South Shore Educational Collaborative Opens
HINGHAM, Mass. — The new 86,000-square-foot South Shore Educational Collaborative (SSEC) opened last summer.
February 2014
California Schools Urged to Conserve Water
SACRAMENTO, Calif. — California Governor Jerry Brown has asked schools across the state to take immediate action in reducing water consumption. The request comes on the heels of Brown’s announcement of a $687 million drought relief package that provides funding for a number of water conservation initiatives.
Douglas Koehne
KSQ Architects of Grapevine, Texas, has announced the addition of Douglas Koehne, AIA, as the firm’s new director of K-12 planning. In his new role, Koehne will be responsible for design, programming, planning and project management for K-12 school districts across Texas and the southwest. Koehne brings 20 years experience to the firm, including the planning, programming, assessment and design of both new school construction and facility renovation.
Intelligent Climate Control
Designed by ThinkEco Inc., the SmartAC system is a more intelligent way to stay cool in the classroom. This innovative, yet easy to use, product allows users to set a personalized schedule to automatically turn A/C units on and off to conserve energy. The system also remote senses the room temperature and adjusts accordingly to avoid over-cooling and over-spending. It can be operated via ThinkEco software or via a smartphone application, making it accessible anywhere.
San Mateo Theater Debuts as Multipurpose Educational Space
Twenty-first century performing arts theaters serve more than just performing arts functions in today’s schools. Students and staff — as well as the rest of the community — use them for everything from presentations to video projections to discussion forums.
Joplin Schools Rebuilt on Same Site
JOPLIN, Mo. — The linked campus of Soaring Heights Elementary and East Middle School opened in Joplin in early January. Both schools needed to be rebuilt after they were struck by the May 2011 tornado that devastated the Joplin community and killed 161 people.
Ribbon Cutting Takes Place at New, Innovative Baltimore School
BALTIMORE — The first new public school in Baltimore in the last 30 years has now opened its doors. Elmer A. Hendersen: A Johns Hopkins Partnership School and the Harry and Jeannette Weinberg Early Childhood Center, is operated by Johns Hopkins University’s School of Education and focuses on a holistic model for social and economic reform of urban neighborhoods.
Public Universities Outpace Private Counterparts in Sustainability Efforts
ALPHARETTA, Ga. — According to a study conducted by sustainable furniture asset management company The Refinishing Touch, top public universities are outperforming top private universities when it comes to campus sustainability initiatives. From student resources to LEED certifications, public universities are edging out their private counterparts in almost every category.
Samford University Begins Business School Construction
BIRMINGHAM, Ala. — Construction on the new 73,270-square-foot Brock School of Business building at Samford University began in mid-January, with completion scheduled for fall 2015.
Davis Architects designed the building, while Hoar Construction is serving as the general contractor. Both companies are locally based.