The Milwaukee (Wis.) Community Sailing Center’s new 6,000-sf facility on the Lake Michigan waterfront counts a geothermal heating and cooling system among its sustainable features. HGA Architects and Engineers designed the facility for MCSC, a nonprofit instructional sailing organization, with energy efficiency and low operating costs in mind. The closed-loop geothermal system, with 14 wells, each 300 feet deep, will handle all the building’s heating and cooling requirements. Operable, high-efficiency, low-e windows open the south-facing building to water views. Roof overhangs (ranging from seven to 20 feet) protect against solar heat gain and shelter the decks. The sailing center’s nautical touches include a barrel-vaulted roof with wood bow-strung arches reminiscent of an old ship’s timber-structure hull, and marine stainless steel cables, rod railings, and tension ties that recall sailboat rigging. Inside the two-story facility are classrooms, a community meeting room, changing facilities, and administrative office space.
Architects