LEED Design Criteria

What is LEED®?

The Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) Green Building Rating System™ encourages the adoption of sustainable green building and development practices. LEED criteria are administered through the U.S. Green Building Council (USGBC), a non-profit organization committed to expanding sustainable building practices. More information on LEED is availaible at http://www.usgbc.org/

GreenShape LLC http://www.greenshape.com/ facilitated a fascinating one-day session for members of the School community and representatives of the design team. Our discussions focused on elements of design that impact the environment and how environmental elements in the building can be incorporated in the School's curriculum.

The School's educational program encourages respect for the environment and a concern for the world's finite resources. We participate with other educational institutions and non-profits in the annual Anacostia River clean up. With leadership from middle school students, the School conducts an in-house recycling program. Students in first grade examine fundamentals of ecology through a study of the life cycles of seeds, insects, plants, and frogs. In the seventh grade students complete a yearlong study of environmental science culminating in an off-site study of the Chesapeake Bay watershed at Port Isobel Island. As the design development team evaluates potential impacts of the building addition, we are excited that plans may include waste water containment through a "green" roof, energy saving lighting, and even the possibility of a geothermal heating and cooling system.

Design Development Phase

The building addition is currently in the "design development" phase. The School is working with the architectural firm of cox graae + spack, www.cgsarchitects.com/, to develop the drawings a contractor will use to bid on the project.

The design team includes:

Professional Consulting Corporation www.professionalconsulting.com/
Loiederman Soltesz Associates, Inc. www.lsassociates.net/
Potomac Energy Group, Inc. www.pegroup.net/
Monarc Construction, Inc. www.monarcconstruction.com/
Bowman Consulting Group, Ltd. www.bowmanconsulting.com/
Northern Virginia Drilling, Inc. www.nvdinc.com