The U.S. Green Building Council has bestowed LEED certification on four schools that have been rebuilt in New Orleans as part of Louisiana's Recovery School District.
The district, created after Hurricane Katrina and subsequent flooding destroyed much of the city of New Orleans, is working to build more healthful school facilities as it works to replace classrooms lost in the 2005 storm.
"This further confirms our pledge to building energy efficient buildings that are more cost effective to operate and that ultimately provide students with healthier learning environments,” says said Recovery District Superintendent Patrick Dobard.
The schools:
- Andrew H. Wilson Charter School, LEED Gold. The $29.2 million campus opened in August 2009. The architects and engineers were HMS Architects and Innovative Designs.
- Langston Hughes Academy Charter School, LEED Silver. The $30.1 million school opened in January 2010. The architects and engineers were Lachin Oubre Architects and PBK.
- Lake Area New Tech Early College, LEED Silver. The $39.3 million campus opened in January 2010. The architects and engineers were Verges Rome Architects and Fanning Howey.
- L.B. Landry High School, LEED Silver. The $59.2 million campus opened in July 2010. The architects and engineers were Eskew + Dumez + Ripple and SHW.
Officials from the Green Building Council traveled to New Orleans earlier this month to present LEED plaques to Recovery District.
"After the devastation wrought by Hurricane Katrina, the Recovery School District made a bold declaration,” says Rachel Gutter, director of the Green Building Council's Center for Green Schools. “Rather than simply rebuilding its schools, the district would re-imagine their approach to educational environments. With four LEED certified schools and dozens more in process, (the recovery district) is an inspiration for disaster-affected communities looking for solutions in the face of adversity.”
The Center for Green Schools notes that nine newly constructed schools are scheduled to open in New Orleans in the coming months, and all of them have been designed to receive LEED Silver certification.
