The Ohio School Facilities Commission (OSFC) announced the state’s third education facility to achieve LEED (Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design) Platinum certification from the U.S. Green Building Council (USGBC).
OSFC funded the middle-high school project in Hamilton County’s North College Hill City School District with a combination of local and state funds. Commission Executive Director Richard Hickman said the district cleared a high bar to become a Platinum school.
“This project was completed within budget, with the full complement of education components incorporated into the building, and it was able to achieve this elite LEED rating,” Hickman said. “North College Hill Middle-High School is a great example of what can happen when a team embraces integrated project delivery and works together towards constructing an energy-efficient, sustainable and healthy environment for students, teachers and staff.”
The North College design stresses significant energy savings with high-efficiency HVAC equipment, strategic building orientation, and natural light. The school also features solar panels producing approximately five of its energy needs, and was constructed with products and materials that are environmentally friendly, regionally obtained and inclusive of recycled content. As a result, the construction team was able to divert 918 tons of waste from the area landfill.
The district is an urban community whose education facilities have been consolidated at a single site, with physical education separating the age groups. North College Hill Elementary, also on the campus, recently achieved LEED Gold certification.
The middle-high school joins London Middle School in London City School District and Taft Information Technology High School in Cincinnati as Ohio’s only public school buildings to achieve LEED Platinum certification.