First Green School to Open in the Bronx
NEW YORK — After an eight-year struggle and millions in fundraising efforts, the students of the low-income Bronx neighborhood Highbridge now have its first middle school.
2013
Largest University Designed for Women in Saudi Arabia Completed
RIYADH, Saudi Arabia — Princess Nora Bint Abdulrahman University (PNU) in Riyadh opened in 2011 and completed its final phase earlier this year. The global firm of Perkins+Will, in collaboration with Dar Al-Handasah (Shair and Partners), designed the campus.
Stanford University Invests Millions in Developing Arts District
PALO ALTO, Calif. — After already pumping millions into its burgeoning Arts District, Stanford University is planning to add another arts facility to its growing campus. Stanford students struggling to find performance and rehearsal space are applauding the school’s decision to construct a new “arts gym.” This drop-in studio and performance space will increase arts resources at the school where students have been forced to practice in parking lots and dorm lounges.
Whitney Meeks Steinbrecher
Quackenbush Artchitects + Planners of Columbia, S.C., has welcomed interior designer Whitney Meeks Steinbrecher to its team. Steinbrecher most recently served as a senior design and project manager at GMK Associates, also of Columbia, and has worked on multiple corporate, hospitality and senior living design projects and renovations.
David W. Waggoner
The Council of Educational Facility Planners International (CEFPI) recently named David W. Waggoner, AIA, CEFP, LEED AP, BD+C, as the chair of its board of directors. Waggoner is currently the vice president and director of program management services at Atlanta-based Heery International. He is responsible for service quality and innovation in the firm’s program management practice.
Water Saving Toilet System
The new Manual Flushometer Toilet System from American Standard uses 31 percent less water than 1.6 GPF systems, while still reducing clogging and maintenance. The unit’s improved flush valves offer excellent drainline carry and have been proven to successfully flush 800 grams of waste in Maximum Performance Testing. The system also features an anti-microbial EverClean finish, a reliable self-cleaning piston, a smart feature to prevent potential water waste and precise metering to deliver the promised water savings.
Energy-Efficient Snow Melting System
Embedded Hydronic Snow Melting Systems by Uponor eliminate annual maintenance costs related to snow removal, as well as chemical-based environmental concerns. Similar to indoor radiant floor heating, this energy-efficient system circulates a mixture of warm water and glycol through an underground, cross-linked polyethylene tubing system. Designers and installation experts take elements such as snowfall rates, density, temperature and wind speed into account, and design the most effective and energy-efficient system for any given space.
Univ. of Penn Breaks Ground on New College House
PHILADELPHIA — Continuing its tradition of creating dynamic on-campus living spaces, University of Pennsylvania officials and donors recently broke ground on the $127 million New College House at Hill Field.
Duke’s School of Medicine Building Achieves LEED Gold
DURHAM, N.C. — Duke University’s School of Medicine recently announced that the new Mary Duke Biddle Trent Semans Center is the first building to achieve LEED Gold certification on the medical center campus in Durham.
Survey Supports Green School Construction
PHILADELPHIA — Results from a new independent nationwide survey, announced during a press conference at the Greenbuild Conference & Expo in Philadelphia, revealed three out of four Americans are supportive of green schools. The survey, sponsored by Hartford, Conn.-headquartered United Technologies Corp. (UTC) and the U.S. Green Building Council’s (USGBC) Center for Green Schools, researched Americans’ attitudes toward the country’s public school buildings and investments to modernize school infrastructure.