New Buildings Earn LEED Gold Certification

The first is the new Lower School building in Boca Raton. The 59,000 square-foot facility, built by James B. Pirtle Construction Company, is comprised of 28 classrooms and provides an eco-friendly learning environment for approximately 650 students in grades pre-k through five.

Designed by Zyscovich Architects, Inc., the project earned 50 LEED points through various green features such as photovoltaic panels, solar hot water panels, cisterns, the use of materials with high recycled content, a strict indoor air-quality plan, the use of low-emitting materials, native landscaping, lighting shelves, and water-efficient plumbing features.

“This gold certification lends further support to our commitment to being a leader among schools in the areas of conservation and environmental awareness,” says Head of School Dale Smith. “It also lets our students and community know that we are serious about educating our future generations about the importance of environmental stewardship.”

Pine Crest recently received notification that its new chiller plant on the Fort Lauderdale campus, also designed by Zyscovich and built by State Contracting and Engineering Corp., has been LEED Gold Certified.

The 4,200-square-foot chiller plant houses three new 750-ton high-efficiency chillers and three new cooling towers. To connect the new chiller plant to the buildings, the project team installed almost 7,000 feet of underground chilled water distribution piping throughout the occupied campus.

Other green features include low-VOC paints and construction adhesives, a highly reflective roof coating, recycled and local building materials, and drought-tolerant native landscape. More than 85 percent of the construction waste was recycled.

The chiller’s benefit to the School is two fold: It is an onsite teaching tool for eco-technology and a cutting-edge example of energy conservation.

“Our new chiller plant is essential to the sustainability of our campus, and its LEED certification sets a great example for our students and community,” said Neyda Otero, director of project management and construction at Pine Crest School. “We are proud to offer our students and teachers a healthy environment.”

As a result of these new facilities, Pine Crest is already making the grade with green power. Earlier this year, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) recognized the school as one of the largest green power purchasers among primary and secondary schools. According to the EPA, Pine Crest is purchasing nearly 500,000 kilowatt-hours (kWh) of green power annually for its new Lower School building. This is enough green power to meet 77 percent of the building's purchased electricity use.

In addition, it is equivalent to avoiding the carbon dioxide (CO2) emissions of more than 60 passenger vehicles per year, or equal to the amount of electricity needed to power more than 50 average American homes annually. Pine Crest is generating solar electricity on-site and buying renewable energy certificates (RECs) from Carbon Solutions Group.

According to Mrs. Otero, there are several advantages to the new buildings. “This beautiful new Lower School facility pioneers a new direction for schools in the nation and elevates Pine Crest School as one of the first entities to facilitate a project-based learning methodology within the development of a LEED Gold certified facility,” she explains. “The school’s commitment to a more sustainable building program will reduce first-time costs and operating expenses, preserve the environment, and improve the performance, comfort, health, and safety of our students.”