Fla. Prepares for $100 Million Biofuel Plant
U.S. Schools Push for Platinum
School districts and architectural firms nationwide are pushing the envelope in green school design, seeking out new and efficient HVAC systems, lighting methods, water and irrigation tools, and other ways to make academic buildings lean and green.
Rachel Gutter, director of the Center for Green Schools at the U.S. Green Building Council, says that just building a green school is no longer enough, and that achieving LEED certification is increasingly becoming a hallmark of sustainable design to a building’s constituents, as well as to the greater community.
A LEED Lockup
Project Data
Facility Type: Regional Correctional Facility at Fort Leavenworth, Kan.
Construction Budget: $92.5 million
Number of Beds: 512
Area (square feet): 190,553
Start Date: April 15, 2008
Completion Date: June 25, 2010
Project Team
Owner/Operator: US Army Corps of Engineers
Owner Representative: Michael Chirpich
Architectural Firm(s): HSMM/AECOM
General Contractor: J.E.
Read More GSA Raises LEED Requirements
WASHINGTON — The United States General Services Administration announced that it now requires all new federal buildings and substantial renovation projects funded before fiscal year 2010 to earn a minimum of LEED Gold certification. Previously, federal buildings had to be LEED Silver certified at most.
"Sustainable, better-performing federal buildings can significantly contribute to reducing the government’s environmental footprint," says Robert Peck, GSA’s Public Buildings Service commissioner.
Read More