News

Rosedale Elementary School reaches Gold Certification for Green Schools

Hillsboro, Oregon, March 3, 2010

The Hillsboro School District announced today that its newly-completed Rosedale Elementary School has been awarded Gold certification in the LEED for Schools rating system by the U.S. Green Building Council (USGBC).

Rosedale Elementary School in Hillsboro, OR

The school is one of fewer than ten LEED Gold schools within the LEED for Schools system nationwide, and only the second in Oregon. The LEED for Schools system was developed to provide guidance specific to the environmental and health needs of K-12 schools and young students.

The 74,100 square foot school features a range of strategies that reduce the building’s energy use by over 30 percent to create a savings of $28,000 per year. Windows designed to allow natural sunlight deep into the classroom space without creating glare, high levels of wall insulation and radiant heat in the floors combine to make a building that is both comfortable and energy efficient. Additionally, a 25,000-gallon tank will store stormwater on-site, reducing runoff while storing that water for irrigation. Efficient plumbing fixtures and automatic sensors will reduce the building’s water use by 34 percent. The school also incorporated the sustainable design of the building into their curriculum for each grade level, an option specific to the LEED for Schools system.

“Using LEED guiding principles we were able to design and construct the school using sustainable practices such as recycling construction waste, using high recycled content components, on-site harvesting and reuse of trees, using wood from sustainably harvested forests, and using low-level VOC products,” said Loren Rogers, Executive Director of Facilities for the Hillsboro School District.

The renovation was designed by Mahlum Architects; LEED and sustainability consulting was provided by Brightworks Sustainability Advisors. Mahlum and Brightworks also worked together on the first LEED Gold school in Oregon under the LEED for Schools rating system, Sue Buel Elementary in McMinnville.

LEED for schools was launched in 2007 to address the sustainability issues unique to schools and children’s health. "Building green schools saves energy, water, natural resources and money while also offering a healthy and inspiring learning environment and first-hand experience with more sustainable practices," says Rita Haberman, Brightworks Sustainability Advisor. "The Hillsboro School District is commendably at the front of this important movement.”

Environmental Metrics

Annual energy savings in kilowatt hours: 40,026
Annual energy savings in therms: 36,921
Annual energy generated in kilowatt hours: 220,363
Annual water savings in gallons: 132,176 in EPA rated fixtures alone
Waste diversion total in tons: 4,010

Financial Metrics

Annual energy savings in dollars: $69,233

About Brightworks

Brightworks is a leading sustainability advisory firm with offices in Portland, San Francisco, Seattle and Los Angeles, specializing in helping clients save money while protecting the environment. Brightworks has completed over 60 LEED certified projects across the US and internationally, including the world's first LEED Platinum highrise, the first LEED Platinum condominiums in the US, and master plan and infrastructure-scale projects in Portland, Los Angeles, Istanbul, Korea and Mexico.

Learn more about Brightworks' projects