The Kathleen Grimm School for Leadership and Sustainability at Sandy Ground, also known as P.S. 62, is the first net-zero-energy school in New York City and one of the first of its kind worldwide. The 68,000-square-foot, two-story school serves 444 pre-kindergarten through fifth grade students. The cutting-edge building harvests as much energy from renewable on-site sources as it uses on an annual basis.
Designed to comply with the SCA Green Schools Guide in lieu of LEED®certification, the project is the NYC School Construction Authority’s first “sustainability lab.” This exploration into ultimate sustainability will provide substantial benefits to the City’s School Design Program and help achieve PlaNYC goals for significant reductions in global warming emissions. SOM’s design offers an energy-use reduction of 50% over a SCA standard public school.
SOM optimized the orientation and massing of the courtyard-shaped building to take advantage of sunlight for both ample daylighting and photovoltaic arrays on the roof and south facade. Other sustainable and low-energy features incorporated in the design include an ultra-tight high-performance building envelope, daylit offset corridors, energy-efficient lighting fixtures, low-energy kitchen equipment, a greenhouse and vegetable garden, a geo-exchange system, energy recovery ventilators and demand-control ventilation, and a solar thermal system for hot water.
The Kathleen Grimm School for Leadership and Sustainability at Sandy Ground
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Project Facts
Location: Staten Island, New York
Project Completion: 2015
Site Area: 3.50 acres
Project Area: 68,000 ft2
Market: Education
Service: Architecture, Interior Design, Sustainable Design
News
Awards
2017
Excellence in Institutional DevelopmentUrban Land Institute (ULI)2017
Shortlisted: The Plan Award - EducationThe Plan2017
Design Award: SustainabilitySociety of American Registered Architects - NY2017
World Changing Ideas Award: FinalistFast Company2016
Innovation by Design Award FinalistFast Company2016
Best Project (New York Region): Green ProjectEngineering News Record2016
Popular Choice Winner: Primary & High Schools: A+ AwardsArchitizer2016
Jury Winner: Primary & High Schools: A+ AwardsArchitizer2016
Honorable Mention: Building of the Year: EastArchitect's Newspaper2016
Award of Excellence: Architectural Engineering IntegrationAmerican Society of Civil Engineers (ASCE) – Architectural Engineering Institute (AEI)2016
Award of Excellence: Electrical Systems DesignAmerican Society of Civil Engineers (ASCE) – Architectural Engineering Institute (AEI)2016
Award of Excellence: Lighting Systems DesignAmerican Society of Civil Engineers (ASCE) – Architectural Engineering Institute (AEI)2016
Award of Merit: Mechanical Systems DesignAmerican Society of Civil Engineers (ASCE) – Architectural Engineering Institute (AEI)2016
Honor AwardAIA – New York City Chapter Committe on the Environment (COTE)2016
MASterworks Awards: Best New InfrastructureMunicipal Art Society of New York2016
Platinum Award for Building/Technology SystemsAmerican Council of Engineering Companies of New YorkSee Also...

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