Superintendent & ACE Mentor Teaches Students at Long Bridge Aquatics | Arlington, VA

CWC Superintendent & ACE Mentor Teaches Students About Sustainability at Long Bridge Aquatics

Long Bridge Park Aquatics & Fitness Center is a 92,000 SF building that offers Arlington residents best-in-class amenities.

As part of his involvement with the ACE Mentor Program of Annapolis, CWC Superintendent Ben Cozzi recently gave an Environmental Literacy class from Broadneck High School (Annapolis, MD) a tour of Long Bridge Park Aquatics & Fitness Center in Arlington, VA, a LEED Silver certified project we delivered in 2021 alongside Design-Build partner Page/ (Architect). CWC Quality Control Manager EJ Sandoval worked on the project and joined the class to explain sustainable building methods and how they were implemented during the design and construction phase. Brandon Harris, the General Manager of the building, also joined the tour to elaborate further on the building’s functions.

Sustainable Swimming in Arlington

(From L to R): Brandon Harris, Ben Cozzi, and EJ Sandoval teach ACE students the importance of sustainability in the design & construction process.

The unique “origami-shaped” building was carefully designed with the surrounding environment and ecosystem in mind. Some examples include the “bird-frit” seen on the large windows, which protect birds from the nearby Roaches Run Waterfowl Sanctuary. Rain gardens facilitate stormwater management by collecting and filtering the water before it is released into the Potomac watershed. A chloramine capture system in the natatorium optimizes interior air quality. EJ pointed out these features and several more, explaining their importance in creating efficient and healthy spaces for the community to utilize.“It was a pleasure sharing methods we used for promoting sustainability on the Long Bridge project with the students from Broadneck High,” said EJ.

EJ answers students’ questions while overlooking the Olympic size swimming pool.

About the ACE Mentor Program

Founded in 1994, the Ace Mentor Program of America is an after-school program that presents high school students with opportunities to learn from experts in the design and construction industry at no cost. ACE Annapolis partners with Anne Arundel County Public Schools to advance and sustain the design & construction industry through mentoring, professional networking, and scholarship opportunities. We are proud to support this mission and value our team members’ commitment to educating the next generation of construction professionals. Ben Cozzi exclaimed his support for the cause: “It was rewarding to see the wheels turning in the students’ eyes and giving them real-life inspiration for their class project.”

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