Education

Cameron High School / Middle School

The new $32 million Cameron High School / Middle School was designed with potential LEED Silver Certification, incorporating sustainable, “green” concepts. 

The new 130,000 SF building consisted of designing a combined middle and high school on a severely sloping site adjacent to exiting athletic facilities. The retaining walls also serve as building enclosure walls and contribute to passive conditioning by thermal mass.

We made an extensive effort to make the school both economically feasible and environmental sensitive.

Glass curtainwall is used to highlight main and secondary public entrances; translucent panel skylights are utilized at interior spaces to expand daylight harvesting throughout which is integrated into the buildings lighting controls.

The Owner’s program required Middle School and High School areas with both separate and integrated facilities; as well as Vocational Technical Education programs. The facility features Departmentalized classroom groupings.

A school-wide WI-FI and Interactive “smart” boards in all classrooms are incorporated to support the Owner’s future “paper-less” goals.

Safe Schools considerations included CPTED transparency as an element in safety, with administrative areas strategically placed for supervision of entrances and commons areas. An electronic access control and security system integrated into the Owner’s district wide system is also incorporated into the project.

Sustainable design goals included reduced life cycle costs met through incorporation of LEED accreditation goals, the use of air terminal units, “chilled beams”, desiccant wheel dehumidifiation, and much more.

To date the school has won multiple awards acknowledging achievements in taking a comprehensive approach to green schools, including: a 2013 Placemaker Award for Innovation from West Virginia GreenWorks; the 2014 Black Bear Award for the Highest Achievement in the West Virginia Sustainable Schools program; and selection as a 2014 U.S. Department of Education Green Ribbon School!

Project Details
Category
Education, PK-12
Location
Cameron, West Virginia
Size
130,000 SF approx.
Project Architect
Patrick J Rymer
AIA, ALEP/CEFP
Awards
  • 2013 Placemaker Award for Innovation from West Virginia GreenWorks
  • 2014 Black Bear Award for the Highest Achievement in the West Virginia Sustainable Schools program
  • Selected as a 2014 U.S. Department of Education Green Ribbon School