Andersen Anderson Architects, Hawaii portable classrooms, portable classrooms, low voc materials, natural daylight, natural ventilation, energy positive, energy positive classroom, energy conservation, occupancy sensor, minimal environmental impact, solar heat gain, FSC timber, natural finish,Prefabricated off-site as three modules, the 960-square-foot portable classroom is topped with a distinctive sawtooth roof that uses north-facing windows to optimize ventilation and natural daylight to the interior. The solar panels that clad the roof offer shade to reduce solar heat gain. All windows are operable to maximize natural ventilation. The interior includes low VOC materials, natural finishes, and FSC-certified timber structures. Analysis modeling for a thirty-year lifecycle projects that the costs for this high-performance prototype will be lower than the conventional energy-consuming portables.

Andersen Anderson Architects, Hawaii portable classrooms, portable classrooms, low voc materials, natural daylight, natural ventilation, energy positive, energy positive classroom, energy conservation, occupancy sensor, minimal environmental impact, solar heat gain, FSC timber, natural finish,

“The manufacturing and delivery process, and the materials and products employed are all selected for minimum environmental impact and for maximum contribution to a healthy indoor environment,” write the architects. “Wherever possible, materials are chosen to conserve resources, minimize initial and lifecycle maintenance costs, and to promote educational awareness of the natural environment and its relationship to comfortable and healthy living. The design focuses on performance issues directly impacting the learning experience of its occupants and the environmental quality of its community—thermal comfort, natural daylighting, indoor air quality, energy and resource conservation and generation.”

Andersen Anderson Architects, Hawaii portable classrooms, portable classrooms, low voc materials, natural daylight, natural ventilation, energy positive, energy positive classroom, energy conservation, occupancy sensor, minimal environmental impact, solar heat gain, FSC timber, natural finish,

Related: Heliotrope: The World’s First Energy Positive Solar Home

The energy-positive classroom includes extensive environmental monitoring systems that broadcast building performance data to the web, which will be studied by a scientific team for evaluation over a two-year period. The building and performance data will also be used as learning tools for the students, other schools, and the general public. Occupancy sensors will contribute to energy conservation by “learning” patterns of activity, such as automatically turning off the lights when occupants leave the space.

+ Anderson Anderson Architecture