A newly built school in Copenhagen, Denmark has incorporated 10 solar panels for each student it can accommodate.
The C.F. Møller-designed CIS Nordhavn is clad with 12,000 solar panels that will produce at least half of the school’s annual electricity consumption, a total that is equivalent to about 70 detached houses. The myriad panels will also be used as part of the school’s academic strategy. Students will be able to follow the energy production and utilize the gathered data in subjects such as physics and mathematics.
A close-up of some of the solar panels used in teh school's construction. Photo courtesy of C.F. Møller.
Four smaller sub-schools, separated in relation to the age of the students who will occupy them, divide the large building. The classrooms for the youngest students are the largest in the school because all of the functions — such as outdoor areas, areas for drama and theater facilities, and spaces for activities and exercise — are gathered in and around the classroom.
Each of the four sub-schools sit atop a shared base, which houses common areas like the foyer, sports facilities, cafeteria, library, and drama facilities. The separate area for the classrooms allows them to be closed after school hours while the base can remain open.
Photo courtesy of C.F. Møller.
Part of the base is also used as a communal roof terrace that acts as the schoolyard for the students. Because the school sits on the waterfront, the schoolyard has been raised to the top of the shared base to prevent students from wandering too far from the school or too close to the water.
Photo courtesy of C.F. Møller.
In total, the school encompasses 26,000 sm of space and can accommodate 1,200 students.
Photo courtesy of C.F. Møller.
Related Stories
| May 18, 2011
Former Bronx railyard redeveloped as shared education campus
Four schools find strength in numbers at the new 2,310-student Mott Haven Campus in New York City. The schools—three high schools and a K-4 elementary school—coexist on the 6.5-acre South Bronx campus, which was once a railyard.
| May 18, 2011
Eco-friendly San Antonio school combines history and sustainability
The 113,000-sf Rolling Meadows Elementary School in San Antonio is the Judson Independent School District’s first sustainable facility, with green features such as vented roofs for rainwater collection and regionally sourced materials.
| May 18, 2011
New Reform Jewish Independent school opens outside Boston
The Rashi School, one of only 17 Reform Jewish independent schools in North American and Israel, opened a new $30 million facility on a 166-acre campus shared with the Hebrew SeniorLife community on the Charles River in Dedham, Mass.
| May 18, 2011
Addition provides new school for pre-K and special-needs kids outside Chicago
Perkins+Will, Chicago, designed the Early Learning Center, a $9 million, 37,000-sf addition to Barrington Middle School in Barrington, Ill., to create an easily accessible and safe learning environment for pre-kindergarten and special-needs students.
| May 18, 2011
One of Delaware’s largest high schools seeks LEED for Schools designation
The $82 million, 280,000-sf Dover (Del.) High School will have capacity for 1,800 students and feature a 900-seat theater, a 2,500-seat gymnasium, and a 5,000-seat football stadium.
| May 17, 2011
Sustainability tops the syllabus at net-zero energy school in Texas
Texas-based firm Corgan designed the 152,200-sf Lady Bird Johnson Middle School in Irving, Texas, with the goal of creating the largest net-zero educational facility in the nation, and the first in the state. The facility is expected to use 50% less energy than a standard school.
| May 16, 2011
USGBC and AIA unveil report for greening K-12 schools
The U.S. Green Building Council and the American Institute of Architects unveiled "Local Leaders in Sustainability: A Special Report from Sundance," which outlines a five-point national action plan that mayors and local leaders can use as a framework to develop and implement green schools initiatives.
| May 10, 2011
Greenest buildings: K-12 and commercial markets
Can you name the nation’s greenest K-12 school? How about the greenest commercial building? If you drew a blank, don’t worry because our friends at EarthTechling have all the information on those two projects. Check out the Hawai’i Preparatory Academy’s Energy Lab on the Big Island and Cascadia Green Building Council’s new Seattle headquarters.
| Mar 15, 2011
Passive Strategies for Building Healthy Schools, An AIA/CES Discovery Course
With the downturn in the economy and the crash in residential property values, school districts across the country that depend primarily on property tax revenue are struggling to make ends meet, while fulfilling the demand for classrooms and other facilities.
| Feb 23, 2011
“School of Tomorrow” student design competition winners selected
The American Institute of Architecture Students (AIAS) and Kawneer Company, Inc. announced the winners of the “Schools of Tomorrow” student design competition. The Kawneer-sponsored competition, now in its fifth year, challenged students to learn about building materials, specifically architectural aluminum building products and systems in the design of a modern and creative school for students ranging from kindergarten to sixth grade. Ball State University’s Susan Butts was awarded first place and $2,500 for “Propel Elementary School.”