“Sustainability” has become something of a buzzword these days. But at MEarth—an “environmental education non-profit”—located at the Hilton Bialek Habitat in Carmel-by-the-Sea, California, sustainability is much more than a buzzword. Sustainability is a core value that anchors its daily operations and existence.
MEarth Champions Sustainability
MEarth is an innovative learning environment that educates students from the surrounding school districts about environmental stewardship and ecoliteracy: how their personal choices directly impact the planet.
It accomplishes these goals through programs that incorporate its Green Classroom and kitchen, a LEED-certified building that “allows students to experience how a building can be used to help sustain the environment.”
The Green Classroom Design
Designed by Arkin Tilt Architects, the Green Classroom features many eco-friendly design elements – such as solar panels on the roof, a passive solar design, a butterfly cupola, and a rainwater catchment system.
Its design plays a huge part in the building’s LEED status, which is bolstered by the use of GraniteCrete paving material to create the beautiful, spacious patio in front of it. The patio houses picnic tables with umbrellas where students can relax and socialize, and plenty of open space for occasional community events.
As a stand-alone product, GraniteCrete is able to contribute 13 points to a building’s LEED status across three categories. We at GraniteCrete are proud that our environmentally-friendly paving material was chosen to contribute to MEarth’s vision of sustainability.