RALEIGH, N.C., Sept. 2, 2014 /PRNewswire/ — Northside Elementary School in Chapel Hill, NC has earned Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED®) Platinum certification with the Green Building Certification Institute (GBCI). The three-story, 100,000-square-foot school opened in fall of 2013 and represents the first LEED Platinum elementary school in North Carolina.
Chapel Hill-Carrboro City Schools partnered with Moseley Architects to design the school to support 585 students. Located in the heart of the Northside neighborhood, the site was originally home to the all African-American Orange County Training School.
“We are thrilled to learn of Northside Elementary’s LEED Platinum designation,” said Chapel Hill-Carrboro City Schools Superintendent Tom Forcella. “Moseley Architects, and the entire planning team, worked extremely hard to create such an amazing learning facility. It will benefit our students and our community for decades to come.”
The district’s Policy 9040 for high performance design criteria set the stage for the school to pursue LEED Gold. However, through a collaborative effort between the design team and the school district, that goal was surpassed, while still remaining on schedule and within budget. The design incorporates a garden roof area connected to the adjacent science classroom; a comprehensive stormwater management plan that includes an underground rainwater cistern that supplies water to the toilet fixtures and cooling tower, pervious pavers, and porous playground surfaces; and carefully designed windows, tubular skylights, and light shelves to both maximize daylight in classrooms and reduce the energy spent for lighting.
Jim Copeland, Moseley Architects’ managing principal, is proud of what Chapel Hill-Carrboro City Schools achieved. “I am particularly pleased that our team was able to achieve their vision. Northside Elementary is one of only 20 LEED Platinum public schools in the entire country and one of only four elementary schools.”
Source: Moseley Architects
image source: Chapel Hill-Carrboro City Schools
