According to ARC/Architectural Resources Cambridge, a leading architectural, planning and interior design firm specializing in educational, sports, science and corporate facilities, a new, 70,000 s/f building designed for the Greenwich Country Day School (GCDS), has received LEED Gold certification from the U.S. Green Building Council (USGBC).
The USGBC encourages architects and builders to design and build structures that stand the test of time and are environmentally sound.
The new Upper School academic building on the Greenwich Country Day School campus was designed by ARC and built by Turner Construction Co. in two phases between the start of 2009 and the fall of 2011. The 3-story building is part of a larger master planning project envisioned by ARC to expand the school campus while retaining its residential feel. The phased construction sited on the existing building footprint allowed the school to maintain its intimate ambience while maximizing open space.
Achieving LEED Gold status involved numerous design considerations; among them the use of water efficient landscaping, recycled and regional building materials, and daylighting in over 80% of the building's spaces. The daylighting credit was achieved with an innovative design concept to create a sunken courtyard at the back of the building, allowing daylight to reach the basement level academic spaces. Additional credits were awarded for energy optimization; the building is calculated to be 48% more efficient than the baseline standard. Finally, the new Upper School building received "Innovation in Design" credits for their green housekeeping program; by diverting more than 95% of construction waste from the landfill by recycling; and through the use of the school as a teaching tool, incorporating aspects of the school's design, such as carbon emission reduction, into part of their science curriculum.
"The decision to seek LEED Gold certification says a lot about the Greenwich Country Day School's commitment to its students, community and the environment," said Philip Laird, AIA, LEED AP, president of ARC and principal-in-charge of the project. "We are very pleased to have helped the school achieve its noble goals for sustainable growth."
The new Upper School building was constructed at the same time as a new 420-seat, 21,000 s/f theater, also designed by ARC; the theater is targeting LEED certification.