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LONG BEACH, CA SCHOOL
ATLANTA, GA, JANUARY 29, 2008 – The Cesar Chavez Elementary School in downtown Long Beach, CA stands as a role model of energy efficiency and creative design. Since its opening in 2004, the school has garnered eight awards. The accolades are well deserved for this project which was a cooperative effort between the Long Beach Unified School District and City of Long Beach.
The school exceeds state energy efficiency requirements by more than 34 percent with annual energy consumption reduced by approximately $30,000 compared to less compliant buildings. Water usage is also considerably reduced. From the outset, its design focused on planning for sharing the facility with the surrounding community. Residents gain access to the gymnasium after school ends on weekdays and on weekends while students can play in a specific part of a neighboring park during school hours. An onsite health clinic furthers the community centered approach.
Sustainability was incorporated throughout the building’s planning with recyclable and recycled materials and products with minimal emissions specifically selected. Effective use of day lighting, natural ventilation systems and channeling of rain water into landscaped areas was put in place.
LPA, Inc. Architect and Project Manager Kimberly Coffeen said the planned diversified uses of the approximately 6,100 square foot gymnasium required multipurpose flooring designed for physical education classes and with the durability to resist food stains if something was spilled during an indoor lunch or after-school community program. She researched Taraflex® Sport M Plus flooring and learned it fulfilled the initial criteria and more.
“Other benefits are its recycled content values,” said Coffeen, adding Taraflex contributed to reaching a critical target. That was the overall goal for 50% of all building materials to contain post consumer recycled content. The recycled content of the Taraflex floor is 43%.
Additional contributing factors were the usage of Taraflex in similar facilities and for prestigious sports competitions. Taraflex has been an official supplier to the Olympic Games since 1976 and installed in many other school districts and large scale projects.
“The Taraflex floor turned out great and has lots of benefits,” said Coffeen. “I recommend it to other project managers if they’re looking for something different for multipurpose use.”
“For years, Gerflor has been committed to producing environmentally friendly PVC flooring with player performance and safety built into its design,” explained Nicolas Bauer, U S sports marketing manager. “This two-pronged approach has resulted in durable flooring requiring very basic maintenance that doesn’t limit facility use because of cleaning procedures or restrict the range of activities.”
The school received Sustainable Design Certification from the Collaborative for High Performance Schools (CHPS). The organization sets standards for the design and construction of high performance school buildings that are resource efficient, healthy and comfortable. Organized in 2000, CHPS is a non-profit organization that works to raise the standard for California school facilities. For more information, visit www.chps.net.
The Cesar Chavez Elementary School has also received awards and citations from the American Institute of Architects, American Association of School Administrators, Council of Education Facility Planners International and Concrete Masonry Institute/AIAC.
LPA, Inc. is one of the largest architectural, planning, landscape, and interior design firms in California. Founded in 1965, LPA has a long history of architectural design and project management experience. LPA provides a full scope of architectural, planning, landscape architecture, and interior design services from early program development to final design documents through completion of construction administration. LPA, Inc., www.lpainc.com, has offices in Irvine and Roseville, California.
The floor was installed by Architectural Floor Systems, the exclusive California distributor for Taraflex® Sports Flooring by Gerflor.
Taraflex® Sport M Plus is seven millimeters thick with an enhanced shock absorption rate of 35%. With its restricted area deformation, there are no vibrations, injuries or “dead spots.” Its multilayer construction includes a 100% pure vinyl wear layer, 100% pure recycled vinyl wear layer, reinforced fiberglass grid and double density foam backing. Proprietary product treatments minimize water usage needed for cleaning; resist stains, scratches and food spills; prevent bacteria and fungus growth, and reduce friction burn risk. Taraflex environmentally friendly flooring meets and exceeds the stringent performance standards mandated by all major flooring associations and contributes to LEED certification.