DuPage County, SCARCE award Sustainable Design Challenge top prizes

Posted May 13, 2024 7:37 pm

By Evan Shields, DuPage County Board

Five Lake Park High School students receive “Best Overall LEED Design” award from Stormwater Management director Sarah Hunn, left; DuPage County Stormwater Management Committee chair Jim Zay, SCARCE founder and executive director Kay McKeen, and SCARCE educator Andrea Redfearn, right. Courtesy of DuPage County Board

The DuPage County Stormwater Management Committee presented awards to winning student groups chosen from this year’s 18th annual Sustainable Design Challenge.

Awards went to two teams from Lake Park High School, one team from Glenbard East High School, and one team from York Community High School.

“It’s an honor for myself, along with other DuPage County Board members, to recognize all of the hard work the students and teachers put into these designs,” said Jim Zay, DuPage County Stormwater Management Committee chair. “I was thoroughly impressed by all of the projects this year, and especially by those awarded today.”

Four York Community High School students receive the “Best Stormwater Design” from SCARCE educator Andrea Redfearn, left, SCARCE founder and executive director Kay McKeen, DuPage County Stormwater Committee chair Jim Zay, and Stormwater Management director Sarah Hunn, right. Courtesy of DuPage County Board

Sponsored by DuPage County Stormwater Management, SCARCE coordinates the annual event, which encourages students to construct building and landscape models using environmental and water-friendly design practices.

Local professionals working in science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) fields served as judges, evaluating the students’ designs, presentations, and innovation. Judges this year decided to add a second-place winner for one of the categories, for a total of four awards.

Four Glenbard East High School students receive “Stormwater Design” runner-up award from DuPage County Stormwater Committee chair Jim Zay, SCARCE Founder and Executive Director Kay McKeen, Stormwater Management Director Sarah Hunn, and SCARCE Educator Andrea Redfearn, right. Courtesy of DuPage County Board

The winning groups were:

• Best Overall LEED Design: Victoria Pikulinski, Margaret Evers, Faith Collins, Maya Seger, Aiza Sultanali — Lake Park High School

• Best Stormwater Design: Grace Hudson, Adison Goble, Nora Conroy, Luke Boskovic — York Community High School

• Runner-Up Stormwater Design: Caitlin Rossi, Brooke Tenerelli, Kaitlyn Kelly, Senka Lemez — Glenbard East High School

• Best Energy Design: Olivia Kalicki, Kylie Pytlak, Kasandra Baylosis — Lake Park High School

Student groups participated in the annual Sustainable Design Challenge on April 16 at DuPage County’s JTK Administration Building.

Competitors presented models of their landscape and building designs and explained the various elements that saved energy, preserved the environment and contributed to sustainability goals.

Three Lake Park High School students receive the “Best Energy Design” award from DuPage County Stormwater Committee chair Jim Zay, center, SCARCE founder and executive director Kay McKeen, Stormwater Management director Sarah Hunn, and SCARCE educator Andrea Redfearn, right. Courtesy of DuPage County Board

Students featured energy sources such as solar panels and wind turbines, and water conservation elements such as native plant landscaping, rain barrels and other green infrastructure for stormwater management.

To learn more about the Sustainable Design Challenge, visit www.scarce.org/sustainable-design/.

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