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Date: August 23, 2004

Rumsey Engineers Announces Completion of Westmont High School New Science Education Facility

Oakland, Calif.—Rumsey Engineers today announced the completion of the Westmont High School New Science Education Facility in Campbell, Calif. Rumsey Engineers designed and modeled a low-energy heating and cooling system for the facility that uses 40 percent less energy than a standard building design.

The design of the six-classroom facility maximizes performance, energy efficiency and indoor air quality. Green features include broad window overhangs, extensive shell insulation, double pane low E glass, electronically controlled lighting, and 8,000 square feet of solar panels. HVAC design features include:
• Reduced heating load while maintaining comfort using radiant floor heating; radiant floor floats on structural slab and isolated with insulation to direct heat to the interior space.
• Utilized high efficiency condensing boilers due to the low water temperature characteristics of radiant heating systems
• Eliminated need for refrigerant based cooling on warmer days by pre-cooling radiant floor during the night via a cooling tower
• Improved natural cooling and indoor air quality by use of vented windows and exhaust fans

The facility promotes learning opportunities by the use of exposed radiant heating and cooling components and a colored radiant floor. As a result, students are more conscious of the impact of natural seasonal changes on the built environment based on heating and cooling requirements.

"The Westmont Science Education Facility represents an approach to educational facility design in which a wide range of disciplines are closely interwoven to explore genuinely sustainable design," said Peter Rumsey, founder and president of Rumsey Engineers. "The facility not only serves as a model of energy efficiency, but also participates in the teaching of science."

Rumsey Engineers, Inc., is a Bay Area-based design engineering firm that specializes in innovative HVAC system solutions for the most demanding commercial installations and critical environments, including green buildings, data centers, cleanrooms and laboratories. The company's philosophy is based on the premise that the best design is simple, elegant and results in substantially lower energy costs. For more information, see www.rumseyengineers.com.