flexiblefullpage -
billboard - default
interstitial1 - interstitial
catfish1 - bottom
Currently Reading

Ground broken on first LEED Platinum designed school house built by volunteers

Ground broken on first LEED Platinum designed school house built by volunteers

Phoenix public school receives the generous gift of a state-of-the-art building for student and community use.


By By BD+C Staff | December 1, 2011
The 6,000-sf project in Phoenix will be the launching pad of state-of-the-art green schoolhouses across the country on Title 1,
This article first appeared in the December 2011 issue of BD+C.

Bringing together the community, school districts, corporations and volunteers, The Green Schoolhouse Series, in collaboration with Cause and Effect Evolutions and Washington Elementary School District break ground on the world’s first LEED Platinum designed schoolhouse built by volunteers, on the campus of Roadrunner Elementary School in Phoenix, Ariz.

The 6,000-sf project in Phoenix will be the launching pad of state-of-the-art green schoolhouses across the country on Title 1, low income, public school campuses.

The schoolhouse at Roadrunner, named Safari, will be a teaching tool, educating the students and community members on the importance of sustainable living and building practices. Safari’s sustainable features include a solar rooftop system, STEM-devoted (Science, Technology, Engineering and Math) classroom, rainwater harvesting capabilities, interactive white boards, an outdoor classroom and native gardens.

The award-winning state-of-the-art building is designed by the acclaimed Phoenix architecture firm Stantec, with construction being done by Hensel Phelps and engineering services provided by Heideman Associates, a Zak Co.

Features of the schoolhouse include:

  • Rainwater harvesting system, provided by Brae
  • Solar roof system, provided by Empire Renewable Energy
  • Native green garden, provided by Blue Cross Blue Shield of Arizona
  • Eco-friendly windows, provided by Pella Corp.
  • STEM classroom, made possible by DeVry University
  • Schoolhouse kitchen, made possible by Kraft Foods and IGA
  • Energy efficient fans, provided by Rite-Hite Fans
  • State-of-the-art water bottle refilling stations provided by Elkay
  • No VOC paint, provided by Glidden. BD+C

Related Stories

| Aug 11, 2010

BIM adoption rate exceeds 80% among nation’s largest AEC firms

The nation’s largest architecture, engineering, and construction companies are on the BIM bandwagon in a big way, according to Building Design+Construction’s premier Top 170 BIM Adopters ranking, published as part of the 2009 Giants 300 survey. Of the 320 AEC firms that participated in Giants survey, 83% report having at least one BIM seat license in house, and nearly a quarter (23%) have 100-plus seats.

| Aug 11, 2010

PCA partners with MIT on concrete research center

MIT today announced the creation of the Concrete Sustainability Hub, a research center established at MIT in collaboration with the Portland Cement Association (PCA) and Ready Mixed Concrete (RMC) Research & Education Foundation.

| Aug 11, 2010

Study explains the financial value of green commercial buildings

Green building may be booming, especially in the Northwest, but the claims made for high-performance buildings have been slow to gain traction in the financial community. Appraisers, lenders, investors and brokers have found it difficult to confirm the value of high-performance green features and related savings. A new study of office buildings identifies how high-performance green features and systems can increase the value of commercial buildings.

| Aug 11, 2010

Architecture Billings Index flat in May, according to AIA

After a slight decline in April, the Architecture Billings Index was up a tenth of a point to 42.9 in May. As a leading economic indicator of construction activity, the ABI reflects the approximate nine to twelve month lag time between architecture billings and construction spending. Any score above 50 indicates an increase in billings.

| Aug 11, 2010

Architecture Billings Index drops to lowest level since June

Another stall in the recovery for the construction industry as the Architecture Billings Index (ABI) dropped to its lowest level since June. The American Institute of Architects (AIA) reported the August ABI rating was 41.7, down slightly from 43.1 in July. This score indicates a decline in demand for design services (any score above 50 indicates an increase in billings).

| Aug 11, 2010

RTKL names Lance Josal president and CEO

Lance K. Josal FAIA has been named President and CEO of RTKL Associates Inc., the international planning, design and engineering firm. Josal succeeds RTKL’s current President and CEO, David C. Hudson AIA, who is retiring from the firm. The changes will take effect on 1 September 2009.

| Aug 11, 2010

Balfour Beatty agrees to acquire Parsons Brinckerhoff for $626 million

Balfour Beatty, the international engineering, construction, investment and services group, has agreed to acquire Parsons Brinckerhoff for $626 million. Balfour Beatty executives believe the merger will be a major step forward in accomplishing a number of Balfour Beatty’s objectives, including establishing a global professional services business of scale, creating a leading position in U.S. civil infrastructure, particularly in the transportation sector, and enhancing its global reach.

| Aug 11, 2010

Construction unemployment rises to 17.1% as another 64,000 construction workers are laid off in September

The national unemployment rate for the construction industry rose to 17.1 percent as another 64,000 construction workers lost their jobs in September, according to an analysis of new employment data released today.  With 80 percent of layoffs occurring in nonresidential construction, Ken Simonson, chief economist for the Associated General Contractors of America, said the decline in nonresidential construction has eclipsed housing’s problems.

boombox1 - default
boombox2 -
native1 -

More In Category

Mass Timber

Mass timber a big part of Western Washington University’s net-zero ambitions

Western Washington University, in Bellingham, Wash., 90 miles from Seattle, is in the process of expanding its ABET-accredited programs for electrical engineering, computer engineering and science, and energy science. As part of that process, the university is building Kaiser Borsari Hall, the 54,000-sf new home for those academic disciplines that will include teaching labs, research labs, classrooms, collaborative spaces, and administrative offices.




halfpage1 -

Most Popular Content

  1. 2021 Giants 400 Report
  2. Top 150 Architecture Firms for 2019
  3. 13 projects that represent the future of affordable housing
  4. Sagrada Familia completion date pushed back due to coronavirus
  5. Top 160 Architecture Firms 2021