Middle School Updates

Northern Middle Design Team Wins Sustainable Building Award

Based on the design of Northern Middle, Innovation Design, a Raleigh-based architectural firm, was awarded the Beyond Green 2007 High Performance Building Award from the Sustainable Building Industry Council. The firm won the national, juried award for designing the school using energy- and water-efficient elements. Inclusive of all the sustainable features, the building was constructed for $148 per square foot. The average middle school constructed in North Carolina during the same time period without these sustainable features cost approximately $154 per square foot.

The school features a comprehensive and well-integrated set of green strategies that include:

• A holistic water cycle approach that incorporates bioswales and wetlands and a highly conserving water system (rainwater flushes toilets, goes through a Living Machine™ to an underground irrigation system, and finally into the aquifer)
• A new daylighting design that had never been implemented before in any facility
• Energy-efficient building shell and under-floor air distribution system
• Indirect lighting with photocells and occupancy sensors
• Solar water heating and photovoltaic systems
• 3-D experiential learning centers linking sustainable design features to the curriculum
• Recycled materials and use of local products

To view the official release, click here.