Tuesday, March 12, 2019: International College (IC), a leading international school in Lebanon and the region, has just received the official certification from the US Green Building Council for its new Pre-School and Middle School buildings. Awarded LEED Gold for leadership in energy and environmental design, the buildings in IC’s Ras Beirut campus now provide students with a top tier facility, complete with positive sustainability features.
Dr. Don Bergman, IC’s President shares: “In line with the school’s mission, IC students will better understand their social and environmental responsibilities and develop an awareness and respect for the connected nature of our global community.”
The new facilities, in terms of environmental design, include water saving fixtures and water efficient landscaping, materials sourced locally or regionally and enhanced energy efficient thermal comfort systems amongst others, integrated into a very dense, residential and commercial urban environment of Beirut.
IC is a pioneer with this certification in the country and region, with the new Elementary being the first LEED certified building in Lebanon in 2013, and the first school to achieve the LEED Gold standard in the region. IC also has two other building projects registered for future LEED Gold certifications, including the renovation of the existing Preschool as well as a new building at the school’s Ain Aar campus, now in its final design stages, comprising of an indoor gymnasium, auditorium and parking facility.
The investment shows the Board’s commitment to sustainable practices. The school’s newly formed sustainability committee, IC Responsibility, has strived to integrate educational practices around these new facilities, with teachers and students encouraged to investigate their new surroundings and understand the benefits and impact, particularly in terms of mitigating and adapting to climate change.