Gym, San Benito High School, Hollister, Calif.
Retrofit Team
ARCHITECT: Aedis Architects, San Jose, Calif.
Materials
When it came time to replace the gym’s 40- by 40-foot skylight, Henrik W. Malinowski, AIA, senior project manager for Aedis Architects, specified one that could give off the right amount of light for every event: IntelaSun Controlled Daylighting. The dynamic shading system adjusts based on the angle of the sun and user-controlled settings. IntelaSun balances light levels and eliminates solar heat gain and glare throughout the day. The system can be programmed to be fully automated or it can be operated manually from a wall-mounted control. When completely open, the light transmission in the gym is 66 percent while closing the blades reduces the light transmission to 3 percent.
“We were specifically drawn to its ability to darken rooms via built-in ‘intelligent blades’,” Malinowski says. “San Benito will use this feature a lot during video projections and other events where room darkening is desired.”
IntelaSun’s series of rotating internal louvers, called SolaBlades, are completely shielded from the weather and outside elements, sandwiched between two panels, minimizing maintenance and maximizing lifespan.
Beyond the daylighting benefits, installation of the IntelaSun skylights at San Benito High School helped the high-school renovation project stay on budget.
INTELASUN SKYLIGHT MANUFACTURER: CPI Daylighting
The Retrofit
The gym serves a number of different functions, from school sporting events to daily lunch periods and all school assemblies. Therefore, it requires a number of varying light levels.
PHOTO: CPI DAYLIGHTING