It’s official—our new library just received gold LEED-certification from the U.S. Green Building Council. The library is the first ground-up construction in Santa Fe to receive gold status, the second highest under the LEED (Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design) point-based rating system. During the course of construction, virtually all of the construction waste from the library was recycled rather than sent to landfills. Most of the materials used in the building came from within a 500-mile radius, promoting local enterprise and saving transportation costs and energy use. We’re capturing nearly 90,000 gallons of water a year from roof run-off to irrigate campus landscaping, and the building uses 30% less energy than a traditional building of its size. Daylighting is used throughout the building—on most school days, no lights are on in the upper level. These are just a few of the environmental aspects of our new library that helped us capture the gold.
Our new library was also honored at a Southwest Contractor Magazine Award Ceremony for best new construction. Prep’s library was the only project of about 20 named statewide to receive two awards: for best private project under $5 million, and for best green building project. Congratulations to the architects at Spears Architects, the general contractor, John Rehders, and the many subcontractors, contributors, and engineers who set such an ambitious goal . . . and then reached it.