Lake Mills Elementary School in Lake Mills, Wis., has received LEED Platinum certification from the U.S. Green Building Council in recognition of its environmentally friendly design and construction.
Students view a touch screen at Lake Mills Elementary. Photo by C
The $18.7 million facility opened in 2014 and replaced the existing elementary in the Lake Mills district
The district worked with Eppstein Uhen Architectsto create a sustainably designed facility with energy-efficient options. To reach this goal, the project took part in a beta test for the Green Building Council's new LEED v4 pilot program. As the first school to earn Platinum under the new rating system, Lake Mills Elementary School can lay claim to be the greenest school in the nation.
Among the energy-saving and environmentally friendly features of the 600-student, two-story facility:
A white roof membrane on the gymnasium to reduce solar heat
Solar hot-water panels to supplement traditional water-heating equipment
Photovoltaic panels that produce more than 13,000 kilowatt hours of energy per year
A green roof filled with vegetation trays for water absorption, visual interest and learning opportunities
A closed-loop geothermal system that provides 100 percent of the school’s heating and cooling
Bike racks to promote alternative transportation
A building envelope that ensures moisture is kept out and conditioned air kept in
A design that brings daylight into the center of the building through large exterior windows and glass wall sections on the interior
Touchscreens that enable students to interact with and see how their school’s sustainable features affect energy use.
