Ground breaking for the new school. Photo: courtesy of Friends School of Portland, Maine.
Quaker school pioneers Passivhaus design
New Friends school to be built on Passivhaus design principles
Friends School of Portland, Maine, broke ground on 7 August for its new school building, which will be built on Passivhaus design principles.
The new school will meet a rigorous, voluntary standard for energy efficiency in a building, thereby reducing its ecological footprint. Passivhaus design uses solar gain and carefully engineered air ventilation to warm and cool the building.
The building is due to be completed in early autumn 2015. It will be set on twenty-one acres of forested land, reflecting the school’s strong connection to nature.
The new school is on track to be the first Passivhaus-certified school in Maine – only the third in the United States – and will be featured at the International Passivhaus conference in September.
‘As a Quaker school, we wanted our building to reflect our principles of community, simplicity, peace, integrity and especially stewardship,’ director of admissions and marketing Jen McNally told the Friend.
‘Passivhaus design has caused us to look at the simplest footprint for the building, the tightest envelope and heating and cooling systems that do not require fossil fuels. We hope to be a model of what is possible for our own students and the world beyond at this critical time when climate change looms.’
More than forty people turned up for the ground breaking, despite poor weather. A second such event, for parents and students, will be held in mid-September, Jen said.
Friends School of Portland was established in 2006, and has ninety students. It is currently located on Mackworth Island in Falmouth but must move due to a soon-to-expire lease.
The new Meeting house proposed for London’s Hammersmith Meeting is planned to be the first in the UK to be built to the Passivhaus standard.
