SIDWELL FRIENDS

MIDDLE SCHOOL
WASHINGTON, D.C.

ELSA FATIMA
170823024
B.ARCH 4TH YEAR SEM-7
SUSTAINABLE BUILDINGS- AR405
DIT UNIVERSITY
ABOUT
• Location: Washington, D.C. , USA
• PROJECT TEAM

Architect: Kieran Timberlake Associates

Project Management: JFW Inc.

Landscape Architect: Andropogon Associates

Sustainability Consultants: GreenShape LLC and Integrative

Design Collaborative

Constructed Wetland: Natural Systems Int’l

Lighting: Benya Lighting Design

• Area of project: 7060 sqr. M
• LEED Certified
SITE CONTEXT
• The campus sits at the edge of the Piedmont Plateau and the
Southern Plains ecological region, two watersheds that flow to the
Potomac River.
• As a result of this site condition, water management and landscape
design were central in connecting the campus to the community. The
campus showcases native ecosystems and plant species as a
celebration of the natural surrounding areas.
• The renovated middle school forms a courtyard that is used as a
constructed wetlands in a grey water purification and reuse
project.
• The constructed wetland manages the school’s and some of the
community’s water on site. After the water has been properly
filtered, it is sent downstream to Rock Creek Park. This technique
helps to prevent erosion and preserve indigenous plant and animal
species. The wetland responds to and preserves its site and
environment.
KEY SUSTAINABLE FEATURES
• CONSTRUCTED WETLAND
• BUILDING MATERIALS
• ENERGY EFFICIENCY
• GREEN ROOF
• HEALTH AND PRODUCTIVITY
• NATURAL VENTILATION
• WATER EFFICIENT LANDSCAPING
CONSTRUCTED WETLAND
• Constructed wetlands use less energy to process waste than traditional municipal
systems while creating habitats for plant and animal life.

• After first flowing through a treatment tank to remove solids, wastewater is treated
using biological processes.

• Aquatic plants, water, microorganisms, sun, soil, sand, and air filter and clean the water.
The process is completed with additional filtration of particulates and an ultra violet
(UV) filter.

• The constructed wetland behind the Middle School building treats wastewater to the
same standards as the city’s municipal system, but due to current health codes, the water
is reused only in the toilets and urinals.

• Models show that the building uses 93% less District water by treating our sewage in
the wetland and reusing the water, as well as through water-efficient landscaping.
• On-site sewage treatment, water re-use, and water-efficient native plants reduce the
school’s water consumption by 93 percent.
ENERGY EFFICIENCY
• The building is designed to use 60% less energy
through energy efficiency and passive solar design,
including ventilating and shading naturally to
reduce air conditioning load and managing lights
with occupancy sensors and photosensors. The
roof also houses a photovoltaic array that was
designed to generate 5% of the building’s electrical
load.
• The chimney designed for passive ventilation serve
the specialty classroom in the addition. South-
facing glazing at the tops of the shafts heat the air
within, creating convection current that draws
cooler air in through north-facing windows. The
solar chimneys are also intended to be used in
mechanical ventilation and air-conditioning
modes.

.
ENERGY EFFICIENCY
• Improved building envelope design includes a roof that exceeds the thermal property
requirements of standard building design by 155% and walls that exceed the same
requirements by a factor of three.
• On-site renewable energy generation: 5% of the building’s electricity is generated
by the sun, and harvested by the photovoltaic array (solar panels) on the roof.
• Purchased renewable energy: 100% of the remaining energy needed for the school
is purchased as wind generated electricity.
• Total pEUI: 20 kBtu/sf/yr
• Net pEUI: 19 kBtu/sf/yr
• Lighting Power Density: 0.70 watts/sf
DAYLIGHTING
• Orientation, high-efficiency envelop and reliance on
natural lighting save energy at the outset.
• Wall and roof systems balance thermal performance
with optimal daylighting.
• The screens change according to the solar
orientation with no screening on the north side,
vertical slat screening on the east and west sides to
keep out low light, and horizontal sunscreens on the
south side to shade high direct light.
• Lighting energy consumption has been cut by
92%, and overall energy use has been reduced
by 55%. 
Efficient Lighting Design Reduced Energy Use Associated
with Lighting by 92%
GREEN ROOF
• As rain passes through the green roof, pollutants are
removed, creating cleaner water for reuse or
overflow discharge into municipal storm drains.
• The sun’s rays would eventually cause traditional
roofing material to degrade. The green roof protects
the sensitive waterproofing layer from the sun,
extending the material’s life.
• Birds, insects, and other small creatures make their
home on the roof. Plants take in carbon dioxide and
release oxygen into the atmosphere.
• The roof also reduces the “urban heat island effect,”
which occurs when dark surfaces convert sunlight to
heat and raise the temperature of the local
microclimate. Cool roofs keep the building from
heating up, reducing demand for air conditioning.
BUILDING MATERIAL
Recycling provides another way to conserve natural resources and is a key part of
the strategy to extend the lifecycle of materials. Instead of sending unneeded
materials to a landfill or incinerator, recycled materials can be manufactured into
new products.
• 78% of the building materials were manufactured regionally to reduce the
amount of energy required to transport the material to the job site during
construction.
• 11% of the building materials are from recycled sources. including carpets,
structural steel framing, ceiling tiles, concrete rebar, ceiling grids, fiber
insulation, and gypsum drywall paper
• Wood from Forest Stewardship Council-certified forests was also used.
• 60% of the waste generated during construction was diverted from landfills and
recycled.
References
• https://www.bsu.edu/About/AdministrativeOffices/BBC/Fellows/RecentProjects/C
harterSchools/CaseStudies/Private/-/media/WWW/DepartmentalContent/BBC/Ch
arterSchools/PDFs/9%20Sidwell%20Friends%20Middle%20School85x11.ashx
• https://www.sidwell.edu/about/environmental-stewardship/green-buildings/green
-building-detail/~board/green-buildings/post/middle-school
• https://www2.ed.gov/programs/green-ribbon-schools/2012-schools/dc-sidwell-frie
nds-middle-school.pdf
• https://www.solaripedia.com/13/304/3457/sidwell_freinds_rainwater_flow_diagra
m.html
• https://www.aiatopten.org/node/140
• http://www.greeneducationfoundation.org/green-building-program-sub/case-stu
dies/899-sidwell-friends-middle-school.html