Chester E. Jordan Elementary School

Owner: Socorro Independent School District
General Contractor: VEMAC, Inc.
Architect: CDA Architects
Market: Education
Location: El Paso, Texas

​The project with Socorro I.S.D was the first public school in the El Paso Region to receive LEED certification. Some of the more prominent sustainable features of the building include a rainwater harvesting system incorporating an above ground cistern, a roofing system designed to minimize heat island effect, use of locally and regionally harvested and manufactured materials, and a sophisticated HVAC system.
 
This 86,000 sf facility includes standard and laboratory type classrooms, administrative offices and associated support areas, a combination gymnasium/cafeteria/performance hall, a library with computer labs, and other typical educational programming.

The structural building elements included a 5” concrete slab with tilt-up concrete panels and steel columns and beams supporting pre-engineered steel roof joists.  The roof consists of both standing seam metal and flat roof with a TPO membrane.
 
Along with the unique demands of meeting the LEED criteria this project also entailed a three-phased bidding process as a result of owner required fast track scheduling and delivery.