New Orleans School District Wins USGBC Leadership Award

 

 

NEW ORLEANS — The U.S. Green Building Council awarded its 2010 Leadership Award to the Recovery School District of New Orleans at its Greenbuild International Conference & Expo in Chicago. The award recognizes organizations demonstrating leadership and commitment to green building construction and design.

 

The Recovery School District was recognized for its “steadfast commitment to rebuilding healthy, high-performing schools for the New Orleans community” in the wake of Hurricane Katrina, which damaged or destroyed every school building in the city.

 

The RSD’s Chief Operating Officer, Ramsey Green, and its Director of Capital Improvements, Lona Hankins, accepted the award on behalf of the district.

 

The RSD is rebuilding and renovating all New Orleans schools to a minimum of LEED Silver. By 2013 the district will have built 17 new LEED Silver schools and renovated 13 schools to the same level.

 

All new and renovated schools maximize daytime lighting, minimize heat absorption and consume 30 percent less energy. Some of the schools were also outfitted with solar panels and cisterns for harvesting rainwater.

 

The rebuilding project comes under the School Facilities Master Plan, a joint effort of the RSD and the Orleans Parish School Board. It is funded by a $1.84 billion settlement from FEMA.

 

Edited 11-22-10