Small Friends begins green building brainstorming process
BY PETER B. BRACE
Small Friends discovered on Feb. 5 that a large group of supporters all believe in its quest to build a 100-percent green schoolhouse on Nobadeer Farm Road.

At an invitation-only gathering of teachers, builders, parents, architects, designers and engineers called a charette, Small Friends began the process of deciding how to construct a healthy and energy-efficient building by asking for suggestions.

At this first of two charettes, those invited got a taste of what is possible for the new building and the chance to add their own ideas, which focused more on issues the building could solve rather than how it would be constructed.

Just building the 6,638-square-foot, one-story structure will consolidate all of Small Friends' activities under one roof in a part of the island that is rapidly filling up with year-round housing, meaning environmental good can be done just by putting the building within walking, cycling and bus distance of families and teachers.

"The siting of the new building and the location of it; this is a location of the island that can really use a use like this," said Builder Burr Tupper. "It's become a highly dense part of the island."

Behind the lot for the new schoolhouse is a building the school moved there in 2003 in which Small Friends cares for its pre-K students. Infant and toddler student programs are currently in a space behind Nantucket Cottage Hospital. When the new building is complete and all programs under one roof, the existing building will become teacher housing.

"A huge problem with schools on Nantucket is lack of housing," said Gabrielle Gould, Small Friends' capital campaign manager. "We are offering housing to our teachers that will be affordable as well."

Small Friends Building Committee Chairman Joan Ottinger stressed the importance of an environment-friendly building inside and out.

"We're very interested in the healthy interior of the building," said Ottinger who said that the Small Friends also wants an outdoor classroom with wildflowers and butterfly attracting plants."

Small Friends hired J.K. Scanlan of East Falmouth, Mass. as its general contractor on Jan. 18 and with their new building, are trying for Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) certification through the green building rating system of the U.S. Green Building Council. Small Friends got Historic District Commission approval to build its $2.7-million schoolhouse early last May.

Altogether, the school is spending $3.5 million and will likely need it to cover the estimated five- to 30-percent cost increase for building green over conventional. LEED certification through the U.S. Green Building Council for silver, gold and platinum levels of environmental friendliness based on the degree of green building techniques used. The council looks at such aspects of construction as building materials, water efficiency, energy and atmosphere, recycling of construction waste and debris, indoor environmental quality and building site sustainability.

Small Friends is striving to include all these elements in the design of its new building.

"To build green, to make the most minute dent in global warming in this small island off the Coast of Massachusetts would be huge," said Gould.

Small Friends will narrow down the green concepts from last week's charette and then use a second one scheduled for Feb. 26 to help refine the group's recommendations for Small Friends' environmentally

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