Our Building

Take a Tour of Londonderry's GREEN SCHOOL ENVIRONMENT Inside and Out!

Less is better!

Our building is designed so that spaces can have multiple uses. This reduces the need to build more square footage. This provides a cost and materials savings! For example, our lobby may be used as stage; the railing can be removed and the multipurpose room becomes seating area. Or, push away furnishings in multipurpose room to make available as a large gathering room. Students can also sit on the risers and view a show or program in the multipurpose room itself. The room has a small kitchenette for board meetings, evening or special programs, and so that it may be used for community programs.

We have consciously chosen not to cover floors and walls with extra materials that are typically used in construction. For example, the block in hallways is clear sealed, rather than hidden behind drywall or event paint. The concrete floor (which is important to our heating system) has merely received a clear sealer also. The maintenance is minimal; the function is complete without adding linoleum or vinyl flooring.

Energy efficiency

We have reduced energy usage through the coordination of the "systems" in building. First, the building "envelope" has extreme insulation – an R-60 roof and R-48 walls. Walls are made of double "walls" of Styrofoam that make a form that is filled with concrete. The highly insulated "envelope" of the building keeps heat and cooling inside the building. The floor slab of concrete is heated by radiant tubing; 130-degree water snakes through the floor in tubes spaced 12 inches apart. The concrete remains warm and the individual areas do not need to "call" for heat as often as with traditional baseboard or forced hot air heating. Upstairs uses baseboard heat, but relies on heat rising from floor below for primary heating. Windows allow for passive warming from sun.

Utilizing sun’s warmth through windows and clerestories to help warm building through day. Roof overhangs are designed to keep summer sun out and let winter sun in. Awnings over some windows provide the same effect. Awnings are purchased from Conservation Concepts, an environmental business with ties to Londonderry’s founding families. All classrooms have individual heat thermostats so each can be regulated as needed, depending on amount of sun warmth.

The building is designed to reduce the need for air conditioning by using natural air ventilation in classroom wings with "purge" fans. These fans pull cool air through the classrooms at night when windows are left open. Clerestories allow heat that rises to escape. Only the central part of the building is air conditioned, as this is the only part of the building getting year round use. Offices are air conditioned separately from the multipurpose room/lobby area, so that only the area in use can be air conditioned, as needed. Air conditioning adds considerable expense to a building during construction and for electric usage as an operating cost, so this design offers cost savings in two ways.

Energy efficiency and Aesthetics

Daylighting – using natural light as lighting - reduces need for lighting and provides a more pleasant natural light. Large windows are in all classrooms. White ceilings reflect and spread light throughout rooms. Clerestories add light to hallways. Light in halls is reflected off white ceilings and into classroom through holes in walls, adding daylight to center of building.

Reduced water usage

All toilets use rainwater collected from the roof in an underground cistern to flush – except our waterless urinal! This rainwater recycling system for graywater greatly reduces the use of potable water from the drinking water supply. The gang sinks (which were recycled from a building demolition) turn off automatically and have small faucet holes, so children cannot leave water running.

Air quality

Materials were selected that would eliminate as much as possible chemical pollutants in the inside air. The carpet is made from recycled fibers and backing, can be recycled, and is installed so that it has very little "off gassing" during installation or after. The carpet is installed in squares that can be removed if stained, rather than having to remove the entire carpet area. The sealers or finishes used on site have reduced harmful volatile organic chemicals (VOCs); those needing finishes with VOCs were completed off site and brought to the site after they had sealed.

The entire building can use natural ventilation with operable windows throughout to allow fresh air exchange. Each classroom has a carbon monoxide monitor so inhabitants can note if air ventilation should increase. Fans that cool the building at night can also operate on low speed to help increase natural ventilation if needed. Fans are located along clerestories at ends of hallways.

Renewable and recyclable materials

Materials were selected for the building that were made from rapidly renewable/fast growth materials or recycled/recyclable materials. Rapid growth examples : Wheatstraw board in multipurpose room and over doorways is made from wheat straw! The flooring in the multipurpose room is bamboo. Recycled/recyclable: Interface brand carpet is made from recycled carpet and is recyclable when no longer needed, including both fibers and backing. Because the carpet is installed in squares, rather than an entire roll, each square can be replaced singly as necessary when soiled permanently.

75% of the waste from construction was also recycled!

Durability reduces waste and maintenance time and cost

Indoor and outdoor materials were selected to require little maintenance and refinishing. Split faced block is used on the exterior. Inside, regular concrete block is used in hallways requiring no repainting in later years. Concrete flooring is easy to maintain and requires little upkeep.

Reuse of materials

All-new furnishings would have cost approximately $150,000. Classroom and some office furnishings were reused from former school location. Lobby and administrative furnishings were donated by two law offices and two corporations that were disposing of furnishings. Savings to school = $136,000. Reduced trash and waste and reduced impact on resources to create new furnishings. Large sinks were donated from a demolition site and refurbished for school’s use. River stones from the roof of a demolition site were reused around the school for walkways.

Reduce fuel consumption through use of local products

When considering impact on the environment in material selection, the travel distance of the materials coming to the site must be a factor. Materials were selected for construction of the building that were made within a 500-mile radius of the site. New classroom furniture that was purchased was from a Lancaster company.

Minimize site disturbance

Only the area needed for construction itself was disturbed. Trees were saved that were healthy, rather than leveling the entire area and re-planting later, as is typical in commercial and school construction.

Watershed protection

All stormwater (water runoff) is kept on site. Stormwater is reduced by collecting rainwater from the roof and reusing it for flushing toilets. Also eliminating curbing and reducing paving and concrete reduce the stormwater runoff from roadways and parking areas. Extra parking area uses a permeable surface that is cost efficient - gravel.

All wastewater is treated on site, rather than adding to sewage system. This reduces the impact on the watershed with sewage treatment plant discharge.

Students planted more than 50 native trees and shrubs in the spring of 2004, such as dogwood, river birch, redbud and mountain laurel.

Plantings are native plants, which do not need special or extra watering. Watering can be done in summer with rainwater collection system, since water usage in a school is reduced in summer. No chemical fertilizers are used that can run off and damage waterways; organic compost is used to fertilize plantings.

Habitat protection

The school is sited to reduce number of acres needing to be disturbed. New plantings are all native plants that provide habitat for native species. Extensive habitat restoration by replanting healthy plants to replace those destroyed by logging of previous owners is being conducted by the school students and families.

Natural habitat, watershed protection, energy reduction

Natural habitats rather than monoculture of grass that requires extensive watering and mowing have been retained and enhanced. The school playground has been designed with a variety of habitats. The grass area is limited on the playground to the essential needed space and elsewhere on the site is also limited. Landscaping includes native shrubs and trees, meadow grasses and wildflowers. Trees have been protected and preserved wherever possible.

Reuse and recyled materials

Several pieces of playground equipment were moved from our former site. New equipment that was purchased uses "timbers and planks" made from recycled milk jugs (over 3,400) and recycled plastic bags. Play equipment has also been constructed of logs from trees that were not healthy and had to be removed. Wood chips from trees that were taken down were used for playground surfacing; wood chips from trees that were from a garden expo at the nearby farm show building were also used on our playground!

Reduce heat absorption on earth to reduce global warming

Dark materials absorb and hold heat from the sun; light materials reflect the sun’s light and heat back away from the earth. Asphalt paving is limited to minimum needed for school requirements. Trees have been preserved or planted to shade asphalt in the spring, summer, and fall months. The roof materials are silver (front) or white (back) to reflect sun.

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