Greenhills School in Ann Arbor is looking to build an addition that could help it live up to its name... literally.
The private school plans to build an 11,000 square-foot addition of classrooms and greenhouses within the next few years. A 5,040-square-foot rear addition will feature a green roof over the school's science wing. School officials hope the green roof will significantly decrease the amount of water runoff and help insulate the school, saving on heating and cooling costs.
The expansion, set to tentatively begin in 2010, includes other green features, such as installing a geothermal heating and cooling systems, energy efficient lighting, natural ventilation, maximizing natural light, installing solar panels, waterless urinals and low-flow toilets. School officials hope to reduce the school’s use of fossil fuels, minimizing its carbon footprint.
The addition and improvements are expected to lead to reduce peak electrical load by a third, provide 5 percent of total power form on-site renewable energy, reduce gas consumption by 20 percent initially and eventually eliminate it, reduce half of water consumption, reduce NO2 emissions by 20 percent and reduce CO2 emissions by 15 percent.
The school will also apply for LEED gold certification from the U.S. Green Building Council
The school is located on Ann Arbor's east side near Geddes Road and U.S. 23. A group of local parents formed the school in 1968 as an independent, co-ed, non-denomination college preparatory school. It serves students in grades 6 through 12 from the Ann Arbor area. Enrollment is set at about 450 students. The addition will allow for an increase in enrollment of up to almost 100 students.
Source: City of Ann Arbor
Writer: Jon Zemke
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