SUSTAINABLE DESIGN

Lincoln Heights Elementary - Construction Completed August 2006

New Schools to Incorporate ‘Green Building’ Practices
Click here for Washington Green School Information
Click here for Lincoln Heights LEED Presentation

Community members will soon be seeing green. Many of the projects paid for by the 2003 facilities and technology improvement bond will incorporate “green building” or “sustainable” design features. These features have proven to be good long-term investments for communities, as well as providing optimum learning environments for students.

Green or sustainable school buildings (also known as High-Performance Schools) all have common elements of design and function. They use:

• local materials whenever possible to minimize transportation costs,
• reuse of materials and Recycled-content materials if possible,
• materials that can be maintained easily,
• extensive use of Natural light wherever possible,
• high-efficiency devices and equipment (lights, heating and cooling systems),
• low maintenance landscape materials,
• low vapor-emitting materials such as paints, flooring and carpeting,
• sound-absorbing materials and design to make classrooms quieter,
• an approach that involves the end-users in the design process.

The new Lincoln Heights Elementary School, completed in August of 2006, is one of five pilot projects in the state being designed to the sustainability, or green building, standards set forth by Washington State. Green building features will also be used on the new Lidgerwood and Ridgeview elementary school projects, as well as the modernizations of Rogers and Shadle high schools and the Ferris high school athletic facility.

“Anything that we do to design a building that are safe, operationally efficient, and helps our students learn is our first priority,” said Mark Anderson, associate superintendent for school support services.

“Studies have shown that high performance green buildings enhance student attention, increase visibility, and leads to better student performance, all with an added bonus of having a more energy and cost efficient school building.”

The Community Colleges of Spokane (CCS), in cooperation with Spokane Public Schools, is offering free training to construction firms on green building design and construction practices with a workforce training grant. For more information, check the CCS website at www.iel.spokane.edu/bct/building_green.php or by calling (509)533-4717.