ZYSCOVICH ARCHITECTS DESIGN FIRST FLORIDA SCHOOL TO ACHIEVE GOLD CERTIFICATION FROM THE NATION’S TOP ENVIRONMENTAL BUILDING STANDARD MIAMI – (May 27, 2009) – Pine Jog Elementary School, built on the edge of a natural pineland habitat, has become the first school in Florida to receive LEED® Gold Certification from the U.S. Green Building Council – one of the highest standards given to measure a project’s environmental stewardship. The project is a partnership between the School District of Palm Beach County and Florida Atlantic University (FAU) and the campus includes the new FAU Pine Jog Environmental Education Center, which received its own LEED® Gold Certification. Designed by Zyscovich Architects, a nationally renowned firm with offices in Miami, West Palm Beach, Orlando and New York City, the Pine Jog campus maximizes energy and water conservation, utilizes environmentally-appropriate materials and engages students to learn about environmental sustainability first-hand. “We envisioned a school of the future that enables teachers and students to learn not just in a classroom setting but all around the campus,” said Jose Murguido, AIA, REFP, principal at Zyscovich Architects, which has designed 150 schools in Florida, including prototypes that have been replicated throughout Miami and beyond. Pine Jog’s certification came from the LEED® (Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design) green building rating system that promotes design and construction practices to improve the health and well-being of building occupants. The system is administered by the U.S. Green Building Council, a Washington D.C.-based nonprofit coalition of building industry leaders. Opened last summer, the K-5 school will serve up to 960 students and the Environmental Education Center is open to the public. The two facilities were built on just 15 acres of the overall 150 acre pineland near West Palm Beach. On the 15 acres, buildings and parking lots are arranged to save hundreds of trees and rainwater is channeled off roofs into cisterns to be used for irrigation. Electricity is generated from solar panels atop bus canopies while solar collectors heat water for the school’s kitchen. The elementary school has a hydroponic fruit and vegetable garden that is nourished by water from the cisterns. The playground equipment is made from recycled plastic milk jugs and the benches from recycled glass. The building’s paints and adhesives are hypoallergenic and nontoxic. In classrooms, touch-screen monitors enable students to compare their water and electrical usage with other same-sized schools and record the savings, which amount to more than 20% on electricity costs and in excess of 30% for water use, when compared with typical schools. LEED® Gold Certification is the latest accolade for the school. The National School Boards Association presented Pine Jog Elementary with the 2008 Citation of Excellence Award. The school and the FAU Environmental Education Center are one of three finalists for the Inaugural Woolbright Dream Green Reality Award presented by the Urban Land Institute Southeast Florida District Council. Established in 1977, Zyscovich Architects is a national firm recognized for its significant urban, commercial, residential, and academic projects. The firm, recently named the 2008 American Institute of Architects Florida Firm of the Year, is committed to improving neighborhoods by emphasizing sustainable development and economic vitality based on their character and history. Headquartered in the heart of downtown Miami, Zyscovich’s imprint is evident throughout Florida and beyond, from master plans and urban studies to mixed-use urban infill buildings, K-12 and higher education facilities, and residential high rises. For additional information on Zyscovich Architects and its diverse project expertise, please visit the website at www.zyscovich.com. # # #