LEED Platinum Sonoma Academy benefits from ASSA ABLOY products

Private high school Sonoma Academy’s Janet Durgin Guild and Commons has the U.S. Green Building Council’s highest green building rating, LEED Platinum. Designed by architecture and planning firm, WRNS Studio, and completed in 2018, the two-story, 19,500-sf nature-inspired building houses stat state-of-the-art maker spaces, student dining with an all-electric commercial kitchen, cooking lab, and indoor/outdoor classrooms. 

The building showcases Sonoma Academy’s deep commitment to sustainability, and we are grateful to being part of the project and helping the building achieve their LEED Platinum status. 

In a conversation, WRNS Studio’s sustainability coordinator Meghan Cole told us why they chose ASSA ABLOY. 

What are the specifics of this project and design initiatives? 

"Located in southeastern Santa Rosa, California, the Sonoma Academy Janet Durgin Guild & Commons is a testament to the future of sustainability. One specific goal of this project was to avoid all Red List ingredients/chemicals. To accomplish this, every single product and material used in construction had to be vetted and often, alternatives found. It’s the first project to achieve both LBC Materials Petal1 and Zero Carbon Certification by the International Living Future Institute (ILFI)."

What role did sustainability play in the architectural design? 

"Sonoma Academy owners wanted to expose and educate students on the importance of sustainability, and what better way to do that than in the building itself? The materials vetting process was difficult, as it involved many different classes of products. We used doors and accessories with LBC Declare labels which are hard to come by and require a lot of work to reach that level. ASSA ABLOY was a leading participant in that program and an active contributor that met a challenge with a clear solution and compatible products."

Why was ASSA ABLOY chosen for the project? 

"ASSA ABLOY’s door frame and door hardware products were used in the Guild & Commons facility and its participation in the Declare Program made procuring ingredient transparent materials simple. Better yet, ASSA ABLOY products offered Declare labels demonstrating they were free of Red List ingredients and compliant with both VOC 2 and CDPH3 emissions targets. The project was pleased to have found ASSA ABLOY an ally in creating healthier materials and spaces. Every project can include sustainable attributes and have an impact on the client’s life or the industry at large."