Sonoma Academy Janet Durgin Guild + Commons
The Janet Durgin Guild and Commons have been awarded the first Living Building Challenge Zero Carbon certification in California and were the first to be both Zero Carbon and Petals (Energy, Materials, Equity, Beauty) certified by International Living Future Institute (ILFI).
The building is heated and cooled primarily by a ground-source heat pump (GSHP) system. Hot and cold water from the heat pump system is circulated through concrete slab flooring and ceiling panels that radiate into the spaces providing an energy-efficient design. The photovoltaic panels were sized to produce enough energy for the building to be Net Positive.
The project includes two main student spaces: the Guild and the Commons. The Commons is a student center with two all-electric kitchens, one for teaching and one for food service, that feature top-performing and highly-efficient induction stoves. The kitchen, pizza oven, and dining hall overlook the gardens where the students grow their own food.
The Guild is a large maker space that opens onto a patio and outdoor teaching spaces, providing hands-on learning experiences related to industrial design, engineering, electronics, animation, and film.
