Greentech Media

Third Creek Elementary School is the first Gold certified elementary school in the country. Source: Third Creek Elementary School

Third Creek Elementary School, Statesville, North Carolina Owner: the Iredell-Statesville Schools Architects: Moseley Architects LEED Status: Gold

Third Creek Elementary School is the first K-12 school to be LEED Gold certified. The architectural firm, Moseley Architects, is well-known for building schools and government service buildings. The school incorporates natural daylight into all of the classrooms and employs waterless urinals to reduce water consumption. Majority of the building materials are low-VOC and do not create an unhealthy environment for the students. For heating and cooling, the building uses energy-efficient water-source heat pumps. It has also made use of the natural landscape to help filter and slow stormwater run-off. The wetland that the building sits on is used as a “living classroom” for the students.