Nichols School will be one of the first schools in Western New York to take part in a significant green construction project plan according to a major announcement made in conjunction with Earth Day this past Tuesday.
Richard Bryan Jr., Nichols School headmaster, revealed that the school’s new 26,000 sq. foot eco-friendly academic building will be constructed in accordance with the Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design – commonly known as LEED – Green Building Rating System.
“It is not enough to celebrate environmental consciousness one day a year or only on paper. Nichols School is part of a movement to live green on a day-to-day basis, and LEED is rapidly becoming the standard for forward-thinking companies and organizations around the world,” said Bryan.
LEED is a third party certification program and the nationally accepted standard for the design, construction and operation of high performance green buildings. LEED promotes a whole-building approach to sustainability by recognizing performance in five key areas of human and environmental health: sustainable site development, water savings, energy efficiency, materials selection and indoor environmental quality.
“We cannot undergo this tremendous project alone,” said Bryan. “Delaware North Companies generously gave $1 million to fund the sustainability elements in our new building. With this support and our dedication to the Big Green Initiative, the school’s program supporting environmental consciousness and individual wellness, Nichols will be proud to receive the distinction of being the first school in Western New York to have a LEED certified building.”
This latest property addition to Nichols’ campus was acquired from the adjacent United Church Home. After taking ownership of the property, Nichols worked with New York City-based Butler Rogers Baskett Architects to develop a master plan for the campus. Central to this newest addition was the plan to construct a new state-of-the-art, eco-friendly math/science/technology center. To design the final plans for the LEED certified building, Nichols evaluated 12 architectural firms from across the country and chose Architectural Resources, due to the company’s local offices and environmental standards. The building is set to house seven laboratories, eight classrooms and a 40-seat technology learning lab.
The building will feature an intricate wall system for natural day lighting and sun control, a sustainable heating and cooling system, and a landscaped green roof to trap moisture, provide additional insulation and keep the building cooler in the summer. The building also will feature an active, naturally purified indoor air quality system. Earlier this year, the school added two new eco-friendly artificial turf athletic fields which also support the Big Green Initiative. The fields used recycled building materials and various excess resources, such as trees and top soil, were donated to the community. Nichols worked to keep the community informed of its upcoming plans and also worked to listen to concerns via a Neighborhood Consensus Group. The neighborhood has overwhelmingly embraced the final plans.
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