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High efficiency, low maintenance and durability; these are the predominant themes of a Southern California high school that serves as a joint-use facility for Ontario, California, one of the nation’s fastest growing cities.

While many schools continue to be built with steel frames and plaster, Colony High School in Ontario uses steel-reinforced CMU blocks and features a centralized chiller and high-efficiency lighting system, both of which enable the facility to exceed Title 24 requirements. “This is a traditional, large, open campus, easy to supervise and maintain,” said Chris R. Taylor, AIA, managing principal of HMC Architects' Ontario, California office, designers of the  $55 million school for Chaffey Joint Union High School District. 

Facility maintenance at Colony High School is relatively low
due to the prevalent usage of block walls and the elevated
placement of dual glaze windows, which maximize security
while minimizing opportunities for vandalism.

The City of Ontario contributed approximately $2 million to the project so that the school’s 14,000-square foot library, 2,500-seat gymnasium, 25-meter swimming pool, and 1,250-seat performing arts center could also be used as public facilities for the burgeoning city, whose population has increased by 20 percent to more than 170,000 during the past 10 years. Currently, Ontario is considered one of the nation’s fastest growing communities. The city also provided books and furniture for the library, which it operates with its own staff.

In addition to providing 280,000 square feet of space for 2,500 students, Colony High School’s gymnasium, swimming pool, library, and performing arts center are conveniently located on the perimeter of the campus, maximizing ease of public access. The single-story school, which opened in the fall of 2003, also features a 4,800-square foot teacher resource center that includes copy rooms and areas for teachers to host meetings and to collaborate with one another.

Facility maintenance at Colony High School is relatively low due to the prevalent usage of block walls and the elevated placement of dual glaze windows, which maximize security while minimizing opportunities for vandalism. The school also features 14-foot wide corridors that facilitate constant, rapid movement of students  throughout the campus. Earth tones were also selected for the walls to minimize  fingerprints while providing an overall soothing, comfortable learning environment. Most floors are carpeted although some vinyl composition tile is also used in the facility.

The classrooms are equipped with fiber optics and Category Five cabling to accommodate high-speed Internet and other technology applications. The classrooms also feature movable marker boards that hide built-in storage cabinets.

Operating efficiencies are largely achieved through a centralized HVAC system. “Here we used chilled water from a central plant instead of using air-cooled package units,” said Richard Campbell, CEO of Arcadia, California–based ACEA Inc., a mechanical engineering firm that worked as a consulting engineer for HMC on the project. He said water-cooled chillers, when properly operated and maintained, are far  more energy efficient than air-cooled package-based HVAC systems.

Colony High School is supplied with chilled water from two central plants that are water cooled by an adjacent cooling tower. Underground chilled water piping distributes chilled water throughout the campus. Equipment used for the HVAC system includes McQuay chillers, Weiman pumps, and Tower Tech towers. The actual chillers are electric centrifugal dual compressor units that use refrigerant 134.

Stearling roof top air handlers that range in size from 1,200 cfm to 2,200 cfm serve the classrooms. The units are supplied with chilled water for cooling, while the heating portion of the air handler units is a gas-fired furnace contained within the unit cabinet.

The gymnasium is served by large indirect-direct Spec Air cooling units with gas-fired furnaces, also located within each unit cabinet. The shower and locker rooms are served by Reznor package roof-mounted heating and ventilating units.

The entire system is controlled by a LON network that enables the various mechanical components of the HVAC system to communicate with one another using the same control language.

“Everybody makes controls for their equipment, but they all have their own software,” Campbell explained. “So it becomes a bit of a nightmare to have certain pieces of equipment that speak one language to effectively communicate with another. With LON, we have a network at the hardware level where every-thing speaks the same language.”

However, some buildings have HVAC controls that can stand alone should the network fail. For example, the administration building, cafeteria, and library each feature Carrier rooftop cooling units, while the auditorium uses a DX air-handling unit.

Meanwhile, additional operational efficiencies are achieved through architectural designs that maximize the best uses of both natural daylighting and high-efficiency lighting systems.

Based in Spokane, Washington, Martin Werr, director of marketing for the Columbia Lighting division of Hubbell Lighting, Inc., provided fluorescent light fixtures for Colony High School. Werr said that even relatively small reductions in energy requirements for light fixtures can translate into tremendous savings for schools and other public facilities over time, while helping them comply with Title 24 requirements. “There is a push throughout the lighting industry to achieve higher levels of energy efficiency,” he stated. “As a result, lighting companies are providing a new generation of energy-reducing lamp, ballast, and fixture combinations, while promoting increased use of occupancy sensors.”

Concrete blocks, used throughout the facility as the primary wall construction material, also maximize the durability and maintenance of the school.

Stanton, California–based Orco Block Co., which supplied the 8” x 8” x 16” blocks for Colony High School, acknowledged an increased interest in concrete blocks as schools and other public facilities seek more durable, easy-to- use construction materials.

“We’ve always supplied a lot of blocks for schools, but in the last two years, we’ve seen our numbers increase significantly,” said Brian Davidson, Orco’s manager. “I think it comes down to the fact that concrete blocks are just easier for contractors to use,” he continued, adding that they also are available in a variety of colors and textures, making them easy for architects and designers to specify for their projects.

“Blocks are manufactured in a controlled environment and they meet the specs,” Davidson said. “If you design a project using tilt up or concrete construction, you’re not going to necessarily get the diverse colors in the patterns that you may want. With blocks, most often, we can accommodate the specs. You can also test the product to make sure it meets the specs before it actually hits the site.”

“Not only did HMC meet the required specifications, but the design of this energy-conscious and cost-effective facility has exceeded our expectations,” said Superintendent Barry Cadwallader, Chaffey Joint Union High School District. “Colony High School definitely meets the needs of our District, faculty, the students, and the community.”

Chin-Whan Lee, AIA, serves as a Principal at HMC Architects’ Ontario, California office. Lee, a 25-year veteran of HMC, specializes in education and healthcare architecture and design. He can be reached directly at clee@hmcarchitects.com.

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