Sidwell Friends Visit Inspires NEEF Staff

LEED Platinum Building Is ‘a great environmental education opportunity'

WASHINGTON, D.C. - It's sort of counter-intuitive to take a field trip to a school, but that's exactly what the staff of the National Environmental Education Foundation did this month.

Where they visited, however - Sidwell Friends middle school in Washington, D.C. - is quite unlike any other. The entire building is LEED Platinum certified, the highest standard awarded by the U.S. Green Building Council. It's the only middle school in the country to attain the rating.

"The green school is fully integrated into the curriculum," said Leyla McCurdy, NEEF's Health & Environment senior program director after the tour. "It's a great environmental education opportunity."

A constructed wetland, recycled construction materials and solar paneling on the roof are just the beginning of what went into erecting the building and its state-of-the-art infrastructure and architecture.

Every facet of the school was a carefully considered environmental choice. Those details varied from the distance construction materials traveled - and the ensuing carbon footprint - to solar chimneys to circulate air and window placement to maximize natural light to reduce energy consumption.

"I was astonished at the innovative infrastructure that goes into such a building and was impressed by the knowledge of sustainability which the students possessed," said Erin Milstead, a NEEF intern with the Business & Environment program.

"Engaging the students in the construction of the building and using it as a context for learning touches on the fundamentals of environmental education," added Sarah Kozicki," an intern with NEEF's education team.

Four eighth graders from the school led two groups of NEEF employees. They pointed out a number of interesting details of the construction. They also noted how the building stands as a fully functional full-time environmental lesson - impressing the NEEF staff.

One tour guide noted that after he learned about the building in his science class, he managed to convince his family to paint their roof white to reduce the amount of heat the home absorbs in the summer.

"I was really struck by the student involvement," said Franca Brilliant, NEEF's director of development. "Not only were our tour guides enthusiastic and well informed, they seemed really excited about the opportunity to do the tours and talk about what had been done.  Both of them said they had learned a lot about the building in science class as part of their studies so they already had a base of knowledge when they took the tour guide training."

As NEEF staffers discovered, numerous details go into making the highest level green building that can be astounding.

• The wood around the windows came from reclaimed school bleachers.
• Paints, carpets and adhesives were selected for low emission of volatile organic compounds.
• Wood flooring came from reclaimed pilings from Baltimore's Harbor.
• A constructed wetland in front of the building allows the school to use less energy to process waste and creates habitats for plants and animals. The water flows through a treatment tank and is processed organically. Then it's used for toilet water and for the school's cooling tower.
• Solar panels on part of the roof generate 5 percent of the school's electricity.
• A green roof removes pollutants and helps reduce the "urban heat island" effect. It also reduces the need for air conditioning.
• Open windows shut down air conditioning systems. Solar chimneys help circulate air.

NEEF employed some of the same ideas used by Sidwell Friends architects when renovating its green office space. But seeing the scale and impact of the structure down the road at the middle school was inspirational.

"Obviously this is major capital investment, but I think both the staff and the students saw elements of the design that they can scale to their own lives," said Dan Seligson, NEEF's communications director. "Not everyone can install a wetland and an array of solar panels. But you can make choices - find materials that don't travel far, purchase products that are sustainable like bamboo and carpet glue that is better for the environment. That's what will stick with me from the tour."

"For me the critical thing was not just the sustainable efforts in the building, but how enthusiastic our student tour guides felt about the building's positive impacts on their health and studies," said Karen Heys, senior director of NEEF's education programs. "Not only is the building saving energy, it is fostering an understanding of the importance and benefits of green design that students will carry with them beyond their middle school years."

For more on Sidwell Friends middle school, visit: http://www.sidwell.edu/about_sfs/green-buildings/ms-green-building/index.aspx.