Paradise Elementary is going green
Pequea Valley breaking ground on new $20.5 million school.
By ROBYN MEADOWS
Lancaster New Era
Published: June 28, 2007 12:26 PM EST
LANCASTER COUNTY, Pa - Once the new Paradise Elementary School is finished, it could live up to its name - paradise.
Pequea Valley School District was breaking ground today on a $20.5 million project to build a new K-5 Paradise Elementary. It will sit behind the existing school at Route 30 and Belmont Road.
And the new Paradise is going to be green, or, in other words, environmentally friendly.
The new Paradise was designed to meet the gold certification of the Leadership in Energy & Environmental Design - a green rating system created by the U.S. Green Building Council.
"We are hoping for gold certification, which will be a nice feather in our cap, but we think it's the right thing to do also," School Board President Norman L. Hershey said.
Manheim Township's ongoing high school project already meets the silver certification and could make gold, according to a published report.
Building green schools is a growing national trend.
Whether a design meets the basic certification, silver, gold or platinum under LEED depends on a point system looking at the number of green features.
At the level of silver, the state reimburses a district 10 percent on top of the 10 percent it already would pay for a building project.
"When we started talking about a new building, it just became apparent that we wanted to make it as energy efficient as possible with rising oil prices and such," Business Manager John Bowden said.
Among the design's green features:
The cost to build a green school is on average about $3 more per square foot than traditional construction, according to "Greening America's Schools: Costs and Benefits 2006."
Bowden said the benefits of going green are worth it.
The Pequea Valley School Board awarded the general contractor bid to Lobar Inc. of Dillsburg. Construction costs are at $17.4 million with $3.1 million more in soft costs such as architect's and filing fees.
EI Associates of Harrisburg is the architect.
The center of the school will be a two-story gathering area outside the library. It will have plenty of windows. The gym and cafeteria have separate entrances for after-school events.
It follows the slope of the landscape to have minimal land disturbance, Bowden said.
The school board wanted a design that would look traditional while providing the latest technology, said Leah E. Shiley, EI director of business development.
Pequea Valley is also looking to have placards placed around the property that explain the environmental features, why the roof is white, where the geothermal field is.
The new school isn't just about going green. The schools have seen better days.
Paradise was built in 1927, renovated in 1954, 1964 and 1984. Leacock was built 1954 and renovated in 1958 and 1990.The 89,000-square-foot new school will consolidate the current Paradise and Leacock Elementary student populations and house about 400 students from the two schools; although it could hold up to 675 students.
Then Leacock at 3656 Old Philadelphia Pike will close.
The board has not decided what it will do with the existing Paradise, Bowden said.
Construction is slated for completion in the winter of 2008 with students moving into the new school in early 2009.
CONTACT US: rmeadows@LNPnews.com or 481-6025
Back
Pequea Valley breaking ground on new $20.5 million school.
By ROBYN MEADOWS
Lancaster New Era
Published: June 28, 2007 12:26 PM EST
LANCASTER COUNTY, Pa - Once the new Paradise Elementary School is finished, it could live up to its name - paradise.
Pequea Valley School District was breaking ground today on a $20.5 million project to build a new K-5 Paradise Elementary. It will sit behind the existing school at Route 30 and Belmont Road.
And the new Paradise is going to be green, or, in other words, environmentally friendly.
The new Paradise was designed to meet the gold certification of the Leadership in Energy & Environmental Design - a green rating system created by the U.S. Green Building Council.
"We are hoping for gold certification, which will be a nice feather in our cap, but we think it's the right thing to do also," School Board President Norman L. Hershey said.
Manheim Township's ongoing high school project already meets the silver certification and could make gold, according to a published report.
Building green schools is a growing national trend.
Whether a design meets the basic certification, silver, gold or platinum under LEED depends on a point system looking at the number of green features.
At the level of silver, the state reimburses a district 10 percent on top of the 10 percent it already would pay for a building project.
"When we started talking about a new building, it just became apparent that we wanted to make it as energy efficient as possible with rising oil prices and such," Business Manager John Bowden said.
Among the design's green features:
- Sensors will detect sunlight and dim artificial lights in classrooms.
- A white-colored roof will deflect the sun.
- A gray-water system will harvest rain and reuse it to flush toilets.
- The inside of the windows will be wood-clad to keep the heat contained in winter and out during warm months.
- A geothermal system will use the constant temperatures in the earth to cool and heat buildings. Water will circulate through pipes buried deep in the ground, and then regulate the temperature of the air inside the school. It's an alternative to using coolant.
The cost to build a green school is on average about $3 more per square foot than traditional construction, according to "Greening America's Schools: Costs and Benefits 2006."
Bowden said the benefits of going green are worth it.
The Pequea Valley School Board awarded the general contractor bid to Lobar Inc. of Dillsburg. Construction costs are at $17.4 million with $3.1 million more in soft costs such as architect's and filing fees.
EI Associates of Harrisburg is the architect.
The center of the school will be a two-story gathering area outside the library. It will have plenty of windows. The gym and cafeteria have separate entrances for after-school events.
It follows the slope of the landscape to have minimal land disturbance, Bowden said.
The school board wanted a design that would look traditional while providing the latest technology, said Leah E. Shiley, EI director of business development.
Pequea Valley is also looking to have placards placed around the property that explain the environmental features, why the roof is white, where the geothermal field is.
The new school isn't just about going green. The schools have seen better days.
Paradise was built in 1927, renovated in 1954, 1964 and 1984. Leacock was built 1954 and renovated in 1958 and 1990.The 89,000-square-foot new school will consolidate the current Paradise and Leacock Elementary student populations and house about 400 students from the two schools; although it could hold up to 675 students.
Then Leacock at 3656 Old Philadelphia Pike will close.
The board has not decided what it will do with the existing Paradise, Bowden said.
Construction is slated for completion in the winter of 2008 with students moving into the new school in early 2009.
CONTACT US: rmeadows@LNPnews.com or 481-6025
Back
