Project Profiles: Whitmore Lake Public Schools
 |
Application: |
Special-Lite SL-17 is the Door of Choice for LEED® Silver Certified High School
When the Whitmore Lake, Michigan, Public Schools were planning to build a new high school and seek LEED Certification, Director of Facilities Tom Wolk had no doubt whose doors he wanted on the facility. Based on his experience with Special-Lite® FRP Doors on the system’s middle school, he knew that the SL-17 was the right product.
The green features of the new 151,000-square-foot school are state-of-the-art, but did come at a cost premium to conventional construction. Geothermal heating and cooling, waterless urinals and other water management technologies, daylight reflectors, automated lighting controls, and a host of other advances are expected to save enough energy and water to deliver an expected seven to ten year payback of the incremental cost to build green. Initial cost estimates during the design phase came in significantly over budget, so according to Tom, a lot of value engineering was required to bring costs in line. Two of the performance-enhancing features Tom fought hardest to keep in the specs were his preferred roofing supplier, and Special-Lite FRP Doors. As Tom put it, “When you find a product that works, you stick with it.”
Sustainability requires commitment and a long-term perspective. And the right doors.
Improving indoor air quality is second only to reducing energy usage among the performance enhancements required for LEED certification. Tom takes pride in the fact that the air quality inside the new facility is better than that of the outside air. While he was aware of Special-Lite’s status as the only line of exterior entrance products to be certified to the GREENGUARD Children & Schools Standard, that certainly wasn’t the sole basis of his preference for Special-Lite.
Another example of the commitment to sustainability at WLPS is their switch to green cleaning practices. The ease of cleaning provided by the SL-17 allows the use of milder, greener cleaners, without compromising cleanliness.
Come on in, the water is fine!
The new high school is the first in the Whitmore Lake system to have a swimming pool, and as you can imagine, it’s certainly getting a lot of use. The corrosion resistance of the SL-17 made it the ideal choice for the humid, corrosive atmosphere in the pool, shower and locker room areas, where it is used exclusively. They are also used on the openings between the gymnasium and the outdoor athletic fields, which is traditionally one of the most demanding and abusive locations for exterior doors.
All in all, Tom couldn’t say enough about how pleased he is with the performance of his Special-Lite FRP Doors, but he summed it up best when he said “Quality sells itself.” We couldn’t agree more, Tom.
Download print version (176kb .pdf)
LEED® is a trademark of the U.S. Green Building Council.