The King Open/Cambridge Street Upper Schools and Community Complex in Cambridge, Mass., has received LEED v4 Platinum certification from the U.S. Green Building Council.
The city of Cambridge says in a news release that the $159 million facility is the only school in Massachusetts to have attained both Net Zero Emissions and LEED v4 Schools Platinum certification.
The 273,000-square-foot complex opened in September 2019 and houses the King Open School (JK-5), Cambridge Street Upper Schools (6-8), the Cambridge Public Schools Administration, King Open Preschool, King Open Extended Day (KOED), Community Schools, Gold Star Pools, and the Valente Library.
The facility incorporates many sustainable and energy efficient technologies, including the city’s largest solar array. The building is designed to use 44% less energy than a typical Massachusetts school.
Occupant comfort and health also are incorporated into the design through daylighting, material selections, indoor air quality, and physical and visual connections with the outdoors.
The design of the complex emphasizes the importance of maintaining open space and Cambridge’s commitment to inclusion, community, and lifelong learning.
Interactive displays about sustainability and net-zero features are situated throughout the complex.
Site amenities and open spaces at the complex include two gyms, two basketball courts, the Charles Rossi Bocce Court, five playgrounds, an outdoor splash pad, Cambridge Street Plaza, Valente Reading Garden, a central courtyard/outdoor classroom, and a 380-seat auditorium.Cambridge,
The architects are William Rawn Associates and Arrowstreet.
