LEED for Schools
SWA is currently assisting several clients and their design and construction teams with innovative and sustainable public and private school projects. Since its introduction by the U.S. Green Building Council, all K-12 schools that register for a LEED Rating must follow the LEED for Schools Rating System as of June 2007.
“Why make your school green?” USGBC asks and states, “Schools are the gardens in which civilizations are grown.”
LEED for Schools is the recognized benchmark for green schools; with third-party reviews to ensure that new or rehabbed schools are healthy for students, comfortable for teachers and cost, rewource and energy efficient. SWA has helped implement various LEED for Schools project features including: meeting stringent acoustic, and mold prevention requirements; preferred parking for low-emitting and fuel efficient vehicles; water efficient landscaping and use of native and adaptive plant species; master planning and shared uses; reduced water use and wastewater creation; optimized energy performance with mechanical system and building envelope design and construction; diverting a significant amount of construction waste from landfills; and using materials with high recycled content and VOC low emissions; and incorporating local materials from a 500 mile radius of the sites.
To learn more about the LEED for Schools rating system, please visit the USGBC website.
SWA also manages the Sustainable Buildings Industry Council, under contract with the US Department of Energy. In May 2008, the Sustainable Buildings Industry Council, a Washington, DC non-profit organization, announced the publication and release of the third edition of High-Performance School Buildings Resource and Strategy Guide, a nationally acclaimed and easy-to read book. The guidebook describes the characteristics and benefits of high performance school buildings and details a process that ensures school planners get the best design possible within their budgets. Written primarily for those who make decisions about the design and construction of K-12 schools, the 86-page guide is useful for community leaders, parents, teachers, architects and engineers, and anyone else advocating for school buildings that are cost-effective, sustainable, and healthy and productive for students, teachers, and staff. High-Performance Schools workshops have been developed and delivered to encourage the design and construction of energy efficient and green schools (details at www.sbicouncil.org).
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Improving the built environment through research, sustainable design and technology. © 2008 Steven Winter Associates, Inc.