The Carriage House Children's Center
(CHCC) recently received a Gold LEED certification after completing a
$2.2 million renovation of the Wightman School Community
Building, located at 5604 Solway St. in Squirrel Hill. It is now one
of only two existing buildings in Western Pennsylvania to receive
this certification from the U.S. Green Building Council.
The other is the CCI Center on the South Side.
CHCC worked with architect Gary Moshier
and Jendoco Construction Corporation on the project, which began in
Jan. 2006 and was completed in the spring of 2007. The new
renovations increased the building's energy efficiency from 30% to
over 90% and reduced its water usage dramatically. CHCC also
implemented a building-wide recycling program and developed an
environmental education curriculum to go along with the project.
As the first early childhood facility
in the country to receive LEED certification, CHCC is putting
together a case study of the process through which it obtained the
certification in order to help other early childhood centers that
wish to pursue green renovations.
“No single population can benefit
more from this type of project than young children,” says Samantha
Balbier of CHCC. “For us it was a priority to benefit the
environmental health of the children and families we serve.”
The group next plans to renovate the
roof and is exploring green roofing options. However, there are
limits on how much they can do to the exterior, because not only is
the Wightman School Community Building a LEED-certified,
environmentally cutting-edge structure, the 113 year-old building, which CHCC shares with 10 other nonprofits that lease office space, is
also listed on the National Register of Historic Places.
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Writer: Rob Cullen
Source: Samantha Balbier, director of development of the Carriage House Children's Center
Image courtesy Carriage House Children's Center