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Schools

Modular Hipsters? It's Plunk Down Time for Albany High's New Prefabs

Touting green construction and an unboxy design, Albany High's new Gen7 classrooms are scheduled to arrive at the end of this week. Take a look and let us know what you think.

Drab. Boxy. Pragmatic. These are words typically used to describe portables or modulars, those preassembled structures popular for dealing with school space needs.

Unhealthy is another word often associated with portables or “prefabs,” as research indicates a link between at least some models and indoor air pollution from toxic gases and mold.

Against this bad rap, students at will start school in the fall with , part of the district’s .

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But these classrooms are of a different breed, according to the manufacturer and school district construction manager, David Burke. 

Dress up nice

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In what’s sure to become a new standard, or at least a trend, for modular construction, buildings use green materials and construction techniques to lower energy costs and minimize health concerns.

The design is also surprisingly attractive, said Burke.

“It’s a nice looking building,” he said. “I’ve done a lot of portables before and these are cool. It’s very nice looking from the inside also.”

The frames are 24 feet by 40 feet rectangles. But roof overhangs, arches, generous windows space, and exterior finishes such as wainscoting and siding lend the buildings a stylish, contemporary look.

“They dress up really nice,” Burke said.

Albany’s new portables, which are manufactured by American Modular Systems, based in Manteca, CA, will be hoisted into place beside the high school courtyard Thursday and Friday. Construction crews, also working on the new aquatic center, will finish the installation, hooking up utilities and other final touches.

What makes “green” green?

What makes the Gen7s earn the moniker “green,” especially given today’s ubiquitous use of the term for everything from construction to cars to household cleaners?

Numerous factors, said Maggie Hartley, director of marketing for American Modular

  • An all-steel frame, with the majority recycled steel, which doesn’t mold or mildew like wood
  • Formaldehyde-free mineral board sheathing for roof and walls, made from recycled materials
  • Zero-VOC (volatile organic compound) insulation from recyled materials
  • Zero-VOC concrete floors made of largely recycled materials
  • An adjustable lighting system that automatically lowers or increases fluorescents based on natural light, saving energy
  • Adjustable skylights
  • An adjustable “thermal displacement” ventilation system that continuously filters air for particulates (dust, pollen, pollution) and allows for the circulation of outdoor air when desired
  • Minimal use of paint or plastics (nearly zero)
  • Solar ready for conversion to solar heating system

More pricey than standard portables; less than a new building

According to construction manager Burke, the new buildings are costing the district more than standard modulars would have, but less than “stick” or permanent construction.

The price tag for the modulars is about $900, 000, with $700, 000 for the buildings and another roughly $200,000 for the installation, Burke said.

The money is from the $10 million Measure E pool construction bond approved by voters in 2008. When the pool about $1 million less than expected, the district decided to  on the Gen7 units.

This translates into about $225 construction cost per square foot, compared with $300 to $350 per square foot for a regular “stick” building, or $400 per square foot for a green building, Burke said.  Common non-green portables run about $150 per square foot, he said.

Gen7 modulars are expected to last as long as, or longer than, regular buildings, said Hartley, adding that the company doesn’t call them portables for this reason. They can be moved after placement, but it's not easy, she said. 

“They’re meant to stay in place as long as a conventional school.”

Salinas likes them; Albany planning what to put inside

So far so good, said Carol Jensen, school secretary at Bolsa Knolls Middle School in Salinas, which is using six Gen7 buildings now, and has ordered eight more for the fall.

Bolsa Knolls was the first school to purchase the Gen7s, which opened there earlier this year.  

Students, staff and administrators appreciate the building’s green design, quiet classrooms and energy cost savings, Jensen said. “Our teachers are very happy.”

The only gripe, she said, was that teachers wished they'd had a little more control over the placement of cabinets and electrical outlets.

American Modular estimates that the Gen7 buildings will save school districts about 60 percent a year on energy costs, compared with non-green buildings.

(Jensen said she's not responsible for tracking her school's utility bills, and Albany Patch couldn't reach anyone in her district about costs, or savings, before this posting.) 

Meanwhile, Principal Ted Barone said discussions are in the works on what classes will use the new space.

But he said he’s looking forward to the new classrooms.

“They will absolutely ease overcrowding,” he said. “Not only will we have more flexibility with the use of space, but less movement on the stairs will be required. All good.”

Everybody makes mistakes ... ! If there's something in this article you think should be corrected, or if something else is amiss, call editor Emilie Raguso at 510-459-8325 or email her at emilier@patch.com.

Take a look at the new modulars later this week, and let us know what you think. Tell us in the comments.

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