Sustainability Initiatives

New building at private school in Hawaii gets LEED Gold rating

The Art and Science Building at Hawaii Baptist Academy opened in 2013.
Sept. 23, 2015

The Art and Science Building at Hawaii Baptist Academy in Honolulu has received LEED Gold certification for its environmentally friendly design and construction.

The academy, a private school for grades kindergarten through 12th grade, opened its Art and Science Building in 2013.

One highlight of the building’s sustainable design is its “smart system,” the school says. Using a combination of direct digital controls, light sensors and occupancy sensors, the system regulates the building’s central air conditioning and lighting in each room and automatically adjusts the temperature and brightness based on the number of bodies present.

The new building uses 34 percent less energy than a comparable building of traditional design. It also is designed to reduce water use by 40 percent with low-flushing toilets, water-saving shower heads in the athletic locker room and energy-saving laundry appliances in the athletic laundry room.

The Art and Science Building is the second facility on the academy's campus to receive LEED Gold certification. The middle school campus earned that rating in 2006.

The architect for both of the LEED-rated buildings is Group 70 International. 

About the Author

Mike Kennedy

Senior Editor

Mike Kennedy, senior editor, has written for AS&U on a wide range of educational issues since 1999.

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