- Size: 58,000 sq. ft.
- Location: Monmouth, OR
- Completion Date: August 2002
- Utilities: Portland General Electric & Northwest Natural Gas
- Technologies: Passive solar design for heating and daylighting; T-5 uplights; radiant hydronic heating panels; 90% pulse boilers; gravity roof vents; water-efficient fixures and landscaping; recycled, and low toxic materials.
Ash Creek Intermediate School in Monmouth, Oregon presents a new model for state-of-the-art, sustainable school design. Opened in fall 2002, the new 58,000-square-foot building is an "intermediate" facility for approximately 400 5th and 6th graders; eventually it will be an elementary school. Built by the growing Central School District 13J, which serves Independence and Monmouth, the school is the product of a team effort led by a 12-person committee representing Central School District 13J, and the BOORA architecture firm in Portland, Oregon. They had a common goal: to create an energy-efficient and environmentally friendly school within the district's limited budget. The project team also followed LEED guidelines but did not seek certification due to budget constraints.
The school cost about $124 per square foot compared to the typical middle school cost of $135-$145 per square foot.
As Superintendent Forrest Bell put it, “the committee wanted the school to be a beacon for the community, meet our budget both now and well into the future, and not drain the resources of future generations."
Energy efficiency is one of the building's many pluses. Through passive solar design and state-of-the-art daylighting and electronic controls, the school will use approximately 30 percent less energy than Oregon's energy code requires.