The Friends School of Portland

WCG Team

Project Specs

year completed

2015

Gross floor area

15,500 sq ft

Partners

Kaplan Thompson Architects
HEMESphereDESIGN
Allied Engineering
Bartlett Design
Blais Civil Engineers
Casco Bay Engineering
ReVision Energy
Soren Deniord Design Studio

We are always excited by the opportunity to put our knowledge of energy efficient technology and building strategies to work. At the time of building, The Friends School of Portland is one of our greenest building projects and one of the most energy efficient buildings in Maine. The Passive House net-zero school runs on a combination of solar power and minimal heating and cooling systems that go so far as to include students’ body heat in the design. Warren Construction Group’s air sealing techniques resulted in extremely low blower door tests (.34ACH @ 50p), enabling this minimal HVAC system to provide high-efficiency year-round comfort. In keeping with Kaplan Thompson Architect’s contemporary design, we salvaged and milled the logs from trees cut down on the property and incorporated the 24-foot-long boards in the school’s Meeting Room. The project was completed over a very cold and snowy winter, however the fact that we panelized the project lead to a quick erection time and getting the shell closed in so we could then work on the details.  While we enjoyed the building process, our greatest satisfaction comes from watching the students engage with what we’ve built—including the numerous play structures in the school’s back yard. Read more about the school and its Special Detail – Recognition through AIA Maine.