Green School
A "green school" is a school building or facility that creates a healthy environment conducive to learning while saving energy, resources and money.
We are committed to promoting environmental sustainability and ensuring a healthy learning environment for our students. The Ritenour School for Early Childhood Education was designed and built to meet the strict standards for Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED®) certification. This means the building and land were designed and landscaped for energy and water efficiency, a reduction in carbon emissions and a healthy indoor environment.
SEC Green School Components
HVAC and Lighting
The school’s state-of-the-art HVAC system is designed to achieve the highest levels of energy efficiency, with a similar reduction in its carbon footprint by using less fuel over time. The lighting technology is an advanced system resulting in low electrical demand and low heat gain further reducing the cooling demands of the building.
Acoustics
Keeping noise levels to a minimum between classrooms and adjacent areas facilitates learning. Interior and exterior walls, windows, doors and ceilings are constructed of materials that far exceed industry standards for acoustics.
Healthy Air Quality
The healthy interior environment is helped with an advanced outdoor air delivery system. When fresh air is needed, a dedicated system of sensors, ductwork and fans brings this air where it is needed most, and removes the unhealthy air to the outside. Better indoor air quality means healthier kids and with fewer respiratory and circulatory conditions.
Highly Reflective Roof
The building’s many roof surfaces reflect the sunlight, promoting a cooler exterior and interior environment, and ultimately reducing the cost of cooling the building during the summer months.
Natural Light
Ample windows in hallways and classrooms allow lots of natural light inside the school. Natural light reduces energy costs and has been found to improve student concentration and performance. Each classroom has windows that are just the right size for curious preschoolers to see what’s outside. The exterior includes colored glass blocks to allow natural light into the school and shine fun colors on the inside walls.
Rain Gardens
Beautiful rain gardens with native plants are built around the school to help absorb rainwater runoff from rooftops, sidewalks and the parking lot. The gardens reduce the amount of polluted runoff contributed to local rivers, creeks and municipal storm water systems.
Insulation
To reduce heating and cooling costs, the building features high efficiency Low-E windows and state-of-the-art insulation. Though the windows allow natural light into to the building, they filter solar heat from entering the building and provide high insulation values.
Playground and Multipurpose Room
Built on a safe surface made out of recycled tires, the playground encourages active play. A multipurpose room can be used for an active play space when the weather prevents students from going outside.
Classroom Controls
Each classroom is outfitted with sensing lights that automatically turn off when no one is in the room, cutting down on energy costs. Students are more productive and alert when their classroom is at a comfortable temperature, so each classroom has its own thermostats to control the room’s highly efficient heating and cooling system. Advanced lighting controls allow users to choose from many lighting schemes to suit the
particular needs of the classroom at any one time.
Recycling
We’ve taken great care to use building material with the highest recycled content we could find to do our part in reducing the need for virgin natural resources. During construction, the waste was separated off site and usable material shipped to manufacturers who start the process all over again. The school is also part of a district wide recycling program offering easy recycling of paper, cardboard, glass and plastics.
Interior Design
Sustainable furnishings and decor were selected to create a calm and soothing environmental for focused learning. Because our paints, carpet, glues and furnishings drastically reduce the emission of harmful volatile organic compounds, the building has very good indoor air quality and few harmful emissions.
Project Room
Adjacent to the courtyard, the project room is designed especially for young learners to create and imagine. This area is used for a variety of both large and small group projects including art and science.
Courtyard
The school’s interior courtyard is a perfect spot for young students to explore nature. The courtyard features natural plantings that entice butterflies and introduce preschoolers to the natural environment. The courtyard is completely surrounded by windows, allowing additional light into the school’s main hallway.
Alcoves
Each hallway has special alcoves, inviting areas for reading books, working on special projects or visiting with parents and teachers.
Water Efficiency
Bathrooms and kitchens are outfitted with low flow water faucets, toilets and urinals. These efforts drastically conserve our precious water resources.