Williams Scotsman's Green Charter School Project Earns High Marks
BALTIMORE - February 24, 2010 - Williams Scotsman, the leading provider of modular space and secure storage solutions in North America, today announced the sustainable school campus completed in Chula Vista, California is LEED® Gold certified with U.S. Green Building Council (USGBC). High Tech High, a charter school serving approximately 550 students in San Diego's South Bay, has set a new standard for sustainably-designed learning environments. In addition to being LEED Gold certified, the school was submitted to the Collaborative for High Performance Schools (CHPS) program, a national initiative to improve student performance and the overall education experience by building the best possible schools.
"This project exemplifies the trajectory toward the greening of schools in our nation, and we hope that others will follow in High Tech High's footsteps," said Michele Cunningham, vice president of marketing and business transformation for Williams Scotsman. "We commend High Tech High for their commitment to sustainable education space and for realizing the benefits inherent with sustainable modular design."
Working with BYCOR, a San Diego based general contractor, Williams Scotsman delivered 59 modules, to construct eight buildings for High Tech High, totaling 32,807 square feet. The buildings are connected by a steel canopy, which adds 12,645 square feet of space to the campus.
"With the rigorous LEED certification and CHPS verification processes, we are delighted that the project has attained such high sustainable design ratings," said Christopher Gerber, the director of facilities for High Tech High. "This was certainly a collaborative effort and we applaud our building partners for delivering such a strong environmentally-focused project within the unyielding time and budget requirements."
Various green materials were used to enhance classroom acoustics, day-lighting and energy efficiencies. The modular units feature various high-performance products including, dual pane windows with low-E coatings, acrylic skylights, light fixtures with motion controlled sensors and low volatile organic compound (VOC) paint. The project also incorporated renewable and recycled materials such as sealed lightweight concrete floors, Homasote 440 Sound Barriers, which are high-density fiberboards made from recycled newsprint that help to control acoustics in walls, and a sprayed polyurethane roof. All the materials, with the exception of the interior casework, were available locally, further reducing the carbon footprint of the project.
The school will also serve as a learning tool for both students and visitors. High Tech High has a permanent educational display located in the school lobby, which showcases the sustainable project attributes, student work, and project-specific sustainable design elements. In addition, the school tours hundreds of visitors through the facility each year so the sustainable features can be seen and experienced.
"Our company has a long-standing commitment to creating sustainable modular solutions in the markets that we serve," said Duncan Gillis, president and chief operating officer of Algeco Scotsman, Williams Scotsman's parent company. "We are proud of our role with High Tech High and will continue to dedicate resources to support high-performance modular concepts across various industries."
About High Tech High
High Tech High began in 2000 as a single charter high school launched by a coalition of San Diego business leaders and educators. It has evolved into an integrated network of schools spanning grades K-12, housing a comprehensive teacher certification program and a new, innovative Graduate School of Education.
About LEED
The LEED Green Building Rating System is the nationally accepted benchmark for the design, construction, and operation of high performance green buildings.
Media Contact
Tracey Cassidy
Rose Communications for Williams Scotsman tcassidy@rosecomm.com 201-656-7178 ext. 202