G reen B uildings
Real Estate Journal — Green Buildings — November 28 - December 11, 2014 — 17A
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M id A tlantic
Under the guidance of Parette Somjen Architects, LLC USGBC NJ selects Jersey City’s P.S. 5 for statewide pilot program to develop green school master plan
ERSEYCITY,NJ — The New Jersey Chapter of the U.S. Green Build- ing Council (USGBC NJ) and school officials joined mayor Steve Fulop at Jersey City’s P.S. 5 to celebrate with students the school’s selection to help create a statewide framework for a green school master plan that can be rep- licated nationwide. Financed by the U.S. Green Building Council through an impact grant to USGBC NJ, the green school master plan project is a pilot project that builds on previous work coordinated by the chapter – along with partners NJ School Boards Association and Sustainability New Jersey – including the NJ Sustainable Schools project and the Green Ribbon Awards. These initia- tives have created opportuni- ties for schools to divert cost savings, achieved through various sustainability strate- gies, into other core educa- tional priorities during a time of budgetary retrenchment. J DOVER, DE — Becker Morgan Group announced that Dover Public Library achieved LEED Gold Cer- tification from the United States Green Building Council . LEED (Leadership in Energy and Environmen- tal Design) certification is the recognized standard for measuring building sustain- ability and is the culmination of a rigorous third party re- view process confirming the facilities have achieved the environmental goals set forth by the rating system. The new 46,000 s/f library features green roof technol- ogy, bio filtration stormwa- ter system, and geothermal HVAC. The project encom- passes pedestrian / bicycle hardscape improvements, a reading garden and realign- ment of existing utility infra- structure. Becker Morgan Group pro-
must contend. While USGBC NJ – in collaboration with NJSBA – has the expertise to help districts connect to a wealth of available financial mechanisms and to develop their strategies, there is a need to formalize a set of best prac- tices that will allow districts and schools to achieve sustain- ability in a more streamlined and expedient fashion. This need serves as the impetus for the green school master plan project. P.S. 5 was selected as one of two schools to assist, un- der the guidance of Parette Somjen Architects in the development of a green school master plan. Perth Amboy High School is the other school currently working on a master plan. “In schools throughout this country, $8 billion is spent each year on energy,” Greg Somjen, AIA , managing part- ner of Parette Somjen Ar- chitects and USGBC NJ’s program representative told the P.S. 5 students. “If we
vided civil engineering, sur- veying, and acted as associate architect and local represen- tative in conjunction with Holzman Moss Bottino Architecture as prime. 46,000 s/f library features green roof technology, bio filtration stormwater system, and geothermal HVAC. The project encom- passes pedestrian / bicycle hardscape improvements, a reading garden and re- alignment of existing util- ity infrastructure. Dover Public Library’s LEED Gold Certification and Plaque Presentation cer- emony was held on October 27th. The library is only the 2nd LEED Gold building in Kent County, and the 11th in the State of Delaware. n could save just 25% that would be worth $2 billion. A lot of things could be done with that money instead of spending it on energy.” The green master plan proj- ect will include the establish- ment of a set of measurable objectives, development of a credit matrix for bridging the various green school certifica- tions and conducting facility audits, implementation of re- gional sustainability leader- ship training, process evalua- tion, collecting and sharing of resources through an online platform, creation of sustain- ability videos and tutorials and development of the Sustainable School District Guidebook. “It is a priority of our ad- ministration to build LEED certified municipal buildings and to encourage the develop- ment of private construction that meets green building standards,” said Mayor Fulop. “We are proud that a commit- ment to sustainability is also being fostered in our public schools.” n
Mayor Steve Fulop at Jersey City’s P.S. 5
the process for implementa- tion of these strategies can be inefficient, time-consuming and costly. The average age of a school building in NJ ex- ceeds 50 years, which means that capital improvements are necessary in some cases. In addition, there are governance protocols with which districts
Some of these strategies include improving energy efficiency, reducing water use, implementing recycling programs, planting school gar- dens, offering healthier food options, incorporating envi- ronmental curricula, utilizing green cleansing products and cutting carbon emissions. But
Becker Morgan Group acts as associate architect and local representative in conjunction with HolzmanMoss Bottino Architecture on Dover Public Library
Dover Public Library
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