Chicago Opens a Rare
'Green' School
September 07, 2005 — By Don Babwin, Associated Press
CHICAGO — Youngsters at Tarkington
elementary started their first day of classes Tuesday at a school where
flowering plants grow on the roof. It's one of the nation's small but
growing number of environmentally friendly schools, a stand-out because
it sits in a major city better known for towers of steel and concrete.
Supporters hope Tarkington elementary will bring the idea of
environmentally friendly urban buildings into the mainstream.
In contrast to other Chicago buildings, Tarkington has a living, green
roof planted atop the gymnasium. It's a garden of short, self-sustaining
flowering plants that don't need much water and can withstand Chicago's
weather, said project manager Julie Chamlin.
"It looks extraordinarily better than other schools," said 12-year-old
Dulce Vega, a seventh-grader excited at the thought of having science
classes on the roof.
If the young science students and other children are lucky, they might
even see birds nesting there.
The insulation provided by the soil and vegetation will help keep the
building warm in the winter and cool in the summer. Rainwater soaking
into the soil will be piped to a nearby lagoon.
The school also is designed to use 30 percent less water than expected
for a building of its size and get half of its electricity from
renewable resources, and it has a reflective coating to reduce the
amount of heat getting in.
Tarkington is one of about 110 schools in the United States that have
been certified or are seeking "green" certification from the U.S. Green
Building Council.
Proponents say Tarkington represents a huge leap forward because it is
in Chicago and not in some small town or tree-hugging city on the more
environmentally conscious West Coast.
"I think it mainstreams what is a very important idea that many people
would have ignored just because it came out of the wrong market," said
Rick Fedrizzi, the president and CEO of the Green Building Council.
Tarkington was specifically built to meet the council's Leadership in
Energy and Environmental Design guidelines.
A much smaller "green" school, Prairie Crossing Charter School, opened
last January in Grayslake north of Chicago. But that school's director,
Linda Brazdil, said Tarkington sends a message that her school -- in a
wooded area miles from the nearest high-rise or subway -- simply can't.
"If you can (build such a facility) in the middle of a city, then it
says it's not just something you can do if you happen to be in the
suburbs," she said.
Tarkington sits on Chicago's Southwest Side, in a neighborhood of
bungalows, a large city park, mom-and-pop convenience stores and
restaurants. Many shops display signs in Spanish and English.
Aside from savings on costs of water and energy, Fedrizzi said such
schools are exciting for what they can do for students. Proponents
believe the air quality in a "green" building is better than other
schools, and that students won't be out sick as much and may perform
better, he said.
In addition, the green roof will offer hands-on lessons on life cycles
and plant life, said the school's principal, Vincent Iturralde.
"It's important for kids to be environmentally focused and start
ingraining in them the kind of ways to save on energy, to make the best
use of recycling," Iturralde said.
Parents are excited, too.
Deborah Voltz, who brought her 11-year-old son for his first day in
sixth grade Tuesday, said she took a tour of the school earlier and
learned about all of its features.
"Oh my, I was so very impressed," she said.
Source: Associated Press |