ARC designed athletic and wellness center awarded LEED Gold Certification

ARC/Architectural Resources Cambridge and The Beck Group's 114,000 s/ft new Athletic and Wellness facility at the Episcopal School of Dallas has received LEED Gold Certification. Designed and built around the school's Wellness for Life Campaign, the Stephen B. Swann Athletic andWellness Center is projected to consume 20.1% less in dollar terms and 17.8% less in energy than a baseline modeled building, saving the school about $26,510 annually. Some of Swann Center's key sustainable features include: * All light fixtures within 15 feet of exterior walls have daylight sensors which will automatically adjust the lights based on the amount of daylight entering the room, thus reducing electricity use. * Light fixtures in 30% of occupiable rooms have occupancy sensors which turn lights off after 15 minutes of undetected movement. * A minimum of 51% of wood-based materials in the building are FSC-certified, meaning the wood products have been chosen because they were harvested in a socially and environmentally responsible way. * Approximately 23% of the building's materials and products are derived from recycled material. * The building is projected to use over 40% less water than a building with standard plumbing fixtures. * Greater than 50% of the building's roof is a white roofing material which absorbs less heat, resulting in a cooler building and lower air conditioning load. * 77% of waste produced during construction was recycled or salvaged rather than being disposed of in a landfill. * The storm water plan for the project was designed in a manner that runoff from the project site, including roofs and roads, is diverted directly to an on site lake. The Stephen B. Swann Athletic and Wellness Center includes a competitive gymnasium, an indoor running track, strength, conditioning and cardio workout rooms, sports medicine facilities, a dance studio, expanded locker rooms, a team room and coaching offices, as well as a campus bookstore, concessions and equipment storage areas. The Athletic and Wellness Center is ARC's fourth project for the Episcopal School of Dallas. The Stephen B. Swann Athletic and Wellness Center, which opened last fall, not only creates a new venue for competitive and recreational sports, but also truly promotes and instills healthy lifestyle choices for students. The ARC and The Beck Group design teams worked closely with the ESD community to create an interactive and lively space within a sustainable environment. The dynamic facility intentionally provokes interaction and activity between students as well as faculty. "While this award recognizes ESD's commitment to environmental responsibility and maximization of the long-term value of our physical plant, it also exemplifies our dedication to a holistic educational focus which prepares students to be healthy, responsible and engaged citizens," remarked The Reverend Stephen B. Swann, ESD's Founding Rector and Headmaster. "We are grateful for the guidance of the Stone House Group, a sustainable building design consultancy headquartered in Pennsylvania, Architectural Resources Cambridge, and Beck Group, who helped bring our vision of 'comprehensive wellness' to fruition."