Environmental Magnet School goes Platinum

Mary M. Hooker Environmental Sciences Magnet School

 

A 3,600-gallon pond filled with koi, an aquatics laboratory with 50 freshwater and salt water tanks, a planetarium with a 28-foot digital projection dome, and a greenhouse are among the many “green” features integrated into Mary M. Hooker Magnet School’s curriculum. With a theme focused on energy efficiency and environmental responsibility, the entire facility is used as a teaching tool.

It hardly comes as a surprise then, that this environmental science-focused magnet school was certified as LEED Platinum, the highest national rating for eco-friendly buildings and the first public school in the state awarded the distinction.

BVH provided MEP/FP engineering design for this 74,000-SF renovation and 31,000-SF addition of this school, which serves 660 students in grades Pre-K through 8. Expanded parking and a new cafeteria were also among the improvements.

The new addition contains a butterfly vivarium, a 30-seat interactive science theater, and a weather station. The lobby’s electronic kiosk gives live updates on the building’s energy consumption. Moreover, the butterfly vivarium and greenhouse use mulch that in a previous cycle was the school’s cafeteria scraps, composted in outdoor “earth bins.”

Classrooms are equipped with solar sensors that control how much artificial light can be turned on to supplement the daylight. On the roof — white to reflect sunlight and keep the building cooler during the hot months — are solar panels and a weather station. At least 35 percent of the building’s electricity usage is from renewable resources.