New Friends Community School LEED^® Commissioning Services, Friends Communtiy School

Leach Wallace Associates, Inc. was commissioned to direct the LEED^® commissioning services for the new 28,000 SF Friends School for pre-K through eighth grade in College Park, Maryland. The school building was designed with the objective of a Silver Level^® certification. As the Commissioning Agents, LWA was responsible for the prerequisite Fundamental Commissioning of the Building Energy Systems, under the Energy & Atmosphere accreditation.

The most remarkable feature of the building is its straw bale construction. This provides a highly insulated building envelope of a natural and renewable material. The school is one of the largest straw-bale structures in the world. This provides a highly insulated building envelope of a natural and renewable material. All of the classrooms in this building face south for the natural light, and all of the supporting areas face north. Approximately 60% of the roof area is a living or “green” roof.