Photo: Steel is widely recognized as the most recycled material on the planet.
CO Architects, known for its extensive portfolio of academic projects, served as architect for the design and construction of a new gymnasium at the Berendo Middle School.
The 21,000-square-foot, two-story facility in Central City, a neighborhood and business district in Los Angeles, was designed to celebrate and enhance the school’s connection to the community. The new gymnasium has space for fitness, school assemblies, neighborhood functions and student dances.
CO Architects included sustainable elements in the gym. According to School Construction News, these include structural materials made of recycled steel and steel studs. The steel framing is covered with rigid insulation and plaster to reduce thermal resistance to a level below what is mandated by code.
Additionally, the gym features a “cool roof” to reduce the amount of heat that can bleed into the building on a typical sunny Southern California day, School Construction News says. The building also features “solar tubes” that funnel natural light into the building.
“Physical fitness is a healthy part of how kids learn,” says Rosa Trujillo, principal of Berendo Middle School. “And this gym is going to bring a much needed opportunity to continue that program.”
The Berendo Middle School gym is part of a physical education complex that also includes a new athletic field and a plaza that links to the surrounding community neighborhoods of Pico-Union, MacArthur Park and Koreatown. The completed green spaces provide a community amenity, which had been lacking in this dense urban setting, says the CO Architects website.
The Environmental Product Declaration for Cold-Formed Steel (CFS) Framing — SCS-EPD-07103 (version Jan. 25, 2022) — is good through May 27, 2026.
The Steel Framing Industry Association (SFIA) has released a new Environmental Product Declaration for Cold-Formed Steel (CFS) Framing, the latest tool for contractors, building owners, architects and others who strive to deliver advanced building designs that meet the latest LEED™ and other sustainable rating systems, programs and standards.The new SFIA EPD for CFS Framing — SCS-EPD-07103 (version Jan. 25, 2022) — can be seamlessly integrated into project specifications as an option with company-specific EPDs. SFIA offers a Specifications Review Service for this task. Architects can request the SFIA Specifications Review Service for steel framing, which is a completely free checkup.
Additional Resources
- Athletics Facility Enhancement Program – Steel Was The Obvious Choice
- Steel Framing Saves Construction Time for Student Housing Project
- Builder Chooses Cold-Formed Steel to Meet University of Virginia Student Housing Project Goals