Three years into its operations, the Early Childhood Family Center operated by Stillwater Area Public Schools recently earned LEED Gold certification in the LEED for School category by the U.S. Green Building Council. The Gold designation certifies that the building meets a set of strict criteria for environmental sustainability in both construction and operations.
“This is a significant achievement for the school district. Schools have the ability to set a positive example for students about our impact on our communities and the environment, and the Early Childhood Family Center demonstrates what we can achieve when we raise the standard for school design and construction,” said Steve Erickson, AIA, associate principal at BWBR, the firm which designed the facility.
The Early Childhood Family Center opened in 2012 as a collaboration between Stillwater Area Public Schools, Courage Center St. Croix, and Northeast Metro Intermediate School District 916 to serve the growing needs of families and students for greater education support. In addition to classrooms, the facility brings together therapy and special education services for children from birth to kindergarten under one roof.
To achieve LEED-Gold status, the center utilizes a solar energy system to generate 5 percent of its annual energy needs; reduced storm water run-off through site design; uses 27 percent less water than similar facilities through low-flow plumbing fixtures; incorporates natural light in more than three-quarters of classroom areas; and has improved acoustics for instructional rooms, an element specific to the needs of school. Recycled materials, sustainably harvested wood, and low-emitting materials such as paints, flooring system, and adhesives were also part of the achieved criteria.
Beyond its operation as an education center, the facility features conference rooms for parents, community rooms, and offices in order to foster an active and friendly environment for families and staff.
“Achieving LEED status for new school buildings is more than aspirational for school districts,” Erickson said. “It really is a reflection of the expectations and standards established by parents and the communities who want safe, healthy, and active environments for their children. The Early Childhood Family Center shows what you can achieve when the community and schools come together to build something of value.”
Categories
Popular Tags
Archives
- September 2023
- August 2023
- July 2023
- June 2023
- May 2023
- April 2023
- March 2023
- February 2023
- January 2023
- December 2022
- November 2022
- October 2022
- September 2022
- August 2022
- July 2022
- June 2022
- March 2022
- February 2022
- January 2022
- December 2021
- November 2021
- October 2021
- September 2021
- August 2021
- July 2021
- June 2021
- May 2021
- April 2021
- March 2021
- February 2021
- December 2020
- November 2020
- October 2020
- September 2020
- August 2020
- July 2020
- June 2020
- May 2020
- April 2020
- March 2020
- February 2020
- January 2020
- December 2019
- November 2019
- October 2019
- September 2019
- August 2019
- May 2019
- April 2019
- March 2019
- December 2018
- November 2018
- October 2018
- August 2018
- July 2018
- June 2018
- May 2018
- April 2018
- March 2018
- February 2018
- November 2017
- October 2017
- September 2017
- July 2017
- June 2017
- April 2017
- March 2017
- February 2017
- January 2017
- December 2016
- November 2016
- October 2016
- September 2016
- July 2016
- May 2016
- April 2016
- December 2015
- November 2015
- August 2015
- July 2015
- February 2015
- October 2014
- September 2014
- August 2014