Mollie Dodd Anderson Library - Newtown, PA
N 40° 12.608 W 074° 56.119
18T E 505504 N 4451082
Unique and very interesting "green" library on the campus of George School. This is new construction as of 2009 and not only serves the boarding school but some members of the community as well including alumni and residents of Pennswood Village.
Waymark Code: WMJ2KP
Location: Pennsylvania, United States
Date Posted: 09/12/2013
Views: 1
The library is so new that its location on GoogleEarth only shows the former clay tennis courts which once was there before the construction. I was recently on a tour of the library and it is magnificent. I was most impressed with the green aspect of it. Energy conservation has been a big deal at George School since the early 80s and recycling and renewable energy is an important aspect of this new building.
Barbara Dodd Anderson, George School alumna, is one of the financial driving forces behind this library. Barbara Dodd Anderson credits her close family friend, billionaire investor Warren Buffett, as the inspiration for her charitable giving, including the $5 million lead donation that helped build the school’s new library, which officially opened with a dedication ceremony on October 18, 2009. The boarding and day school’s new $12.5 million Mollie Dodd Anderson Library, named in honor of Dodd Anderson’s 12-year-old granddaughter, is the first new building on the campus in 30 years.
The following comes from the libraries home page off of the George School web page. SOURCE
Encompassing a library, five classrooms, and a learning center, the more than 26,400-square-foot structure stands on the south end of campus at the intersection of Farm Drive and Meetinghouse Lane. With a number of green features, including a vegetative roof and geothermal heating and cooling, the building is designed to earn gold-level certification under the LEED system—the national standard for environmentally friendly building design, construction, and operation. The new academic facility is composed of a glass, box-like formation connected to two brick structures that match the nearby George School Meetinghouse.
The LEED (the second-highest rating available for environmentally friendly building design) system assesses buildings in a number of categories, awarding points for the use of sustainable sites, water efficiency, energy efficiency, impact on the earth’s atmosphere, the use of sustainable materials and resources, limitation of waste, indoor environmental quality, and the extent to which buildings address regional environmental priorities.
Highlights of the new facility’s green features include the following:
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Over 50 percent of the new materials contain recycled content. |
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More than 60 percent of the new materials were obtained from regional resources, a strategy that minimizes the carbon dioxide emissions involved in transporting the materials to campus. |
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The Forest Stewardship Council, which encourages environmentally responsible forest management practices, certified 90 percent of the wood used for the building. |
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During construction, 88 percent of the waste generated by the process was recycled. |
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A 400-foot-deep geothermal field with forty wells heats and cools the structure and has the capacity to absorb and release 8.4 billion BTUs annually. |
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The vegetative roof and six rain gardens provide an environmentally friendly stormwater management system. |
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The vegetative roof helps to insulate the building. |
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All landscaping was done with native plants that can tolerate the local climate without the need for extra water. Read more about the Components of a Living Landscape. |
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Windows are coated with Low-E, a substance that helps to insulate the building. |
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To minimize odors and contaminants in the building, only low-emitting paints, carpets, and glues were used. |
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The carpet is comprised of squares so that individual pieces can be replaced as needed; this eliminates the need to replace the entire carpet when an area is damaged. |
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A state-of-the-art window covering system monitors sunlight penetration and automatically adjusts the shades to optimize interior room lighting. |
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Carbon dioxide sensors monitor the air and bring in fresh air as needed. |
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The bathrooms have waterless urinals and low-flush toilets. |
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A flat screen near the main entrance shows the building’s energy use in real time. |