PROJECT SUMMARY:
The Buchanan Energy Academy is a one-of-a-kind facility which exposes students to an array of renewable energy systems in a building designed to meet the highest levels energy efficiency. This innovative building features wind turbines, solar panels, skylights, floor heating and water storage from rain runoff to irrigate a rooftop garden. The building is used as a model and teaching tool for students and is designed to give them a head-start for careers in green technology. The building will be certified LEED Silver by the US Green Building Council, and is the winner of the 2010 Award of Excellence from the Coalition of Adequate School Housing. The roof is framed out of structural steel and supports a rooftop garden. The exterior walls utilize an Insulated Concrete Form (ICF) system, which is a hollow Styrofoam form that is filled with reinforced concrete. The ICF system was chosen for its increased energy efficiency over other building materials.
