First Green Modular Classrooms Arrive at Albany High
Who says schools can't have state-of-the-art, budget-friendly green classroom buildings?
Four Gen7 modular classrooms made their Bay Area debut at Albany High School in Albany on June 3rd. The classrooms offer a number of eco-friendly features, an inspiring learning environment and a budget-friendly price tag. The Gen7s will give students an additional wing of high-performance learning space that costs less than a traditional building and can deliver as much as 60% in energy savings.
"We're proud to be the first district in the Bay Area to build Gen7 classrooms," said Marla Stephenson, Superintendent of the Albany Unified School District. "We wanted the look and permanence of stick-built construction at a modular price, and Gen7 more than delivered."
Gen7 buildings, manufactured by American Modular Systems (AMS), can make it easier and more cost-effective for schools to go green. Albany's Gen7s will be built and fully installed in less than 90 days, but have the same lifespan as a conventional building. The fully-functional classrooms were delivered 90% complete and installed on the school campus with minimal site disruption.
The Albany Gen7 classrooms will be located adjacent to the new Albany High School Aquatic Center. The classrooms are designed to meet and exceed the most stringent green building codes for schools, combining cutting-edge green technology with recycled and renewable building materials to provide a safe, healthy learning environment. State-of-the-art systems combine thermal comfort with smart lighting and daylight "harvesting" to make each classroom a model of energy efficiency.
"Gen7's flexible design integrates seamlessly with the aquatic complex and offers high-performance features that other prefab structures simply can't match," says Project Director Steve Newsom of LPA, Inc., the design firm/architect for the project. "Gen7 offers a turnkey sustainable solution for greening schools throughout California."
Gen7 was launched in 2009 with the goal of empowering communities to create healthy, energy-efficient learning environments that will benefit students and educators for generations to come. To learn more about Gen7 classrooms, visit www.gen7schools.com.