ATLANTA, GA – The Portman Family Middle School was dedicated at The Lovett School today in a ceremony that drew attention to the school’s commitment to environmental stewardship. From the building’s design and operations to its students’ curriculum, sustainability is integrated throughout the 75,000 s.f. school, which opened for classes in September.

The facility provides sixth through eighth grade students with a technology-rich learning environment, including science labs, a computer lab, art and drama studios, collaborative study rooms, and a 500-seat multi-purpose room.

The school’s garden roof is an interactive learning space, with native plantings ...[more]

A short piece by Kevin Triplett, AIA LEED AP, in the April 2007 issue of College Planning and Management discusses the incorporation of sustainable design elements on college campuses around the US.

In the article, Kevin cites three major factors driving the heightened interest in sustainable design on campus: energy (and cost) efficiency; the inclusion of the campus itself as a teaching tool; and the increased engagement of student populations in sustainable design and practices.

Shepley Bulfinch’s new Sturm College of Law at the University of Denver, which is highlighted in the article, is the nation’s first law school to achieve LEED Gold certification.

The Frank P Doyle Library at Santa Rosa Junior College, Santa Rosa, California, was one of 27 public and academic libraries nationwide to be included in the April 2007 issue of American Libraries magazine.

The American Library Association publication’s annual Design Showcase highlighted the host of environmental features which are incorporated seamlessly in the Doyle Library’s traditional design. These include the library’s use of a 58-kw photovoltaic array and a system of thermal energy storage units.

The 141,000 s.f. library was the work of design partners TLCD Architecture of California, which oversaw the project’s sustainable design elements, and Shepley Bulfinch, which brought its expertise in library planning and programming to the project. ...[more]

Architectural Record and Engineering News-Record magazines once again ranked Shepley Bulfinch among the top architecture and green design firms in the US in their latest annual surveys published in the two magazines this week. The rankings are based on revenues in 2009, a challenging year for the industry.

Architectural Record put Shepley at #79 among A/E/C firms based on total architectural revenue in its survey of the country’s 250 leading design firms.

ENR ranked Shepley Bulfinch at #89 in its annual survey of Top 100 Green Design Firms, based on 2009 ...[more]

The renovation of Gallatin Hall at Harvard Business School has received LEED-NC Gold certification from the US Green Building Council. It is the second residence hall and the fifth building at HBS to achieve LEED certification.

The renovation achieved a 98 percent recycling rate for construction waste management, diverting over 1,500 tons from entering landfills through salvage and recycling. As the project’s energy audit reveals, the renovation has reduced nearly 700 metric tons of greenhouse gas emissions, equivalent to over 6 billion BTUs of energy or 1,000 barrels of oil. Low-flow plumbing fixtures will reduce domestic water use by nearly 30 percent compared to a standard building. Energy systems are tied ...[more]

The Brody Learning Commons at Johns Hopkins University, which has been packed since its doors opened last August, has something big to celebrate this week: LEED Gold certification from the US Green Building Council. It’s the first new construction on the school’s Homewood campus to earn this distinction.

The Learning Commons’ sustainable strategies include:

Managing solar gain: Heat gain and loss from the glass curtain wall system was combated by high-performance glass, automated interior shades, and perimeter (hydronic) heating and cooling.
Energy efficiency: While the under-floor air distribution system ...[more]

Colleges and universities that are looking for ways to improve energy efficiency and resulting cost savings are realizing that some habits start from the ground up, as discussed in “How to achieve a tight building envelope,”� which appears in the June 2012 issue of College Planning & Management.

In the article, Jonathan Baron talks about the value to owners of investing in building component mock-ups and building commissioning, as well as the importance of evaluating the compatibility of different materials used in creating the building envelope.

Jonathan’s remarks on building ...[more]

The Harvard Innovation Lab passed a major milestone last week when the Boston Redevelopment Authority (BRA) approved plans to transform the former WGBH building in the Allston section of Boston into an environment that advances collaboration and entrepreneurship.

“The Innovation Lab is an entirely new model for Harvard,” said Gabe Handel, Managing Director of the Dean’s office at Harvard Business School, in a release issued on Friday. “It is an innovation in and of itself.”

Physically located on the Harvard Business School campus, the Harvard Innovation Lab will encourage entrepreneurship and innovation University-wide.

Cherry Murray, Dean of Harvard’s School of Engineering, said, “I see the Harvard Innovation Lab as having the potential to ...[more]