Leading By Example
It’s safe to say that “environmental consciousness” is no longer a buzz phrase; it has become a way of life for many, including us. For several years now, we’ve helped educational facilities go green, and in doing so have made their community a better place to live, work, learn and play. So it’s only natural that we’ve fully embraced the movement ourselves.
One reflection of our commitment to living and designing green is our new name, SHP Leading Design. This name change is far from superficial; rather, it is an expression of our absolute commitment to leading the architectural community in innovative architectural design and sustainable design. It’s an important and exciting time for SHP Leading Design, and we’d love to share more about it with you. You can learn all about what’s changing at SHP—and what’s staying the same—by clicking here.
In the same spirit, I’d like to introduce you to the new Insite. Beginning with this issue, Insite will now be an online publication. We’ll still be delivering the same great content but in a more environmentally friendly manner.
We’ve always aimed to lead by example. That’s fitting, given our cover story. It may surprise some that Ohio is quietly emerging as a leader in green school design. In fact, Ohio is the first state to pass a resolution requiring all new schools to achieve at least LEED Silver certification for Schools. Pleasant Ridge Elementary School is slated to be the first LEED Silver certified school in the state, with many more to come.
We’ll also take you to Baldwin County, Alabama, the largest county east of the Mississippi, where the community is addressing a unique challenge. The county has experienced an enormous amount of growth in manufacturing, tourism and healthcare, and now they’re challenging themselves to create technical school options to match. Find out how SHP’s Master Planning Study will help them take the next step.
Speaking of challenges, one that our clients often face is finding creative solutions to match new construction with existing facades. We look at how the Lawrenceburg Library and Tecumseh High School turned design obstacles into design features.
Other articles in this issue explore how community and technical colleges and regional campuses are investing in campus renovations to support a growing student body, and how 2enCompass’ integrated design approach helped the College of Mount St. Joseph meet an intense construction schedule.
I hope you enjoy the new online issue of Insite. As always, I encourage you to send me your suggestions for topics you’d like us to explore in the future. You can reach me at . Thanks for being part of the future of SHP Leading Design.
Lauren Della Bella, LEED-AP
Executive Vice President & Editor