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[part 2 of 4] Summerfield School – The Systems

Cool Schools
Air Date: Nov 2008

Show Summary

In this episode we take a look at how the ideals of personal responsibility, and stewardship are being introduced to our children in K-12 education. Specifically we are going to tour a couple schools that are making it a point to introduce green thinking in creative ways.

The Systems

US Green Building Council School Facts at a Glance:

• The k-12 construction market is the largest construction sector in the US economy.
• 55 million students attend school each day joined by millions of teachers, administrators and support staff.
• Most schools are built to satisfy only the bear minimum health and safety required by law.
• By building green schools towns would see financial returns 20 times that of the cost of the original construction.
• If all existing schools were green, we would realize a 20 billion dollar savings in energy alone over the next 10 years.

Summerfield Facts at a Glance:

• The Floor plan follows the natural topography of the land. This saves energy in construction by not moving dirt unnecessarily and servers to preserve the natural contours of the site.
• The floors are made of polished concrete dyed to a color.
• The first floor is brown (Earth)
• The second floor is green (Canopy)
• The third floor is blue (Sky)
• The use of polished concrete eliminates the need for polishing and cleaning chemicals, saving custodial labor and improving the indoor air quality.

The Bioswail
On site management of water was a major consideration.  This reduced the demand on local sewage facilities and improves the viability of the environment on site.

• Ground water moves through a series of stages fed either from the parking lot or roof, water flows through a series of natural filters, tanks, and holding pools so it made “recharge” the soil on site.
• The use of special indigenous plants clean the oil residue before water is discharged.
• The practice of using local plants in landscaping is called Zerascaping.  Local plants need less maintenance and resources as they are naturally accustomed to regional weather, soil, and rainfall fluctuations.
• The school manages the water it does use through the use of waterless urinals, and rainwater wells.

On Time and Under Budget

The entire project took only 18 months to build and came in on-time and under-budget.

• The school will save over 30% on energy costs through things like multi-tiered lighting, high-efficiency fixtures, Geothermal heat-pumps, and motion sensors.
• The school does not include solar PV or water heaters or wind power.  This is not a requirement of an environmentally balanced structure.  LEED standards are flexible to accommodate specific project goals and restraints.
• Attendance is up saving on substitute costs.
• Student performance is up due to improved air quality and comfort.
• Students not only learn basic school lessons, they also develop a connection with their surroundings and an understanding of the interrelation between their actions and those of the environment.

Special thanks to the US Green Building Council and especially the local New Jersey Chapter of the USGBC for their assistance, consultation, statistical information and slides.

Additional thanks to the Town of Neptune, NJ Board of Education and EI Associates for their assistance and the use of construction photos.

Drop them a note and tell them you heard about their great work on Newlygreens.com!