EI was retained to design a new Elementary Center which was constructed adjacent to the existing Lehighton Area High School and District Administration Office on the 91.5-acre campus. The new facility was designed to house grades K-2 in the right wing of the building and grades 3-5 in the left wing. Both wings share common areas that are self-sufficient and appropriate in scale thereby creating two, small intimate learning communities. The project replaced fuel oil and liquid propane gas as primary energy sources with natural gas, thereby reducing energy consumption by an estimated 4,685,000 kbtu annually. Special cost saving features for the new Elementary Center include the High-Performance HVAC system, energy efficient lighting, a building orientation which provides natural daylighting, a modern, tight thermal envelope further contributing to heating and cooling savings, and plumbing fixtures exceeding building code requirements to reduce water use by over 30% annually. The District uses the facility as an educational tool demonstrating the environmental and energy benefits of sustainable design and building.