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

  • Benson Polytechnic High School in Portland, OR

    Preserving Legacy, Designing for the Future

    As historic academic buildings age, institutions face a difficult decision: preserve and adapt or demolish and rebuild. How do we honor the legacy of these spaces while adapting them to meet the needs of modern learners?

  • UNL Kiewit Hall

    Designing for Engineering Excellence: Integrating Sustainability and Wellness at UNLs Kiewit Hall

    Kiewit Hall at the University of Nebraska-Lincoln exemplifies how academic institutions can integrate sustainability and wellness into modern learning environments. With an integrated and collaborative team approach, Kiewit Hall addresses enhanced learning and creativity, physical health, and mental wellness, and fosters a sense of community through innovative design, operations, and policy solutions.

  • Different Starting Points, Same End Goal

    Higher education campuses can enhance student experience by implementing mobile credentials to streamline building access, on-campus payments, and access to other amenities. This enables students to connect to their campuses through the technology they use most: their mobile devices.

  • Illinois State University Breaks Ground on College of Fine Arts Transformation

    Illinois State University in Normal, Ill., recently held a groundbreaking ceremony for the Wonsook Kim College of Fine Arts transformation project, according to university news. The series of new constructions and renovations will upgrade spaces in Centennial East, the Center for the Visual Arts, and the Center for the Performing Arts, as well as replace the existing Centennial West facility with a new Commons Building.

Digital Edition