WRNS Studio was recognized by the National Institute of Building Sciences with a Beyond Green High-Performance Building and Community Award. Sonoma Academy's Janet Durgin Guild & Commons in Santa Rosa, California won the Honor Award, First Place for the High-Performance Buildings category. The winners were announced earlier this month at the Institute's Annual Awards Banquet held during the 2018 Building Innovation Conference & Expo at the Mandarin Oriental Hotel in Washington, D.C.
The project team was responsible for building a new educational facility to meet the high school's strict sustainability and energy efficiency targets. The design showcases how architecture can make nature part of the classroom experience and excite students to engage with their community and schools while targeting multiple high-performance building goals including: LEED v3 Platinum, Living Building Challenge Material and Energy Petals, and WELL Building Standard Education Pilot benchmarks.
"Sonoma Academy's decision to embrace innovative sustainable solutions demonstrates their leadership," said WRNS Studio Partner and Sustainability Director Pauline Souza. "They engaged the community and stakeholders to accept nontraditional building practices in order to create a place for learning, community and environmental stewardship".
Photography: Michael David Rose