Gen7 Brings Prefab Green Classrooms
to the San Francisco Bay Area
Project Highlights
The Albany Gen7 classrooms are next-level green, reducing electricity costs from daylighting and a Thermal Displacement Ventilation system that can cut energy consumption in half. Built off-site, they were installed on-campus
in one day, with an all-steel frame and 5" concrete base that gives them the same lifespan as a conventional building.
- 1st modular green school in the Bay Area
- 30% lower construction costs than a traditional structure
- 50-year life expectancy
Project Background
When the Albany Unified School District commissioned four new classrooms, going green was a given. Going prefab helped them get the eco-friendly features they wanted at a price they could afford. Part of the Albany High
School Aquatic Center project, four Gen7 classrooms were installed in June 2011, giving students a new wing of permanent, high-performance, low-maintenance learning space that can deliver as much as 60% in energy savings
Challenge:
Since the new classrooms would be sited adjacent to the high-profile Albany High School pool complex, AUSD wanted the look and permanence of conventional construction at a more budget-friendly cost.
Goal:
To deliver an inspiring learning environment with the customized, high-quality look, feel and state-of-the-art features of stick-built green construction quickly, economically and ecologically.
Solution:
Install four Gen7 classrooms that would seamlessly integrate with the architectural design of the aquatic complex, while providing a safe, healthy educational environment for generations of students. Gen7's precision manufacturing
allowed AUSD to save significantly on construction costs and time, delivering a permanent, sustainable structure that offers all the benefits of a traditional building, as well as ongoing energy savings that will continue
to pay back over the life of the school.
"From their sustainable construction to the natural lighting, to the way they feel... I would venture to say that it would be very difficult for anyone to think they were less than stick construction. I will tell you this:
I would actually prefer the Gen7 to stick-built construction at this point in time." - Marla Stephenson, Superintendent, the Albany Unified School District
"Gen7 offers an appealing new way to make green schools financially feasible for school districts throughout California. The flexible design integrates seamlessly with the aquatic complex and offers high performance features
that other prefab structures simply can't match." - Steve Newsom, Project Director, LPA, Inc.