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VMA's Sipprelle Field House Receives LEED Gold certification

27 July 2012 | Member News

The new LEED Gold certified Sipprelle Field House provides St. Andrew's School with enough space to support their mission of allowing all students to participate equally without compromise to their schedule. St. Andrew’s believes that individuals grow through amateur athletics, and by experiencing the values of teamwork, resilience, discipline, sportsmanship, and poise under pressure. Designed by Voith & Mactavish Architects, the new 52,000 sf athletic facility houses ten squash courts, a 5,000 sf weight and fitness area, a 20,000 sf field house, an exhibition basketball court, wrestling room, and multipurpose studio for yoga. Locker rooms, laundry, and equipment storage fill out the program.

The floor of the field house is depressed fifteen feet below grade to take advantage of the earth's cooling fifty-five degree temperature. This reduced perimeter also allows the scale of the field house to remain respectful of existing historic buildings on campus. The above ground portion contains an at grade jogging track. Expansive glazing allows 100% natural lighting during the day and views of the idyllic, rural campus.

Local and regional materials were used throughout the new field house. Exterior windowsills and main entrance facade are composed of Indiana limestone. Local quarried schist and granite columns adorn the front of the building. These materials were brought indoors on a wall at the back of the daylit lobby. Interior windowsills, lobby floor and stairs are slate.

Key strategies for the LEED Gold certified facility includes daylight for 100% of the gym spaces in the Field House and 83% of other regularly occupied spaces, mostly offices. 99% of all regularly occupied spaces provide views to outside, excluding the wood floor basketball courts where views and glazing would be distracting. There is a 42% reduction in wastewater usage from average toilets, sinks, and other fixtures by using more efficient fixtures. The yearly cost for energy in the building is less than that of an average building and the team was able to divert 75% of construction waste.


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