Each grade in this new middle school has access to its own science classroom, resource room and five standard classrooms. Common spaces include a state-of-the-art media center, cafeteria and kitchen, gymnasium with practice courts and team locker rooms, a band room, and a multi-purpose room. Additional resource rooms, computer classrooms, and a special education classroom were also included, as well as an engineering and technology classroom with attached lab.

Designed as a teaching tool, this innovative school features a vegetated roof system with walkway pavers made of recycled rubber to provide student access. This living laboratory is designed to give students a hands-on model for how to reduce stormwater runoff and increase the building’s energy efficiency by keeping the roof cool. A rain collection system was designed to harvest rainwater from a section of the building’s roof for irrigation of the vegetated portion.

Additional high performance features include highly insulated walls and roof to minimize load on the geothermal HVAC system. Exterior sunshades and special window coating will reduce solar heat gain. Tubular skylights further enhance the building’s energy efficiency by bringing in valuable natural daylight into interior spaces to reduce the need for electrical lighting and enhance student performance.

After one year in operation, the US Environmental Protection Agency awarded this high performance building an ENERGY STAR for outstanding energy efficiency.

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