Energy-Efficient Building Brings a Touch of Spiritual Inspiration to Seminary Students

A new high performance classroom building at Mount Angel Abbey
gains national attention from AIA

August 17, 2007

For Immediate Release

Contact Information:
Robert Hoang/SRG Partnership
rhoang@srgpartnership.com
503.222.1917

Therese Lang/Coates Kokes
therese@coateskokes.com
503.241.1124

Portland, Ore. - Members of the AIA from around the country will be touring the new high performance classroom that only a few short years ago, was just an idea. The tour of the new energy-efficient building is a part of the "Spiritual Space and the Spirit of Place," a national conference being held in Portland, Oregon in August.

Many of the architects attending the conference are members of the AIA's Interfaith Forum on Religion, Art & Architecture (IFRAA) and have a particular interest in religious-building design. The new classroom building at Mount Angel Abbey, aptly named Annunciation, has integrated natural elements, such as sun and air into the overall design of the space created by Portland-based architecture firm SRG Partnership.

Some of the features of this high performance classroom building include:

• 21,600 square feet including six classrooms, 25 faculty and administrative offices, a boardroom and student and faculty support spaces;
• Significantly reduced operating expenses -- the building is expected to be 62 percent more energy-efficient than the Oregon Energy Code;
• Natural daylighting -- Classroom skylights with integral louvers and custom reflectors combine to eliminate glare and evenly distribute daylight throughout the room. Skylights are sized so the classrooms can be naturally daylighted for 95% of the occupied hours;
• Natural ventilation -- Classroom ventilation air is drawn through louvers that surround the windows. It circulates across the thermal mass and vents by stack effect through turbine ventilators at the roof. The night flush cycle keeps the building cool on hot days;
• Minimal mechanical equipment-- the building has a very modest radiant heating system, no active cooling system, and includes controls that boost system performance.

"In addition to achieving health and financial benefits from this building, we were also able to combine a resource saving design with spirituality," said Kent Duffy, FAIA, Principal, SRG Partnership. "This space appropriately represents the mission of the seminary students which is to become faith-based stewards of the Earth."

Duffy worked closely with G.Z. "Charlie" Brown (Professor of Architecture at the University of Oregon and manager of the University's Energy Studies in Buildings Lab in Portland and Eugene), and Mike Hatten (Principal of SOLARC Architecture and Engineering) to design classrooms that were completely naturally daylighted and ventilated. With the help of BetterBricks, they developed a full-size prototype to test all the daylighting components prior to starting construction on the project. Their work was built upon previous studies for an energy efficient k-12 classroom that Brown and Hatten developed with Heinz Rudolf (Principal with BOORA Architects).

"The goal of the building's design was to have all the practical pieces such as classrooms, meeting rooms and faculty rooms, but in such a way as to reveal God's presence through places of silence and reflection," said Father Michael Mee, Procurator, Mount Angel Abbey. "We now have a building where at first entry it is clear that God and his wisdom are sought here."

Other schools are interested in incorporating features of this innovative building in classrooms for Portland Public Schools and other school districts around the country.

SRG Partnership Inc. started in Portland in 1972 and has grown to a staff of 75. Its notable civic projects in Oregon include the Oregon Coast Aquarium and the University of Oregon Jordan Schnitzer Museum of Art. In addition, recent projects include Bellevue City Hall, Pike Place Market Redevelopment, the University of Oregon Lillis Business Complex, Genentech Founders Research Center and Shriners Hospital for Children in Honolulu and Portland.

BetterBricks is the commercial initiative of the Northwest Energy Efficiency Alliance, which is supported by local electric utilities. BetterBricks advocates for changes to energy-related business practices in Northwest buildings. On betterbricks.com, find information, tools, training and resources to help buildings make a difference to the bottom line.

The Seminary at Mount Angel Abbey is comprised of the Graduate School of Theology and a College of Liberal Arts in the Benedictine tradition whose primary purpose is the education and formation of men for the Roman Catholic priesthood. The School of Theology also admits qualified lay men and women who are interested in pursuing a theological education. The seminary is committed to academic excellence, to holistic formation, and to providing a solid foundation for growth in the spiritual life.