PRESS RELEASE - FOR IMMEDIATE
RELEASE
For more information, contact: Samantha Balbier, 412-422-2197
Carriage House Children’s Center, Inc. Sets Gold–Standard
Pittsburgh, PA (January 22, 2009)
–Carriage House Children’s Center, Inc / Wightman School Community Building located in Squirrel Hill announced today that it has been
awarded LEED® (Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design) gold certification for an Existing Building by the U.S. Green Building Council (USGBC). LEED® is the USGBC’s leading rating system for designing and constructing the world’s greenest, most
energy efficient, and high performing buildings.
Carriage House, who owns and occupies the 113 year old, 40,000 square foot Wightman School
Community Building,is the larger of only two buildings in Western Pennsylvania that have become environmentally certified as an existing building. Many buildings in the
Pittsburgh region have been certified by the U.S. Green Building Council as new construction projects, but virtually no older structures in this region have met the tough challenges associated with environmentally retrofitting an existing facility. Further, the LEED®
rating system for Existing Buildings is unique because it requires ongoing
attention and detail to the building’s operations and maintenance, which is
a practice that maintains the environmental quality of the facility over the
long run.
The project began in early 2005 with a $2.2 million renovation that involved project team members: Gary Moshier of Moshier Studio, Jendoco Construction Corporation, Elk Air, Bert Davis &
Associates, Carlins Consulting and Electrical Engineers, Carriage House Building Manager, Bob Michel and other Carriage House staff. To achieve LEED® certification the heating and cooling system was replaced and particular attention was paid to lighting, water, waste management, green cleaning methods along with many other sustainable strategies.
“We are very pleased with our achievement in obtaining gold certification
from the U.S. Green Building Council. Our main focus in this effort was to
provide the healthiest and most environmentally friendly facility to benefit
the health of the children and families that we serve in our program and
throughout this community building”, said Natalie A. Kaplan, Executive
Director.
Supporters of this project include two anonymous sources, the Richard King Mellon Foundation, the Kresge Foundation for a green planning grant and a capital challenge grant, the Hillman Foundation, the Grable Foundation, the Negley Flinn Charitable Foundation, the Mary Hillman Jennings Foundation,the Laurel Foundation, PNC Charitable Trusts, the Berkman Foundation, the Gertrude Hellerman Charitable Trust Fund, the Donald and Sylvia Robinson Family Foundation, the Snyder Charitable Trusts, the Steinsapir Family Foundation, the Foster Charitable Trust, the Lawrence and Ina Gumberg Foundation, the Elsie H. Hillman Foundation and over 400 individual supporters. As an ongoing effort to promote green building initiatives in this region, The Heinz Endowments’ Environment Program awarded Carriage House a grant to author a case study on the childcare center’s greening process.
Information Page
About Carriage House Children’s Center, Inc.
Founded in 1974 on the campus of Chatham, The Carriage House Children’s Center is a non-profit early education and preschool program that annually services over 200 children, ranging in age from
six weeks to six years. Carriage House purchased the Wightman School Community Solway Street
from the Squirrel Hill Urban Coalition in 1986. Additionally, ten local non-profit organizations lease office space within the Wightman School
About The Wightman Community Building
Since its construction in 1896 by Ulysses J.L. Peoples, the School Community Building which functioned as a Pittsburgh Public School until 1980, has served tens of thousands of families, children and community members throughout the Pittsburgh region. The building symbolizes this community’s commitment to maintaining a gathering place for the education of young children, for recreation and for the work of charitable organizations. It has been recognized by the National Register of Historic Places as an excellent example of a historic building adapted for contemporary use. The Wightman School Community ’s survivaland evolution into one of this region’s finest community centers is a tribute to the innovation and dedication of all who have entered its doors.
About the U.S. Green Building Council
The U.S.Green Building Council is a nonprofit membership organization whose vision is a
sustainable built environment within a generation. Its membership includes corporations,
builders, universities, government agencies, and other nonprofit
organizations. Since USGBC’s founding in 1993, the Council has grown to more than 17,000 member companies and organizations, a comprehensive family of LEED® green building rating systems, an expansive educational offering, the industry’s popular Greenbuild
International Conference and Expo, and a network of 78 local chapters, affiliates, and organizing groups.
About LEED®
The LEED® (Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design) Green Building Rating
System™ is a feature-oriented rating system that awards buildings points
for satisfying specified green building criteria. The six major environmental categories
of review include: Sustainable Sites, Water Efficiency, Energy and Atmosphere,
Materials and Resources, Indoor Environmental Quality and Innovation and
Design. Certified, Silver, Gold,and Platinum levels of LEED green building certification are awarded based on the total number of points earned within each LEED category. LEED can be applied to all building types including new construction, commercial interiors, core & shell
developments, existing buildings, homes, neighborhood developments, schools and retail facilities. LEED for Healthcare is currently under development and is expected to be released in early 2008.