CLARK COUNTY MIDDLE SCHOOLS GO GREEN!

At a recent meeting, the Clark County School District, the fifth largest school district in the United States, formally approved the hiring of Domingo Cambeiro Corporation (DCC) in association with Fanning Howey & Associates, as one of the district’s new architects that will design the new Middle School Prototype.

Utilizing Domingo Cambeiro Corporation expertise in sustainable design, the new middle school will feature maximum daylighting in every classroom, substantial improvement to the indoor air quality, extensive use of recyclable materials and innovative use of alternative energy sources.

Bringing daylight into a building to either supplement or replace electrical lighting in order to allow the occupants to perform their tasks is almost a necessity. Studies suggest that children perform better, have a lower absenteeism rate and get sick less often in educational facilities with daylighting. A 1999 study by the Heschong Mahone Group gave proof to educators and designers that the right kinds of daylight in classrooms can improve the learning environment. The study found a statistical correlation between the amount of daylighting in elementary school classrooms and the performance of students on standardized math and reading tests.

“Before LEED or Green Architecture became buzz words, DCC had been using the sustainability principles in our designs for many years,” says Dom Cambeiro, principal at DCC and a LEED Accredited Professional, “we strive not only decrease what we take from the environment, but do our best to add more and we do this without compromising the comfort, durability and aesthetics of our buildings”

According to the U.S. Department of Energy’s Energy Information Administration, Washington, D.C., lighting, heating, and cooling account for about 75 percent of total commercial energy use, with schools being the largest energy users. Buildings constructed using green building practices save money, resources and energy, and have less negative impacts on building inhabitants and the local community. DCC new middle school design aims to maximize energy efficiency, which will provide some of the more significant cost savings that are associated with reducing energy and water use. These solutions will be of utmost benefit to administrators, teachers and students in Clark County.

The new middle school will house about 1700 students in grades six, seventh and eighth. The school will be a state-of-the-art educational facility with many technological advances included in every classroom designed to meet the children’s educational needs well into the 21st century.

About Domingo Cambeiro Corporation
Domingo Cambeiro Corporation is an award winning, minority-owned, architectural and interior design firm specializing in public schools, including the current CCSD Elementary School Prototype, corporate, and local and state government facilities. Based in Las Vegas, NV, it employs 27 professionals and has practiced effective sustainable design principles for the past 35 years in the Southwest Region of the United States.
Domingo Cambeiro Corporation is located at 3555 Pecos McLeod, Las Vegas, NV 89121. www.dccarchitects.com
###