RADNOR, Pa. and COLLEGEVILLE, Pa., Oct. 11 /PRNewswire/ -- Adams-Bickel Associates, Inc. (ABA), an award-winning contractor serving private and public clients throughout the Mid-Atlantic region, today announced the official dedication of the $48 million Radnor Middle School in Wayne, Pa. The new, environmentally friendly middle school opened its doors to nearly 1,000students on September 4 and is holding a dedication ceremony on October 13 at the school at 11:00 a.m.

To date, only 54 k-12 schools in the United States have achieved LEED(Leadership in Energy & Environmental Design) certification from the U.S. Green Building Council. Studies have shown that green schools use 30-50percent less energy, 30 percent less water, reduce asthma by about 40 percent and have positive health impacts from the improved air quality.

"Green building is a completely voluntary option for the education industry," explained Gus Perea , president of Adams-Bickel Associates. "By making the protection of our environment a core aspect in the construction of this new school, Radnor Township School District has set a great example for other schools, as well as businesses, in the Philadelphia region. This project has given us great satisfaction not only in building a state-of-the-art facility for the education of area children, but also in knowing that we are actively involved in building a school that provides a healthy environment for its teachers, administrators and students."

"Adams-Bickel's knowledge of green building principles has been evident in the various techniques and approaches used to make our school as 'green' as possible," explained Mr. Leo J. Bernabei , director of operations at Radnor Township School District. "There is a significant amount of requirements that needs to be fulfilled in order for a building to be LEED-certified. Adams-Bickel has paid strict attention to the building materials and construction methods to ensure our school is ecologically and environmentally friendly."

The Radnor Middle School is a four-story, 194,822 square foot building with numerous green building features, including a green vegetated roof, terrazzo floor with recycled glass, geothermal heating system and low VOC(volatile organic compound) materials providing improved indoor environmental air quality. Its asphalt roof with "cool membrane" light-colored roofing material provides increased light reflectivity and reduced heat in the building. And, the use of local and regional manufactured goods within a500-mile radius has helped reduce transportation pollution during the construction process.