MINNEAPOLIS — The Midwest Great Lakes Annual Regional Conference of Council of Educational Facilities Planners International (CEFPI) is scheduled for April 25 at the Radisson Plaza Hotel in Minneapolis.
The theme of the 2012 Regional Conference — One Voice: Coming Together to Transform Education, Whatever it takes/Wherever it leads — will center on the need for a more holistic approach to the planning and design of learning environments.
DALLAS — For the 110 years they’ve been around, Lennox has always strived to innovate.
Kicked off with the development of the first riveted steel furnace in 1895, the Dallas-based HVAC manufacturer and distributor continues its innovation goals with the recent announcement of their new solar-powered, renewable energy rooftop unit.
The SunSource commercial energy system rooftop unit requires no changes to a building’s electrical system and the panels do not have to be laid out on any particular grid, according to company officials.
JOPLIN, Mo. — On May 22, 2011, Joplin experienced devastating loss — losing 162 people and nearly 8,000 structures as a result of a powerful tornado ripping through the town of more than 50,000 residents.
Of the buildings destroyed by the tornado — 10 buildings in the Joplin School District were significantly damaged or completely devastated.
CLINTONVILLE, N.Y. — AuSable Valley Central School District (AVCSD) recently unveiled a new heating system at a school that will save the district thousands of dollars.
“We’re looking at (saving) over $100,000 in fuel costs annually,” said AVCSD Superintendent Paul Savage. “That’s considerable, and that’s conservative. As we go forward, we’ll learn more about where we’re at. That’s something that is a definite win for our school and community here.”
NEW HAVEN, Conn. — Facility operators and maintenance crews will recognize brands such as Adams Rite, Yale, Corbin Russwin, Sargent, Security Metal Products and Pemko — all of which fall under Assa Abloy’s product line. Established in 1994, Assa Abloy has emerged a leading manufacturer and developer of door opening hardware and design in the educational vertical.
CHICAGO — A groundbreaking ceremony took place in downtown Chicago for East-West University’s new 165,000-square-foot Student Life Center, which will offer students an option of on-campus housing for the first time in the history of the university.
BELLEVILLE, Ill. — Southern Illinois College in Belleville, Ill. will receive LEED certification for an addition to an existing building on campus with completion expected by winter 2012.
SEATTLE — Turner Construction’s Seattle office recently won a contract for the University of Washington’s underground light rail project, University Link. The construction will extend 3.15 miles and will serve the three largest urban centers in Washington: downtown Seattle, Capitol Hill and the University District. The extensive project is slated for completion by 2016.
Turner is also working with the school on another project at UW. The company is in charge of renovating the school’s football stadium, Husky Stadium.
CHECOTAH, Okla. — Checotah Public Schools is in the process of constructing a $15.4 million high school that will be powered by geothermal energy, a renewable resource. Construction will be completed by fall 2012.
The 120,000-square-foot school was slated for completion in 2011 but construction delays and bad weather pushed the timeline back.
Wet weather caused several of the construction delays at the site, including the inability to use cranes to hoist beams into place.
FORT HUACHUCA, Ariz.— Col. Smith Middle School, part of the Fort Huachuca Accommodation School District (FHASD) in Arizona, will be the first net-zero energy school in the state.
