HMFH Architects

When a comprehensive feasibility study concluded that a site less than half a mile from the ocean and mostly below the 100-year flood plain was the only available land on which to build a new middle/high school for the town of Winthrop, the design team faced a significant challenge: how do you design a climate resilient, high-performance school? Attendees of GreenBuild will learn how complex issues of climate change were solved in the LEED Gold design of Winthrop Middle/High School, as well as two other urban schools – the Excel Academy Charter High School in East Boston and the Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. School in Cambridge – on the High Performance Education tour.

Attendees will learn how design can address issues becoming more commonplace in urban school design: how do you ensure excellent acoustic performance in schools directly under flight paths from nearby airports or adjacent to highway overpasses? How can school buildings can be catalysts for change in communities? The tour will highlight sustainable design strategies employed to ensure excellence in acoustics, daylighting, systems, and building envelope and how these contribute to a vibrant learning environment that supports student performance.