The Garmann Miller team is committed to creating innovative design solutions for sustainable buildings. One way our team accomplishes this goal is by following U.S. Green Building Council’s (USGBC) LEED for schools rating system and to ensure the buildings we design achieve LEED certification. LEED is a recognized symbol of sustainability achievement, and LEED certified buildings have been proven to save money and improve efficiency.

There are five LEED accredited professionals and four LEED green associates on the GM team.

Let’s look at one green building: Fostoria City Schools.

Fostoria City Schools welcomed students into the halls of its fresh, new 7-12 building in 2020. The Fostoria Junior/Senior High School features two gymnasiums, a cafeteria and auditorium, a state-of-the-art media center and four sections of modern classrooms that can be opened up for more collaborative learning spaces. The building also is equipped with more natural light that shines through multiple windows.

With a focus on enhancing the environment for learning and minimizing building operating costs, the project included sustainable features such as daylight glazing, a high-efficiency HVAC system, outdoor learning labs, durable material selections, and water-efficient equipment and fixtures. These features and more were the components that helped Garmann Miller become the first design firm to complete a V4.0 LEED Silver OFCC K-12 education project in Ohio.

“This new facility speaks for itself,” Superintendent Andrew Sprang said. “This school will help our children and students with the tools they need to be successful.”

Fostoria City Schools not only earned LEED certification but was also awarded 2019 Most Innovative Project, an award for Passive Optical Network from AEP Ohio.