Sonoma Academy

Independent school in Santa Rosa, Calif.

01 | Overview

We helped longstanding client WRNS STUDIO promote Sonoma Academy’s Janet Durgin Guild & Commons. From media relations and award submissions to speaking presentations, we pushed the project into the limelight, boosting the firm’s sustainability profile. And when USGBC invited WRNS to present the project at their virtual conference, we were engaged in the creative process to produce a one-hour webinar and virtual tour.

02 | Results

We secured 19 awards and helped the project get presented at 16 conferences, as well as featured in numerous print and online publications, including a cover story.

Awards

1. 2023 U.S. Department of Energy’s Efficient and Healthy Schools Campaign, Notable Achievement in the category of Emissions Reduction and Resilience

2. 2023, 2022 ILFI Stephen R. Kellert Biophilic Design Award, Finalist

3. 2021 Metropolis Planet Positive Award, Education West

4. 2020 AIA Redwood Empire —Merit Award, Architecture – Built

5. 2020 AIA East Bay  — Excellence in Design for Well-Being

6. 2020 Fast Company Innovation by Design Award  — Honorable Mention, Sustainability

7. 2019 USGBC Building Health Leadership Award

8. 2019 Acterra Business Environmental Award (and 2018 finalist)

9. 2019 ASHRAE Golden Gate Chapter Technology Award for new educational facility

10. 2019 Architizer A+ Awards finalist  —  Architecture + Collaboration

11. 2018 AIA COTE Top Ten Award  —  sustainable design excellence

12. 2018 National Institute of Building Sciences First Place Honor Award

13. 2018 IIDA Northern California Long View Award for sustainable design

14. 2018 AIACC Design “Leading Edge” Award for design and sustainability

15. 2018 AIASF Design Award — Architecture Citation

16. 2018 WAN Award Finalist — Sustainable Building

17. 2018 WoodWorks™ Regional Excellence Wood Design Award

18. 2018 Building Design + Construction magazine’s Building Team Awards, Honorable Mention

19. 2017 California ZNE Team Leadership School Award

Press

1. Architectural Products magazine (cover story)

2. Architect Magazine

3. School Construction News

4. Building Design + Construction

5. Dexigner

6. Architectural Record

7. GAB Report

8. The Architect’s Newspaper

9. AcrhDaily  

Presentations

1.  2023 USGBC Green Schools Conference & Expo | Electrifying School Kitchens: Building Decarbonization Pathways

2. 2023 Living Future | Dining Out. Breathing In. Reducing Carbon Cooking Emissions Through Electrification 

3. 2023 NBI National Getting to Zero Forum  | Nourishing Young Minds and Bodies: Decarbonizing Educational Buildings and Kitchens

4. 2022 Greenbuild Healthy Materials Summit | Material Matters. Raising the Bar for Healthy Materials while Lowering Carbon

5. 2021 Greenbuild International Conference & Expo | The Carbon Cook Off: Reducing Carbon in Kitchens

6. 2020 ILFI Zero Carbon Conference | LBC Building Tours

7. 2020 USGBC Virtual Tour Webinar | Experience a Virtual Walk Through One of California’s Greenest Schools

8. 2019 Living Future unConference | Entering the Materials Pool

9. 2019 NBI Getting to Zero Forum | Zero Energy Educational Buildings

10. 2019 NZ19 | Cooking Up ZNE Kitchens: A Recipe for High-Performing Buildings

11. 2019 Living Products Expo | Tracking Tools for One and All

12. 2018 Building Innovation Conference & Expo | Annual Awards Banquet

13. 2018 Living Products Expo | The Making of the Greenest Schools

14. 2018 Living Future unConference | The Pathway to Net Zero Commercial Kitchen

15. 2018 Greenbuild International Conference & Expo | Cooking and Crafting Towards a Resilient, Low Carbon, Health-Focused, Transparent Future: Case Study on a 2018 AIA COTE Top Ten School Project

16. 2017 Greenbuild International Conference & Expo | Making of the Greenest Schools