Goin' Green

Some of Moseley Architects' exciting education projects that are pursuing Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) certification include:

• Elementary School, Chapel Hill, North Carolina



• New High School, Glen Allen, Virginia



• Hillandale Elementary School, East Flat Rock, North Carolina



• Mills River Elementary School, Horse Shoe, North Carolina



• Northwestern K-8 School, Hampton, Virginia



• Orange County Middle School, Orange, Virginia



• Paint Branch High School, Burtonsville, Maryland



• Sentara K-8 School, Hampton, Virginia



• T.C. Williams High School, Alexandria, Virginia



• West Area Middle School, Richmond, Virginia

Surveys Reveal Occupant Satisfaction with Green Schools

In an effort to determine how well green projects are performing, Moseley Architects conducted occupant surveys for two of their LEED schools at the end of the 2007-2008 school year. LEED Silver Carrboro High School in North Carolina, and T.C. Williams High School in Alexandria, VA, which is also intended for LEED Certification, both opened in the Fall of 2007. Both surveys revealed an overall positive response to the schools and their green features.

At Carrboro High School, the survey revealed that 75 percent of faculty and staff are satisfied with the building overall. In a school that features low-VOC finishes and plenty of daylight, 76 percent of survey respondents are satisfied with the air quality in the school and 86 percent are satisfied with the lighting. Other features included in the survey were flushing with cistern water, daylight sensors in classrooms, and solar hot water; rates of satisfaction with these features ranged from 83 percent to 90 percent.

Occupants at T.C. Williams High School also report that they are pleased with their new surroundings; 66 percent of survey respondents responded favorably when asked about the overall building. Like Carrboro, T.C. Williams features low-VOC finishes and daylighting, which may contribute to the 61 percent of occupants who are satisfied with the air quality and the 70 percent who are satisfied with the lighting. Faculty and staff were also asked about flushing with cistern water, the high-efficiency handryers in the bathrooms, and the entryway walk-off mats, and between 67 and 71 percent had positive responses to these features.

The online surveys were created by the Center for the Built Environment (CBE) at the University of California Berkeley. The CBE sets up the surveys, monitors progress during the survey period, then analyzes the data and prepares a report.

Pearson Elementary School Certifies

In the fall of 2006, W.G. Pearson Elementary School opened its doors with the hope of offering its students a fresh, green elementary school experience. Two years and several reviews later, the school has earned a LEED certified designation from the U.S. Green Building Council. The school is only the third North Carolina to certify under the LEED rating system. The other two – Third Creek Elementary School in Iredell and Carrboro High School – were also designed by Moseley.

The motivation behind designing Pearson Elementary School as a green school was the safety, health, and comfort of the school’s students, faculty, and staff. Through daylighting, the school offers a light, bright setting in which to learn. In order to minimize the amount of chemical contaminants circulating throughout the building, all of the adhesives, sealants, paints, and carpet in the school are low-emitting (low-VOC). Walk-off mats at the main entrances to the building offer additional indoor air quality protection by helping to prevent pollutants from being tracked into and circulated throughout the building.

In terms of renewable energy, the school marks an important first for Moseley Architects. Renewable energy credits have been purchased to offset 100 percent of the school’s electricity use over the 2007-2008 and 2008-2009 school years.

Other features that make the school green include:

• permanent temperature and humidity monitoring;
• mechanical equipment free of HCFC’s and halons;
• highly-reflective metal and membrane roofing to help reduce building cooling loads;
• waterless urinals, low-flow lavatories and classroom sinks to reduce water use by 27 percent;
• native and adaptive landscaping, which further reduces water use by eliminating the need for permanent irrigation;
• recycled and regionally-manufactured materials; and
• educational signage to highlight the school’s green features.

For more information regarding Pearson Elementary School, please contact Steve Triggiano at 919.840.0091.

Green Tips - Green Your Holidays

With the holidays quickly approaching, it’s time to think about how you are going to celebrate this year. Holidays usually come with a large amount waste: plastic Halloween masks are worn once and then discarded; food travels thousands of miles to reach your table for Thanksgiving; and Christmas trees end up in landfills. The holidays are a time to have fun and enjoy being with friends and family, but they don’t have to increase your environmental footprint. Here are some things you can do to green your holidays.

Fall Holidays

• Rather than purchase a new costume, sift through thrift store finds and create your own costume. You can also check eBay – chances are, it’s only been worn once!
• Buy an organically grown pumpkin for carving.
• Don’t toss those pumpkin seeds. Compost them or, better yet, use them in seasonal recipes, like pumpkin pie or toast them for a healthy snack.
• Carry a reusable bag for trick-or-treating instead of a plastic container.
• Hand out candy made with organic or fair trade ingredients.
• Buy locally grown and/or organic produce rather than canned goods.
• Go for all natural turkey, raised on a vegetarian diet without hormones and antibiotics. If you’re feeling adventurous, go meatless and try another dish as a substitution.
• Don’t waste money on decorations that will just be thrown away. Use nature as your decorator! Gourds, leaves, or pumpkins can be composted after use. You can also use construction paper and recycle when you’re finished.
• Bring plenty of reusable bags to the store when going grocery shopping for your Thanksgiving meal.

Winter Holidays

• Take your Christmas tree to be ground up for mulch rather than putting it in the trash. Visit www.earth911.org to find a place that will take your tree.
• Buy a living tree that can be planted after Christmas.
• If you’re in need of new lights, invest in LED lights, which are much more efficient than traditional lights. Go one step further and decorate your tree with natural and biodegradable materials such as dried berries and popcorn.
• Wrap presents in newspaper, magazine pages, or recycled paper instead of new wrapping paper. Another option is to use containers such as boxes and baskets that gift recipients can reuse.
• Send cards made from recycled paper.
• Use soy or beeswax candles, which burn cleaner than candles made from paraffin wax.
• Always carry reusable shopping bags with you. They’re not just for grocery shopping and cut way down on plastic bag use!