Green Field Notes
Nov 1, 2009 12:00 PM
Sustainable-design principles put into action in today's education institutions.
Paradise Elementary School — Paradise, Pa.
Architect: EI Associates
When planning this facility, what considerations were given to green products and processes?
The opportunity to create a high-performance, environmentally friendly building that was better able to prepare for future energy needs was a driving force for the Pequea Valley School District. The new school is built on the 17-acre site of the existing Paradise Elementary School as a means of conserving natural land resources. The site design of the new building follows the slope of the existing topography for minimum disturbance of the land and has multiple levels to preserve as much open space as possible.
What are some unique green aspects of the facility?
The main classroom wing is oriented on an east-west axis to take advantage of daylighting opportunities. Shared facilities are on the entry level, minimizing circulation space, and enable the gymnasium/cafeteria/auditorium space to be used easily by the community after hours. A ground-source heat-pump system with heat recovery for ventilation air systems, along with other energy-savings measures, enabled the school to achieve all 10 LEED credits for optimized energy performance. Water efficiency was another important consideration in the design of the new school. Through the use of rainwater harvesting, low-consumption fixtures, waterfree urinals and the use of recycled wastewater for irrigation, the building has achieved a water-use reduction of more than 40 percent.
What was the community response to the project being environmentally responsible?
The school has been featured on local newspapers and news channels as being a "showcase facility." The theme is "Respect for self; Respect for others; Respect for the world around us." The principal of Paradise Elementary says that great intentions and purpose were given to the design processes. The new school will be the first elementary school in Lancaster County, Pa., to achieve LEED gold certification and will be a focus of a green building education plan for the community.
- Return to the 2009 Architectural Portfolio's Green Field Notes main page to view more projects where sustainable-design principles were used in today's educational institutions.
Acceptable Use Policy blog comments powered by Disqus
