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

  • Rhode Island Boarding School Completes Student Dorm Renovations

    St. George’s School in Middletown, R.I., recently announced the completion of a $26-million renovation project on Arden-Diman-Eccles Dormitory, according to a news release. The school partnered with Voith & Mactavish Architects (VMA) on the new space, which places a new focus on collaborative community spaces open to both boarding students and day students.

  • New City School

    Turning Crisis into Opportunity: Transforming New City School

    When New City School in St. Louis suffered catastrophic flood damage in July 2022, the event could have marked a serious setback for the 100-year-old institution. Instead, it became a forward-looking opportunity.

  • Photo credit - Chuck Coates

    Florida District Modernizes Central Energy Plants at Two High Schools

    Flagler Schools, a public school district in Flagler County, Fla., recently partnered with Matern Professional Engineering to modernize the central energy plants at two of its high schools, according to a news release. The project is part of a larger, district-wide effort to reduce energy costs and operational expenses.

  • California K–12 District Completes Elementary School Campus Replacement

    The West Contra Costa Unified School District (WCCUSD) in Richmond, Calif., recently announced the completion of a replacement campus for Lake Elementary School, according to a news release. The school has capacity for 470 students between Transitional Kindergarten (TK) and sixth grade.