Alexandria City Public Schools

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T.C. Williams Is First K-12 School in Virginia to Achieve Gold LEED Certification

T.C. Williams High School just became the first K-12 school in Virginia to achieve a LEED® Gold certification by the U.S. Green Building Council (USGBC). The LEED® (Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design) Green Building Rating System™ is a feature-oriented rating system that the nonprofit USGBC uses to award buildings points for satisfying specified sustainable, or "green," building criteria.

Designed by Moseley Architects and built by Hensel Phelps Construction Company, the T.C. Williams project received 46 points, solidly in the Gold range of 39-51. Gold is the second highest certification available, and surpasses the Silver certification for which Moseley registered the project six years ago.


Mark Burke and Kurmit Rockwell accepting the LEED Gold Plaque.

"Buildings are a prime example of how human systems integrate with natural systems," said Rick Fedrizzi, president, CEO and founding chair of the U.S. Green Building Council. "The T.C. Williams project efficiently uses our natural resources and makes an immediate, positive impact on our planet, which will tremendously benefit future generations to come."

The LEED Gold certification is based on a number of green design and construction features that positively impact the project itself and the broader community. 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. The school's notable features include such highlights as a 450,000-gallon cistern that provides non-potable water for flushing, cooling and irrigation; structured parking to save land and reduce the urban heat island effect; a 10,000-square-foot vegetated roof to aid in stormwater management and reduce the urban heat island effect; and recycling of 94 percent of construction and demolition debris.

Alexandria City Public Schools (ACPS) Director of Planning and Construction Mark Burke credits the grassroots organization Alexandrians for a Green T.C., founded by local architect and designer David Peabody, with educating the Alexandria City School Board and Alexandria City Council to urging both groups to support sustainable building practices for the new school.

"The organization did the heavy lifting to convince stakeholders that this building needed to conform to the U.S. Green Building Council standards," Burke said. "Their members, particularly Certified Energy Manager Kurmit Rockwell, stayed in the trenches throughout the construction process, working with staff to augment the building features by seeking grant monies for a Photo Voltaic Array that became the icing on the cake and the final piece of the buildings' green features."

The school opened in September of 2007. The entire project, including an adjacent parking garage, reached completion this school year.

"Seven years after the initial meetings and a design and construction process that has been both innovative and responsive, the dream that was a new T.C. Williams High School has become a reality," Burke said. "The project has been feted for its processes and its features at the state, regional and national levels. Receiving the LEED Gold certification is the capstone achievement."

"It has been a privilege for Moseley Architects to work with Alexandria City Public Schools on this landmark project," said Moseley Architects President Bob Mills. "T.C. Williams High School is already well known for its athletic and academic achievements; now it can be well known for its green achievement as well. We are honored to have been a part of this project."

For more information about T.C. Williams and other ACPS green buildings and environmentally friendly projects, visit http://www.acps.k12.va.us/green/.

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