Green/Sustainable Architecture
"If you are anticipating the worst while hoping for the best, you will get the worst. The things that happen to you are in direct accordance with the things wherein you place your faith. Believe you are licked and you are." --- Harold Sherman
the greenest school in the U.S., the first to earn a platinum LEED rating
if initial cost of going green is high- savings can be even greater: the energy bill for primary and secondary schools in the U.S. is $6 billion--and that's per year (more than spent annually on computers and books combined)
Features:
constructed wetland (first in Washington, DC), treats building waste water on site - part of a closed system that recycles water back to the building and lavatories
Green roof vegetation holds and filters rainwater; gutters and downspouts direct rainwater to a biology pond, which supports native habitat. Herbs grown by students on the green roof are supplied to the cafeteria
Building orientation
passive and mechanically assisted ventilation
solar chimneys
solar panels 5% of the building’s total electrical load is generated on the roof
double-glazed windows
Window placement, skylights and reflective panels maximize use of natural light so energy for lighting in this building is 10 – 15% of that of a comparable code compliant building
Recycled, rapidly renewable and locally produced materials such as cork, gypsum, linoleum, bamboo and wheatboard substrate Exterior cladding is western red cedar (reclaimed from wine casks)
Paints, carpets and adhesives were selected for low emission of volatile organic compounds
carbon dioxide sensors in the classrooms automatically adjust temperature by detecting how many people are inside
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