Today, April 22, Earth Day, New Canaan Country School received the silver award from LEED (Leadership in Energy Efficient Design) from the US Green Building Council and now is officially the ‘greenest school building in the state of CT.’
On hand to commemorate the event was Senator Judy Freedman who read a proclamation from Governor Jodi Rell, and First Selectman, Jeb Walker. Three ninth grade students spoke about what the building is teaching them about environmental stewardship: Elliot Wolf of Greenwich, Caroline Casey of New Canaan, and Sarah Cottone of Norwalk.
The building was designed by Butler, Rogers, Baskett of New Canaan (www.brb.com) and built by Turner Construction. LEED consultation was provided by The Stone House Group.
The building features solar panels to create electricity, low VOC (volatile organic compound) paints and carpets, daylight harvesting, as well as air quality and low water-use systems.
One unique feature of this project was the way Country School literally recycled the original Stevens Building. Existing classrooms were extensively renovated and materials from the section of the building that was demolished were separated and recycled. Keeping the original building in use also enabled faculty and students to continue their class work during the school year even as the construction took place around them. These re-use and conservation steps boosted our LEED rating and saved money in the process.
“NCCS is gratified that our efforts in sustainable building practices have been recognized by this award,” said Tim Bazemore, New Canaan Country School headmaster. “Creating a learning environment that supports excellent teaching and the practical application of sustainability is at the core of the school’s mission.”
New Canaan Country Day School can be found on the web at www.countryschool.net.
