NAHS graduate takes LEED in school's green designs

One day soon, Rachel Kruse hopes to see her senior project come to life.

For her alternative senior project, Kruse, who graduated from New Albany High School in June and plans to attend Ball State University in Muncie, Ind., in the fall, designed an environment-friendly building for the New Albany-Plain Local School District's 80-acre nature preserve.

With the professional plans nearly completed, school officials are looking at options to construct Kruse's building -- the Environmental Stewardship Education Center -- as a learning center on the district's campus. She presented her project to the school board during its Aug. 10 work session.

"The next major step is to get students as passionate as I am to carry it on," she said last week. "The student would then work on the finalized plan and have (an architect) do the floor plans and the blueprint."

Kruse, who was a participant in the Eastland-Fairfield Career & Technical Schools' architecture program during high school, said the building is nearly 5,000 square feet and features multiple forms of sustainable building practices.

The building, designed to be certified LEED Platinum, would feature two classrooms, a gathering room, storage space and two restrooms. The certification is U.S. Building Council's Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design rating system.

The roof would have both solar panels and a green roof, which consists of vegetation planted on the roof to help with heating, cooling and insulation.

Kruse said the roof is slanted in such a way that rainwater would run off into both a rain garden and a small pond, which would be made into a controlled biome.

Kruse said she also designed a light shelf on the roofline to help reflect natural light into both classrooms to reduce the use of electricity.

"I learned a lot as I went," said Kruse, who currently is interning with another architecture firm and plans to major in architecture at Ball State. "I had various architects introduce me to those ideas. I have talked to a lot of people."

She said she also took a survey of New Albany High School juniors and seniors in environmental studies to determine what they would like for the building to offer.

During her project, Kruse said, she worked with Michael Bongiorno of Design Group.

"He was a great connection for me," she said.

Kruse said NA-PLS environmental consultant Bill Resch helped her with her project.

"I knew I wanted to do something with architecture," she said. "It was Mr. Resch's idea. The more I talked about it with him."

She said she always has been an environmentalist, in part because her family owns 11 acres and her parents are "huge environmentalists."

Bill Resch said Kruse is an example of the benefits of the district's environmental-studies program.

"She took such advantage of the enrichment programs," he said.

Resch said he currently is looking for private and corporate donations to construct the building.

Kruse said she would be proud to see her plan take form as a place for the community to gather and learn about nature.

"It definitely would be a huge point of pride for me," she said. "It's something I am really passionate about. It's something I would love to stick around and see."