ASHRAE Insights

Best Indoor Environment: The award was presented to the team representing Farnsworth Middle School in Guilderland, N.Y., from the New York-Capital District competition. Pictured (l. – r.): Saunders Smith, ASHRAE; Hannah Liu; teacher Deborah Escoabar; Brien Miceli; engineer mentor James Liotta; Kathryn Liotta; Ed Donnelly, ASHRAE; Stephanie Mages, ASHRAE.	Most Sustainable Buildings: The award was presented to the team representing Westridge Middle School in Shawnee Mission, Kan., from the Kansas-Great Plains competition. Pictured are (l. – r.): Smith; Amy Hocker; teacher Vonda Morris; Charles King Hagen; engineer mentor Dan Schmidt; Becca Schmidt; Donnelly; and Mages.

The students’ projects were judged by Stephanie Mages, Saunders Smith and Ed Donnelly of the National Capital Chapter. “The students planned and designed cities anywhere—on and under this earth—and some on the moon and even one on Mars this year. I believe there were over 1,000 schools and 30,000 students nationally that took part and submitted entries,” said Donnelly.

“Kansas had a interesting concept that was practical, based on new and present-day concepts including solar and wind energy plus nanotechnology. They took a real town in their state that was devastated by tornados last year, and rebuilt it to withstand the elements, to be energy efficient and sustainable in design,” he said.