flexiblefullpage
billboard
interstitial1
catfish1
Currently Reading

Massachusetts’ first net-positive energy public school opens

K-12 Schools

Massachusetts’ first net-positive energy public school opens

Part of the town of Westborough’s goal to be carbon-neutral by 2035.


By John Caulfield, Senior Editor | November 16, 2021
Annie E. Fales Elementary School lets in lots of natural light. Images: Ed Wonsek
The design and construction of the Annie E. Fales Elementary School include rooms that let in lots of natural light and outside views. Images: Ed Wonsek

Yesterday, the town of Westborough, Mass., opened the 70,242-sf Annie E. Fales Elementary School, which is the state’s first net-positive energy public school.

The two-story building replaces the original school—also named after a beloved school teacher who spent most of her 50-year career in Westborough—that’s on the same premises and which closed its doors after the town determined that new construction was a better option than trying to upgrade and remodel a 58-year-old building for a growing local population.

HMFH Architects designed the new school, which accommodates 400 kindergarten-through-3rd grade students, with five classrooms per grade plus one float classroom. It was built by Gilbane Building Company. The project cost was $56.8 million, of which $45 million was for construction.

This all-electric school consumes less than two-thirds of the energy used by a comparable code-compliant building. Its sustainable features include triple-glazed windows, roof and wall insulation that’s 40 percent above code requirements, 40 660-ft-deep geothermal close-loop wells, a 25,000-sf 508-kW solar PV array that’s integrated into the exterior architecture, LED lighting, high-efficiency mechanical systems designed to improve air quality, and a building management system that monitors and controls the mechanicals and lighting.

The ground-floor public spaces—including the cafeteria, gym, and administrative offices—are built into the hillside to reduce heat loss and gain through exterior walls. The second-floor teaching spaces have a north-south orientation that allows for windows and skylights to provide natural light and views to the outdoors.

AN AMBITIOUS CO2 REDUCTION GOAL

 

The school accommodates 400 students
There's ample space for the 400 students the school accommodates.
 

The school is expected to generate 10 percent more energy than it uses, which the town will return to the electric grid. Westborough has set a goal to be carbon emissions free by 2035. The town’s environmental stewardship “encouraged the design and construction management team to aim high and go beyond a net-zero energy goal and create a school that will inspire other communities to do the same,” said Julia Nugent, AIA, Principal and Project Leader with HMFH Architects.

The school, which is shooting for LEED Gold and LEED Zero certifications, is a learning tool itself, with exhibits and visuals to educate students and visitors about the natural environment and sustainable practices.

The Vertex Companies was the town’s project manager for the new school, which is the second K-12 school that Gilbane has constructed for Westborough, the first being a 110,000-sf Sarah Gibbons Middle School, completed in 2017.

Related Stories

K-12 Schools | Nov 14, 2021

New Blackwater Community School completed for Gila River Indian Community, in Arizona

Construction on the new Blackwater Community School, a two-story structure on the Gila River Indian Community, located southeast of Phoenix, Arizona, was completed on August 31, 2021.

K-12 Schools | Nov 10, 2021

K-12 school design innovation: 'Learning Everywhere' and the mobile classroom

Last September, AIA San Francisco awarded the Professional Category in its 2021 Future Classroom Competition to a five-person team from Culver City, Calif.-based Berliner Architects. The firm was selected for its “Learning Everywhere” idea that features a mobile strategy for education at school, home, on field trips, and in transit. BD+C's John Caulfield discuss that concept with Richard Berliner, AIA, Principal, Berliner Architects.

Cladding and Facade Systems | Oct 26, 2021

14 projects recognized by DOE for high-performance building envelope design

The inaugural class of DOE’s Better Buildings Building Envelope Campaign includes a medical office building that uses hybrid vacuum-insulated glass and a net-zero concrete-and-timber community center.

School Construction | Sep 30, 2021

Renovation of Candeo North Scottsdale completes

SPS+ Architects designed the project, which was built by Adolfson & Peterson.

| Sep 20, 2021

K-12 school design trends for 2021, with Wold's Vaughn Dierks

K-12 school design exert Vaughn Dierks discusses the latest K-12 school design trends and needs.

K-12 Schools | Sep 5, 2021

Philadelphia builds a new school in under 18 months, thanks to a P3 pact between the school district and developer

Gilbane and Stantec were key players in the design and construction of Propel Academy.

Giants 400 | Aug 30, 2021

2021 Giants 400 Report: Ranking the largest architecture, engineering, and construction firms in the U.S.

The 2021 Giants 400 Report includes more than 130 rankings across 25 building sectors and specialty categories.

Resiliency | Aug 19, 2021

White paper outlines cost-effective flood protection approaches for building owners

A new white paper from Walter P Moore offers an in-depth review of the flood protection process and proven approaches.

K-12 Schools | Aug 18, 2021

Hastings Architecture completes two new K-12 projects in Nashville

The projects have very different programs but both play critical roles on their respective campuses.

K-12 Schools | Aug 13, 2021

A new P3 guide for K-12 school construction is released

This alternative financing isn’t a silver bullet, but it does provide options to cash-strapped districts.

boombox1
boombox2
native1

More In Category



K-12 Schools

Designing for dyslexia: How architecture can address neurodiversity in K-12 schools

Architects play a critical role in designing school environments that support students with learning differences, particularly dyslexia, by enhancing social and emotional competence and physical comfort. Effective design principles not only benefit students with dyslexia but also improve the learning experience for all students and faculty. This article explores how key design strategies at the campus, classroom, and individual levels can foster confidence, comfort, and resilience, thereby optimizing educational outcomes for students with dyslexia and other learning differences.


halfpage1

Most Popular Content

  1. 2021 Giants 400 Report
  2. Top 150 Architecture Firms for 2019
  3. 13 projects that represent the future of affordable housing
  4. Sagrada Familia completion date pushed back due to coronavirus
  5. Top 160 Architecture Firms 2021