April 21, 2008

Department of Environmental Quality Director Steven E. Chester today congratulated 33 students and young professionals who participated in The U.S. Green Building Council - West Michigan Chapter's annual design competition. This year's competition required the teams to make Brookside Elementary of Grand Rapids Public Schools a Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) Platinum Certified Building. The winner of the Regional Championship will proceed to the National Competition in the fall.

"It's exciting to have these young professionals designing the next generation of ‘green' buildings for Michigan," said Director Chester. "I congratulate them on their work and their commitment to helping create a more sustainable Michigan."

The awards ceremony where the winning design will be chosen is being held on Tuesday, April 22, from 6:00 pm to 8:30 pm, at the Grand Rapids Art Museum. While the competition does not guarantee Brookside Elementary will ultimately look like the winning design, it does give Grand Rapids Public Schools a number of environmental and cost-savings ideas for use in the final design. Due to the proximity of the new Ray & Joan Kroc Community Center, participants have been asked to also incorporate principles of LEED for Neighborhoods when designing their projects.

Editor's note: DEQ news releases are available on the department's Internet home page at www.michigan.gov/deq.

"Protecting Michigan's Environment, Ensuring Michigan's Future"

Revised April 21, 2008 by Pat Watson