The main entry plaza at the new Montezuma-Cortez High School.
A newly built high school in the Montezuma-Cortez (Colo.) District has received LEED Gold certification for its environmentally sensitive design and construction.
The Journal reports that Montezuma-Cortez High School, which opened in August 2015 in Cortez, incorporated numerous sustainable strategies in the construction of the $40 million, 152,000-square-foot facility. Among them:.
Reducing water use by 64 percent outdoors and 40 percent indoors.
A geothermal mechanical system and solar panels that enable the building to reduce energy consumption by more than 36 percent.
Recycling of 90 percent of all construction waste.
Use of recycled concrete as a base material for the parking lot.
Building materials from regional sources accounted for more than 24 percent of the project.
Extensive use of daylighting to illuminate classrooms and other areas.
Funding for the project came from a 2012 bond election and a state grant through the Building Excellent Schools Today (BEST) program. In accepting the BEST grant, the district was required to build a school that achieved LEED certification.