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A 2018 Beyond Green™ Honor Award, First Place in the High-Performance Buildings Category went to Sonoma Academy for its new Janet Durgin Guild & Commons facility in Santa Rosa, California. Since its inception, Sonoma Academy recognized the opportunity to connect resiliency, circular economy, resource efficiencies and social justice. For the Janet Durgin Guild and Commons project, a two-story, 19,500-square foot learning facility, the team employed a nature- and human-centered design approach focused on fresh air, daylighting, sustainable systems, healthy material selection and local resources. The project sought to achieve LEED Platinum, Living Building Challenge and WELL Building Standard Education Pilot benchmarks. It is the first project in Sonoma County and one of only a few nationwide to simultaneously reach these benchmarks.

Sherwood provided full site civil engineering design services from concept through construction for a new classroom building, maintenance structure, as well as site and utility improvements at Sonoma Academy. Sherwood explored rainwater and stormwater capture and on-site wastewater treatment for non-potable reuse. Following careful consideration of site location and constraints, Sherwood designed a system that harvests, stores, and treats roof and hardscape run-off. The treated water is reused in the new building’s toilet flushing. Sherwood’s system reduces the site area dedicated to stormwater mitigation measures, and provides a net reduction of municipal potable water used by the school. Sherwood’s grading, drainage, and utility design integrated the existing campus’s infrastructure seamlessly into the campus improvements.

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