The Pennington School’s new Kenneth Kai Tai Yen Humanities Building recently received a Gold LEED rating, which is one of highest earned ratings available.
Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design, or LEED, is a green building certification program designed by the U.S. Green Building Council to calculate the environmental performance of a building.
The system is credit-based, allowing projects to earn points for environmentally friendly actions taken during and post-construction. A building must earn at least forty points to be certified, fifty to fifty-nine points to earn a silver rating, sixty to seventy nine for the gold rating, and finally, eighty to 110 points for a platinum rating, according to the U.S. Green Building Council’s website.
“LEED…is changing the way we think about how buildings and communities are planned, constructed, maintained and operated,” the website states.
LEED-certified buildings are resource efficient, use less water and energy and reduce greenhouse gas emissions. Plus, they save money, according to the website. The Pennington School is proud to model a positive environmental image to the community.
The Pennington School is an independent coeducational school for students in grades six through 12, in both day and boarding programs. The curriculum is college preparatory, with an emphasis on individual excellence, fostering the development of the whole student through academics, athletics, community service, and the creative and performing arts.

The new Kenneth Kai Tai Yen Humanities Building recently earned a Gold LEED rating.,