Watrous Associates Architects
|
|
Other Projects
St. Benedict Center for
Early Childhood Education Inc.
|
|
Watrous Associates Architects was hired to design a
new building for the St. Benedict Center For Early
Childhood Inc., serving Louisville's African-American
community. The 11,000 s.f. structure is the first
super-insulated, passive-solar childcare center in the
region.
|
|
|
(click to expand)
|
|
|
Desiged in coordination with the National
Renewable Energy Laboratory it uses about half as
much energy for heating, cooling, and lighting as a
conventional building the same size. Abundant natural
lighting provides a cheerful interior while cutting electric
lighting and cooling bills.
|
|
|
(click to expand)
|
|
This million dollar project incorporates the theme "Living
Lightly on Planet Earth". With vegetable and flower gardens outside and also indoors in
the Atrium/Sunspace, the building itself will function as part of the package of teaching
tools for a new environmental curriculum specifically designed for very young children.
|
|
Solar heat is stored in the floor using a patented Airfloor system. When heated air is
directed through it, a pleasant radiant floor is created. This system is ideal for small
children who spend much of their time on or near the floor. The Airfloor thus serves as a
giant "heat battery" to store and use solar heat in winter. For nighttime and cloudy days,
it can function as regular ductwork to direct electrically heated or cooled air to all rooms.
Roof overhangs on the south side shield windows from direct sun in the summer, thus
lowering air-conditioning bills.
|
|
|
(click to expand)
|
|
