given point in the day.Large windows in the classrooms provide ample daylighting, and they can be opened at the bottom to allow individualized control of natural ventilation.Priority was given to recycled materials such as the the interior-finish wood seen here. The wood was salvaged from cypress trees from Louisiana that were downed during Hurricane Katrina.The limestone-shingle rain-screen façade uses stone from a quarry just 120 miles from Greensburg. Roof overhangs draw rainwater to a central trough, and the water then flows into one of six rainwater-collection tanks, which are used for irrigation during the dry season. Native vegetation planted around the entire structure requires little water and can thrive in nearly all weather conditions, keeping maintenance costs low.
