The Allen County Primary Center was programmed using
a staff/user committee, led by the Assistant Superintendent, and coordinated
by G. Scott. The program describes a primary center for 1,200 students–the
State’s largest of that type. The challenge was to create a large facility
to serve very small people without intimidating them by sheer size. This was
accomplished by keeping the scale to "kid" size, and even creating a main
circulation with a curve to eliminate long sight lines, as well as create
continually changing views. Besides its size and scale, the building is
significant because it is a geothermal HVAC system, with over 300 wells
serving the facility. The bids came in $100,000 under the budget of $10.5
million for the 127,000 s.f. facility, including geothermal, and work
proceeded on schedule for opening in August.
Allen County Schools are located on one 156 acre campus in Scottsville, KY. Facilities on this site include the Allen County Primary Center, Allen County Intermediate School, Allen County Middle School, Allen County High School, Allen County Career and Technical Center, ACHS Fitness Facility, and the Allen County Board of Education. These facilities are all served by geothermal heating and cooling. By using geothermal systems throughout the school system the owner has lowered energy costs and reduced their carbon footprint.
