Booth #3124N at Greenbuild 2012
Media contact: Heather West, 612-724-8760, heather@heatherwestpr.com
Photos by:
Steve Hall, Hedrich Blessing Photographers
Wausau’s high-performance windows contribute to Chicago’s
Goode Academy’s sustainability goals, 1200-student facility
Wausau, Wis. (Nov. 2012) – In September 2012, Sarah E.
Goode STEM Academy welcomed its first freshman class.
The new six-year program focuses on science, technology,
engineering and mathematics (STEM) to foster college and
career readiness. Supporting this innovative learning model,
STR Partners LLC, lead designer in a joint venture, designed
the new three-story, 207,000-square-foot facility to meet
future growth, as well as sustainability goals.
Demonstrating this accomplishment, Goode Academy
anticipates 1,200 students through phased enrollment and
LEED Gold certification through the U.S. Green Building
Council (USGBC). Contributing to the school’s design,
Wausau Window and Wall Systems provided highperformance windows and curtainwall systems emphasizing
daylighting, views, interior comfort, recycled material content,
condensation resistance, energy efficiency and thermal
performance requirements.
Part of Chicago Public Schools, Goode Academy is named in honor of Sarah E. Goode, the first
African American woman to receive a United States patent. She was a freed slave, an inventor and
furniture designer, and a Chicago business owner.
Goode Academy connects high school, college and the world of work through dynamic partnerships,
such as with IBM. The students are encouraged to pursue careers in technology and given the
opportunity to graduate with industry certifications and up to two years of college credit. Students
also benefit from workplace learning experiences through internships and professional mentors.
“About 80% of our firm’s work is for schools,” explains Ken Shiokawa, senior project designer with
STR Partners. “Our efforts were to create wonderful learning environments. Maximizing the amount
of glazing in classrooms helps make them places where students want to be. I was very happy with
Wausau’s work throughout the process. Everyone I worked with was very helpful.”
Terry Iczkowski, Wausau’s architectural sales representative, returns the compliment: “It’s a
beautifully designed building and quite impressive. We were involved for more than a year, from the
earliest design stages through to completion. We wanted this to be a signature project for STR and an
outstanding example for Chicago Public Schools.”
In October 2010, general contractor F.H. Paschen, S.N. Nielsen & Associates LLC broke ground on
the $62 million project. The project was substantially completed in June 2012 and opened for the
2012-13 academic year.
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As a single source supplier, Wausau engineered, fabricated and shipped its curtainwall and window
systems to glazing contractor Underland Architectural Systems, Inc. “Wausau was like a machine.
Each week, they told us when the delivery would arrive at the job site. They provided good customer
service and kept things running smoothly,” Underland’s project manager, Brian Nelson. “At our
peak, we had 15 people in the field installing the units. It was a big project.”
Throughout the school, Underland installed
Wausau’s 2250i INvent™ Series fixed and project-in
casement windows and SuperWall™ curtainwall
systems. Four different depths of the SuperWall
systems were provided to accommodate each
elevation. Within the curtainwall, more than 120
project-out zero sightline casements were installed.
Goode Academy provides access to daylight in at
least 75% of its classrooms.
For low-maintenance durability, all of the exposed
aluminum on Wausau’s products manufactured for
Goode Academy include recycled content averaging
70% or greater, and are finished by Linetec in clear anodize. Linetec’s anodize process contains no
volatile organic compounds (no VOCs) and creates a matte finish that helps hide small defects, such
as slight imperfections in secondary billet. At the end of the products’ useful lifecycle, anodized
aluminum is 100% recyclable, lending itself to post-consumer recycled content during demolition or
restoration of the building.
“Further supporting environmental and energy-efficient goals, we worked with STR to integrate
operable units allow for natural ventilation. This is a nice feature during the warmer months,” notes
Iczkowski. “Along with fresh air and daylight, we helped with a vegetated wall, called a ‘green
screen,’ that adds a strong visual connection to nature.” Wausau provided the green screen’s
structural calculations and curtainwall attachments. Underland attached it to outriggers, which
protrude approximately 3 feet from the building’s front entrance.
Less visible than the green screen, but a key element of Goode Academy’s construction, Underland
also installed Wausau’s HP-Wall system on the musical areas and art room. Steve Gille, Wausau’s
education market manager, elaborates, “HP-Wall provides noise reduction and best-in-class thermal
performance. This system contributes to occupant comfort and quieter spaces. It also helps lower
operating costs and reduce necessary HVAC capacity, provides exceptional condensation resistance
for high humidity applications.”
Along with visual and performing arts areas, pool and 26 standard academic classrooms, the school
offers science and computer laboratories, a gymnasium, kitchen and dining facilities, a library/media
resource center and a distance learning laboratory. In addition to the students’ use, the community
may use the facility on evenings and weekends.
Chicago Public Schools are a client of Chicago’s Public Building Commission (PBC), which
manages a capital program with more than $2 billion of development authority. As stewards of
public funds, the PBC focuses on both economic and environmental sustainability including for the
Modern Schools Across Chicago (MSAC) program. MSAC projects are designed to achieve LEED
Silver certification.
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The City of Chicago has more municipally owned, LEED-certified facilities than any other city in
the nation (46 in total), due in large part to the PBC. Natural light and ventilation, energy
efficiency, recycled materials and long-term durability are attributes promoted by the USGBC
LEED rating systems.
USGBC’s The Center for Green Schools’ website, http://centerforgreenschools.org/, also states:
• If all new U.S. school construction and renovation went green today, the total energy savings
alone would be $20 billion over the next 10 years.
• According to Greening America’s Schools: Costs and Benefits by Greg Kats, green schools use
33% less energy and 32% less water than conventionally constructed schools, significantly
reducing utility costs over the average 42-year lifecycle of a school.
• On average, green schools save $100,000 per year on operating costs -- enough to hire at least
one new teacher, buy 200 new computers, or purchase 5,000 textbooks.
“Light, sound, fresh air, temperature and views also have significant effects on academic
performance, absenteeism and student and teacher well-being,” says Iczkowski. He concludes, “With
more than a quarter of our population enrolled in or employed by a school or college, providing a
healthy environment is both a local and national concern.”
Sarah E. Goode STEM Academy, 7651 South Homan Avenue, Chicago, IL 60652;
http://www.pbcchicago.com/content/projects/project_detail.asp?pID=CPS-42
• Owner: Chicago Public Schools; Chicago; http://www.cps.edu
• Developer: Public Building Commission of Chicago; http://www.pbcchicago.com/
• Architect of Record: STR+Nia Collaborative, lead by STR Partners LLC; Chicago;
http://www.strpartners.com/
• Construction Manager: F.H. Paschen, S.N. Nielsen & Associates LLC; Chicago;
http://www.fhpaschen.com/
• Glazing contractor: Underland Architectural Systems, Inc.; Lynwood, Ill.
• Glazing systems – manufacturer: Wausau Window and Wall Systems; Wausau, Wis.;
http://www.wausauwindow.com
• Glazing systems – finisher: Linetec, Wausau, Wis.; http://www.linetec.com
• Photos by: Steve Hall, Hedrich Blessing Photographers
Nationally recognized for its innovative expertise, Wausau Window and Wall Systems is an industry leader in
engineering window and curtainwall systems for commercial and institutional construction applications. For
more than 55 years, Wausau has worked closely with architects, building owners and contractors to realize
their vision for aesthetic beauty, sustainability and lasting value, while striving to maintain the highest level of
customer service, communication and overall satisfaction. Wausau is a part of Apogee Enterprises, Inc., a
publicly held, U.S. corporation.
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