Architects' Group Recognizes Green School Projects

Several school facilities are among this year’s top 10 examples of sustainable architecture and green design solutions chosen by the American Institute of Architects and its Committee on the Environment:

•Kroon Hall, Yale University, New Haven, Conn. The 68,800-square-foot building houses the Yale School of Forestry and Environmental Studies. It has received a platinum LEED rating and features solar panels, geothermal energy system and a rainwater-harvesting system.

•The Michael J. Homer Science and Student Life Center at Sacred Heart Schools, Atherton, Calif., which serves students from preschool through 12th grade. The 44,100-square-foot facility has received platinum LEED certification; its green features include, daylighting, a green roof, solar panels, and a virtual dashboard that displays energy and water consumption.

•King Abdullah University of Science & Technology in Saudi Arabia. The 5.3-million-square-foot campus boasts that it is the largest project in the world to have received a LEED platinum rating—and the first in Saudi Arabia. Its sustainable features include shared electric vehicles across campus; a Segway- and bicycle-sharing system; and extensive use of solar power.

•Manassas Park Elementary School + Pre-K, Manassas, Va. The campus for the 140,000-square-foot school includes a 79,000-gallon concrete cistern to collect rainwater, which is used for flushing fixtures and irrigation. The top of the cistern functions as an outdoor amphitheater.