Saugus Middle High School

Designed by HMFH Architects, the new Saugus Middle High School is not only the first state funded Version 4 LEED Platinum school in Massachusetts but is also the third Version 4 LEED Platinum for Schools project in the United States and the fourth in the world. The design brings together 1,360 middle and high school students in a STEAM-driven complex of fabrication labs, collaboration spaces, and project areas that offer hands-on opportunities for exploratory learning. Sustainable design strategies in the new school harness daylight in multi-story lightwells, generate energy on-site, conserve and reuse water, mitigate carbon production, and integrate healthy materials in a facility that prioritizes student well-being and inspires a passion for learning.

An on-site tri-generation system–a combined heating and power system for both primary and emergency power–produces electricity and utilizes the waste heat for domestic hot water, space heating, and space cooling which offsets utility-related emissions associated with regional source generation to significantly reduce environmental impact. Three 30,000-gallon underground cisterns collect water for reuse while rain gardens throughout the school’s parking lots filter stormwater runoff from the site and mitigate heat island effects. Together with the use of low-flow fixtures, these measures reduce the building’s annual water consumption by 45%. Sited less than 300 feet from a busy six-lane highway, the new facility responds to the challenge of providing optimal air quality with rooftop mechanical air handling units positioned with their intakes facing away from the highway and prevailing winds. The displacement ventilation system is 20% more effective ventilating a space than a typical system and distributes fresh air into the building interior at a low velocity, also improving energy and acoustical performance relative to conventional mechanical distribution systems. The new Saugus Middle High School stands as a visible commitment to assuring the next generation of students will be stewards of both their community and their environment.