Green Buildings

Beginning with the renovation of the Middle School and continuing through the construction of a Quaker Meeting House, Sidwell Friends has demonstrated its commitment to sustainable design and environmentally friendly construction. The School has been recognized by the U.S. Green Building Council for its efforts.

Explore Our Green Buildings

Middle School

The Middle School was completed in September 2006 and was awarded a LEED Platinum rating in March 2007. It was the first K–12 school in the world to have a LEED Platinum rating and the first LEED Platinum building in the District of Columbia.

Quaker Meeting House and Arts Center

The School’s existing arts center and former gymnasium transformed and expanded in spring 2011 into a Quaker Meeting House and Arts Center. This building received a LEED Platinum rating in 2015.

Athletic Center
A new Athletic Center with an artificial turf field on the roof opened in fall 2010. This building received a LEED Gold rating in May 2015.
Lower School

The Lower School Gym and Groome Building addition were completed in September 2007. The project was awarded a LEED Gold rating in January 2009.

Zartman House

The School’s historic administration building, Zartman House, underwent a green renovation in summer 2004. In part because of timing constraints, SFS did not seek a LEED rating for this project.

LEED Rating System

The LEED (Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design) Rating System is a voluntary standards and certification program created in 1993 by the U.S. Green Building Council (USGBC). LEED sets the industry standard for rating high-performance green buildings.

USGBC awards credits for green building attributes including strategies for sustainable site development, water savings, energy efficiency, materials selection, and indoor environmental quality. There are four levels of certification: Certified, Silver, Gold, and Platinum, with Platinum being the highest rating.