Leed Construction

As part of a major construction project, begun in May 2012, to build new athletic and performing arts centers and renovate the Commons and Cissel Center, the administration and Board of Trustees made an institutional commitment to LEED* Silver certification.From the official LEED web site, "At its core, LEED is a program that provides third-party verification of green buildings. Building projects satisfy prerequisites and earn points to achieve different levels of certification. Prerequisites and credits differ for each rating system, and teams choose the best fit for the project.

LEED can:

  • Reduce operating costs and increase asset value
  • Conserve energy, water and other resources
  • Be healthier and safer for occupants
  • Qualify for money-saving incentives, like tax rebates and zoning allowances.

Among the major green credits Burroughs built into this project are:

  • A series of bio-retention systems which use Missouri native plants and soil to filter water runoff (Burroughs first bio-retention system was built in 2007-2008 by the Advanced Biology Conservation class to protect the campus pond from storm water runoff from the then-new Clayton Road parking lot; the project was recognized in 2009 by The Sustainable Sites Initiative as an example of sustainable practices for others to emulate.)
  • Walking and biking paths
  • Solar panels on the field house roof which, on a sunny day, generate about 2.5 percent of the school's energy use
  • LED light fixtures and other high-efficiency equipment
  • Low-flow plumbing fixtures
  • Diversion of three quarters of construction waste from landfills
  • High volume use of recycled materials in construction.

The school also gets credit for initiatives already in place, such as conversion of used kitchen oil to biodiesel fuel, organic composting of kitchen waste, sustainability threads within the curriculum and recycling.

* Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design

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