OUR COURT STREET FACILITY 

700 Court Street

Keene,  New Hampshire  03431

From its earliest planning stages, the design of Sophia's Hearth Family Center’s new facility at 700 Court Street in Keene has been driven by a number of guiding principles: livability for the children and staff who spend their days here, sustainability over many generations in relation to the construction materials, energy and water use, and the emphasis on renewable materials in the construction when possible.  It is hoped that the building will communicate a mood of friendliness to its neighbors and to its community, and will invite a joyful experience for the children and adults who come to use its indoor and outdoor environments.   

Design and construction details:

     SUSTAINABLE LANDSCAPE  

The design and construction have kept site disturbance to a minimum, and the gardens make use native, drought tolerant plants. In addition, the gardens will include organically and biodynamically grown fruits, herbs, and vegetables for meals and preserving.

   WATER CONSERVATION  

Plumbing fixtures use significantly less water than typical fixtures. These include dual flush toilets.  Other conservation features include rain barrel collectors for irrigation and water reuse, as well as for the children’s play.

     ENERGY EFFICIENT  

Each component of the building envelope (walls, R25; door, ceiling/roof, R50) achieves high levels of insulation; the building loses less than one full air exchange per hour.

The building also uses strategies such as an insulated foundation to reduce thermal bridging, high-performing (triple glazed) windows, spray foam insulation to increase comfort as well as significantly reduction of heating and cooling costs.  Air-tight construction along with reliable, controlled ventilation strategies also increase comfort and reduce the size of the mechanical system.  In addition, the design includes natural day lighting to reduce electric illumination and ventilation.

     RENEWABLE MATERIALS  

The highest consideration has been taken to insure that only nontoxic materials have been used throughout construction as well as furnishing to insure the children’s healthy growth and development. In addition, when possible, construction materials have come from regional sources.

     RENEWABLE POWER  

It is anticipated that over time, the building will add renewable energy technology in order to reduce energy costs, reduce dependence on fossil fuels, and decrease its carbon footprint. These technologies may include solar installations for domestic hot water and photovoltaic panels to generate solar electric power to drive the air to air heat exchange system.