Boarding School Addition Expected to Achieve Significant Savings

WESTON, Mass. — The new 21,000-square-foot addition to the Cambridge School of Weston campus is designed to significantly reduce impacts on the environment through several water- and energy-saving features and sustainable elements.

The new Garthwaite Center for Science and Arts provides educational program space for the boarding school’s 320 students in 9th-12th grade and is expected to use 60 percent less water than conventionally designed school buildings and only 10 gallons of water a day.

Designed by Architerra Inc., of Boston, the facility is positioned on the site to maximize passive solar heating and daylighting. A combination of triple-glazed fiberglass windows, deep roof overhangs and a high-performance building envelope help reduce heat loss and unwanted solar gains. A living green roof also helps insulate the building in cold weather and keep it cool during the summer.

An energy-efficient HVAC system complements the passive solar design with in-floor radiant heat, a wood pellet boiler that burns waste wood fiber and an enthalpy heat recovery wheel designed to capture 87 percent of exhausted heat.

An integrated system of composting toilets, waterless urinals and low-flow faucets with electronic sensors is expected to lower water consumption to 10 gallons per day. A stormwater management system collects runoff from the building’s green roof and other surfaces in a series of underground chambers designed to slowly return rainwater to the aquifer.

An open, two-story science atrium offers views of indoor plantings and gallery space to present projects and artwork.

The facility also features wood flooring certified by the Forest Stewardship Council. A repurposed blasted ledge was used around the site to create stairs and retaining walls.

Situated on the school’s main campus quadrangle, the building will play a central role in the students’ curriculum. Science laboratories, classrooms and community galleries will be housed in the new center, as well as administrative and faculty offices.

Built by Consigli Construction, of Milford, Mass., the facility features exposed timber framing, and mechanical, electrical, plumbing and sprinkler equipment, which serve as a teaching tool for students about traditionally hidden building systems and sustainable design.