Net-Zero Middle School to Be Built Outside of Houston

A new middle school, just outside of Houston, will have a net zero design, meaning the building will produce as much energy as it consumes. Corgan, the architecture firm that designed the school, presented the latest schematics at a Fort Bend ISD school board meeting on Sept. 16.

The new middle school located in Missouri City will include about 90,000 square feet of solar panels on the roof and overhangs.

The new middle school located in Missouri City will include about 90,000 square feet of solar panels on the roof and overhangs. The energy produced by the solar panels will be converted on-site and sent to the power company who will give the school credit for the power it produces, reported Community Impact Newspaper.  

“We are going to achieve net zero by using renewable energy resources and an enhanced building envelope that will reduce the heating and cooling load on this building,” said AJ Sustaita, an education architecture project manager at Corgan.

The 2018 FBISD bond election included funds for the new middle school. The school district approved Corgan to prepare design and construction documents for the school in December. The proposed project budget is more than $10 million.

About the Author

Yvonne Marquez is senior editor of Spaces4Learning. She can be reached at [email protected].

Featured

  • Q&A: How to Prevent Kitchen Grease Fires in Commercial Kitchens

    School cafeterias and university dining halls serve thousands of meals daily, relying on high-heat equipment like fryers, grills, and ovens. While these operations keep students fed, they also generate significant grease-laden vapors. Without proper controls, this grease becomes a silent fire threat. As a certified exhaust cleaning specialist and business coach who has helped hundreds of institutional facilities achieve NFPA 96 compliance, I emphasize that proactive grease management isn’t optional; it’s a core fire/life safety practice.

  • Porter Family Center

    Porter Family Center for Innovation and Academics

    Established in 1999, the Education Design Showcase is a vehicle for showing off innovative — yet practical — solutions in planning, design, architecture, and construction. The Porter Family Center for Innovation and Academics has been recognized with an EDS 2026 Project of Distinction award in the category of New Construction.

  • UCF Modernizes College of Hospitality Management

    The University of Central Florida in Orlando, Fla., recently completed a major renovation effort for the Rosen College of Hospitality Management, according to a news release. The project modernized 77,600 square feet worth of academic classrooms, teaching labs, and collaborative spaces to support both students and faculty.

  • Wold Architects & Engineers Announces Acquisition of JJCA

    Wold Architects & Engineers, based in Minneapolis, Minn., recently announced that it has acquired JJCA, an architecture firm based in Nashville, Tenn., according to a press release. JJCA specializes in healthcare and education design; the partnership allows both firms to expand their presence across the country while building on existing strengths.