Edison Language Academy is a language immersion school for 470 students in the Santa Monica Malibu Unified School District.  The school district, faculty and parents were strongly supportive of a high performance, healthy, and environmentally responsible building and grounds for this new building and grounds. The school features daylighted classrooms with cross ventilation and solar chimneys that provide both daylight and thermally driven natural ventilation for the classrooms.

 

Section showing natural ventilation induced by the solar chimneys.

SERVICES

Daylighting improves the quality of visual comfort while reducing energy use. We use scale physical models and calibrated simulations with RADIANCE software and proprietary scripts to:
• Predict and evaluate illumination levels and light distribution
• Predict and analyze luminance gradients and glare potential
• Analyze thermal and energy use implications of daylighting design
• Design and evaluate daylighting to exhibition and curatorial performance criteria
• Predict energy savings from daylight harvesting
• Coordinate daylighting and electrical lighting design
• Post-occupancy HDRI analysis of luminance and visual comfort
Visual and thermal comfort in high-performance buildings rely on integrated glazing and curtain wall design. We use advanced simulation techniques to:
• Analyze visual performance of glazing alternatives
• Evaluate advanced glazing applications, including light redirecting glass and internal shading systems
• Predict and evaluate thermal performance of curtain wall systems
• Predict occupant comfort conditions for curtain wall alternatives
• Identify and coordinate value engineering tradeoffs for integrated high-performance facades
Effective shading reduces glare and minimizes solar heat gain without impeding the use of daylight for visual tasks. We assist the architect to design shading appropriate to the program, the climate and context of the project. We use scale physical models and calibrated models with RADIANCE software to:
• Analyze site conditions for solar access and shade potential
• Design sun control and glare control alternatives for local skies and climate conditions
• Evaluate shade alternatives for visual and thermal comfort
We use thermal comfort as the first target of analysis in energy efficient building design. When people are comfortable, no energy will be needed to heat or cool the space they occupy. Using a variety of software tools, we generate:
• Annual hour-by-hour simulations of thermal conditions inside the building without mechanical systems
• Parametric analysis of the role of each building component in providing thermal comfort and autonomy
• Design recommendations for achieving greater thermal comfort and greater energy autonomy
We provide both performance energy modeling and regulatory modeling (such as Title 24) as part of the design process. Performance energy modeling is used to understand the actual energy use, without regulatory defaults, to better characterize and compare building performance and energy costs during design and after occupancy. We use EnergyPlus, a whole building energy simulation program with proprietary scripts to model energy consumption for heating, cooling, ventilation, lighting and plug and process loads. We also use regulatory software as required by state energy codes for permitting when the project is ready to permit. Energy modeling includes:
• Simulating annual building energy use at all stages of design process
• Developing early energy use parametrics to identify energy saving opportunities in design alternatives
• Developing suites of energy strategies to reconsider conventional approaches to building energy use
• Comparison of mechanical strategies and HVAC systems in terms of energy use
• Green building certification
• Quantification of energy cost
• Real-time building control and operation
• Future weather energy simulations
Natural ventilation – using outside air to provide fresh outside air to a building and to exhaust hot air– is a critical design and operational strategy for high-performance and low energy buildings, both residential and commercial, in most climates. Natural ventilation is driven by the building design, with inlets and outlets provided for cross-ventilation and/or stack-ventilation. We use a combination of software and a laboratory wind-tunnel to assist the design team to:
• Strategically identify and locate the path of ventilating air
• Quantify the available wind on site in terms of direction, velocity and patterns of availability
• Size and locate openings for incoming air and exhaust
• Coordinate the mechanical system with natural ventilation as an operating protocol

SPECIALTY SERVICES

L+U provides schematic system design for space conditioning and ventilation systems.  We work in coordination with the architect, mechanical engineer, and mechanical subcontractor to create comfortable and sustainable environments that are architecturally-integrated, cost-effective, and low-maintenance.

  • Preliminary system sizing and load calculations
  • Systems diagrams and controls sequence of operation narrative
  • Equipment performance and code compliance specifications
  • Preliminary equipment specification

Loisos + Ubbelohde assisted the design team in reducing the school’s current energy use by 50% through energy modeling, daylight consulting, and the development of a high efficiency building envelope. These strategies produced a design that is 31.75% more efficient than Title 24 standards.  We provided natural ventilation simulations to help design the sculptural solar chimney stacks and prove their effectiveness for natural ventilation.  We also worked with the Savings By Design program to formulate a method for calculating natural ventilation as part of the energy savings calculations, resulting in significant owner and design incentive rebates.  The Edison Language Academy qualifies for the CHPS superior energy performance credit.

 

View of upper courtyard: Solar chimneys can be seen on both the left and right.

AWARDS

2015 AIACC Honor Award

2014 AIALA Design Award

2013 Westside Urban Forum Award

Radiance simulation of classroom daylighting.

Radiance simulation of isolux contours in plan of adjacent classrooms.