Hanover County, Virginia
Completed in 2006
The new elementary school for Hanover County Public Schools accommodates 900 students in a very compact floor plan. The looped hallways provide an efficient circulation pattern and make effective use of the small footprint. The building's design utilized multiple sustainable design principles while meeting the school system’s need for a prototypical and economical design. Daylighting opportunities were maximized through proper site orientation and electrical and mechanical systems were selected based on their high efficiency. This high performance facility has been certified with the US Green Building Council as a Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED®) silver building. Many strategies selected as part of the LEED process are integrated into the school’s curriculum, which allows the high-performance design elements of the building to be used as a teaching tool in a cross-curriculum manner. The designers have created a school where students can learn about energy savings and become more environmentally aware.
