The Civano Community School is a 4,400 SF three-classroom K-5 school for the Vail School District. Built to the strict Civano Community Design Standards, it uses many sustainable design strategies to provide a very energy efficient and sustainable environment for the students and faculty. Proper solar orientation and fenestration design, using salvaged windows, allow natural daylighting in all classrooms and minimize heat gain within the building envelope. Outdoor courtyards allow for additional classroom space during temperate months while photovoltaic panels generate electricity to offset the environmental footprint of the school. Water harvesting tanks capture rainwater which is used to irrigate the courtyard landscaping and is used as a teaching tool for the students. In 2008, the Civano Community School was awarded the Governor’s Achievement Award for Sustainable School Design.