The Kathleen Grimm School for Leadership and Sustainability at Sandy Ground is the winner of the Urban Land Institute (ULI) New York Award for Excellence in Institutional Development. The public school, located in Staten Island, received the top award in its category in the Awards for Excellence in Development, a program that honors projects in New York State that demonstrate a commitment to responsible land use and to creating sustainable, thriving communities. The awards recognize not only architecture and design, but the full development process of a project, including resiliency, market success, and community impact.
The Kathleen Grimm School is designed to be the first net-zero-energy school in New York City and one of the first of its kind worldwide. Developed to harvest as much energy from renewable on-site sources as it uses annually, this bold education facility raises the bar for sustainable design in New York City and sets a precedent for the design of future schools. The 68,000-square-foot school serves 444 students, from pre-kindergarten through fifth grade.