The United States Environmental Protection Agency has recognized the design of the Los Alamos Middle School’s upcoming addition/renovation project for achieving the ENERGY STAR ® award — a rating 75 or greater.

Director Jean Lupinacci of ENERGY STAR Commercial and Industrial Markets for the EPA wrote a letter to project architects Dekker/Perich/Sabatini saying, “Your firm will be listed on the ENERGY STAR website for submitting building designs that achieve superior energy performance. You may also display the attached ‘Designed to Earn the ENERGY STAR’ graphic on the aforementioned building plans to educate clients, contractors and others about your commitment to designing energy efficient buildings.”

The completed building will be eligible to earn the ENERGY STAR after one year of operation, if its energy performance ranks in the top 25 percent and it meets industry standards for indoor environment, Lupinacci said.

“I am thrilled that the middle school design has earned this award,” said School Board President Melanie McKinley. “This demonstrates our commitment to the environment and to saving money on non-instructional items like utilities. It is important that we be able to use the money we receive toward educating our students not toward heating drafty, poorly-built buildings. The new middle school classrooms will be an excellent place for our kids to learn and for our teachers to teach. I want to take every opportunity to thank the taxpayers of Los Alamos for approving the bond that makes this possible.”

The project budget is an estimated $14 million.

Architects Dekker/Perich/Sabatini operate as one firm with four offices in Albuquerque, Las Cruces, Amarillo and Las Vegas, Nev.; each a professional corporation in their respective states. D/P/S is a dominant firm with a strong reputation for design excellence in the Southwest.

The design team on the LAMS project includes Principal-in-charge Benjamin Gardner, Project Manager Julie Walleisa, Project Architect Miriam Hicks and Community Liaison Mike Gibson.

The addition/renovation work is set to begin June 1 on the 95,607 square foot building, which houses 536 seventh and eighth grade students.

The project is scheduled for completion Aug. 1, 2013.

See more design renderings at http://www.dpsdesign.org/lams