QKArchiblog >

Posts Tagged ‘Green Schools’

Ross School Grand Opening

Thursday, August 26th, 2010

A wonderful grand opening of phase one of Ross School occurred on August 23rd. District Construction Manager Jim Walton and QKA Construction Manager Tenaya Dale (with adorable son Tyler) were on hand for last minute clean-up before the dedication ceremony. Former Superintendent Tammy Murphy returned from her new job in Southern California for the opening (see picture of Jim, Tenaya, Mark Quattrocchi and Tammy). Ribbon cutting was done by an incoming kindergartener and first grader with help from a Ross resident who graduated from Ross School in 1939! Truly a collaborative community event. Kudos to all involved.

Arch Daily Interviews Aaron Jobson

Tuesday, August 10th, 2010

Check out this interivew featuring Aaron Jobson.

Ross School Nearing Completion

Wednesday, July 21st, 2010

American Canyon High School Dedication

Monday, June 21st, 2010

June, 2010
Over 1,000 people were in attendance! It was very moving to hear the speeches but best of all were the comments and awestruck looks from parents and students as they walked around the campus. Can’t wait to post final photography to our website in September and give everyone a closer look at this amazing campus.

First Verified Collaborative for High Performance (CHPS) School in California

Thursday, June 17th, 2010

American Canyon High School, First CHPS Verified School in California
Our Latest News—American Canyon High School is the first school in California verified by the Collaborative for High Performance Schools (CHPS)—the United States’ first green building rating program especially designed for K-12 schools. A dedication ceremony will be held June 18th with doors opening to students in August. Developed to serve the growing community of American Canyon, Napa Valley Unified School District’s state of the art high school campus is planned to accommodate over 2,000 students. Designed by Quattrocchi Kwok Architects, this highly sustainable campus features extensive daylighting, a geothermal system to minimize heating and cooling energy, recycled materials and a one megawatt photovoltaic power system which when complete will generate over 80% of the campus’ electricity. ACHS will be formally recognized as CHPS Verified later this summer when construction is completed.

“For years, Napa Valley Unified School District has been active in establishing programs and obtaining equipment to save energy and lessen the carbon footprint of its operations. The construction of American Canyon High School brings the latest technologies and green operating features together, at one site. [By] incorporating green efforts into the learning environment of a high school rich with technological amenities from which students will participate and witness our changing world, is a very positive educational experience.” – Don Evans, Napa Valley Unified School District.

“Upon setting foot on the American Canyon High School campus, students and staff will immediately know their community’s commitment to them and to their school. ACHS has been designed to be a learning environment that is healthy and productive, as well as resource-efficient and community-oriented. It is truly a model high performance school. Napa Valley Unified showed an early commitment to ‘green’ by being the first to go through the CHPS Verified design review in California. We will be lucky to count such an impressive project among the list of CHPS Verified schools.” – Bill Orr, Executive Director, Collaborative for High Performance Schools.

High Performance Schools – Free CHPS Training in SF with Aaron Jobson

Friday, May 21st, 2010

Wednesday, May 26 / 9 AM to 4 PM
Pacific Energy Center in San Francisco
Funding for this free training is generously provided by Pacific Gas and Electric

High Performance Schools: A CHPS Update (9 AM to noon)
Discover the benefits of safe, healthy, energy-efficient facilities that provide the amenities for a quality education. Participants will learn about the updated 2009 edition of the CA-CHPS Criteria, the CHPS implementation roadmap, and new resources available through the CHPS program. In particular, participants will learn how to apply CA-CHPS to major modernizations with plenty of examples of what can be done from real school projects. Aaron Jobson of Quattrochi Kwok Architects will also provide a case study of American Canyon High School, one of the first schools approved under the CHPS Verified program. In addition, funding opportunities including Prop 1D, Savings By Design, and the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act (ARRA) will be discussed.

Happy Earth Day!

Thursday, April 22nd, 2010


Napa Valley Unified School District’s hybrid bus.
Credit: Lianne/Register

Growing Greener Schools Documentary on PBS

Tuesday, April 13th, 2010

April 4, 2010 – April 25, 2010
Growing Greener Schools is a PBS television event showing students, teachers, and parents how to incorporate green ideas into their physical school buildings and classroom curriculums, paving the way for a sustainable future. It airs at different times on PBS stations across the country.

KQED World, San Francisco, Sunday, April 18, 10pm; Monday, April 19, 4am; Thursday, April 22, 9am and noon; Saturday, April 24, 2pm

KCSM, San Francisco/San Mateo, Thursday, April 22, 9pm

KRCB, San Francisco/Rohnert Park, TBA

Sponsor: Media Policy Center and PBS

Solar Schoolhouse Forum – Powering Schools with Sunlight

Friday, February 12th, 2010

Solar-Power
QKA is a proud sponsor of the Solar Schoolhouse Forum on March 26th at Sonoma Mountain Village in Rohnert Park. In addition, QKA Associate Aaron Jobson will be a guest speaker for a panel discussion. Join school board representatives, adminstrators, facilities personnel, curriculum specialists, and teaching staff as we explore the major opportunity solar electric systems provide. You’ll find tips and tools on how to reduce utility costs, write RFPs and contracts, pros and cons of financing models and how to leverage solar electric systems as teaching tools.

For information on how you can attend this informative event, please register online by March 10th.

American Canyon High School Ranked #1 Construction Project

Tuesday, January 26th, 2010

American Canyon High School - December 2009

If you recently received a copy of the North Bay Business Journal’s Book of Lists, check out page 61–American Canyon High School is ranked by value as the #1 construction project in Sonoma, Napa, Marin and Solano counties. This progress shot was taken December 2009.