Page 45 - spaces4learning, Spring 2023

achieve a credit in LEED for restoring natural habitat. Planned PV canopies have been deleted due to budget constraints but are possible to add back if funds become available.
Located in Dighton, 45 miles south of Boston, Bristol County Agricultural High School is designed as a teaching tool: the campus is a classroom, the site is an arboretum, and sustainable design elements encourage important conversations about carbon and land use. A 50-percent increase in students required new construction, additions, and renovations to support greater collaboration and provide new state-of-the-art labs and specialized learning spaces.
The Center for Science and the Environment (CSE), a brick and metal-paneled structure on track to achieve LEED Gold certification, highlights the integral role of science and research in all Bristol Aggie programs. Functioning as a living learning center, the CSE supports a range of spaces including a student- curated natural resource museum, specialized bio-secure labs, flexible classrooms, and two different types of vegetative green roofs. The roofs are part of the core curriculum, providing student research opportunities on stormwater runoff, water conservation, biodiversity, and habitat preservation, and allowing student participation in green-roof installation and maintenance activities.
Ready, Set, Grow
While every green roof is unique to its intended purpose, size, local climate, budget, and maintenance constraints, successful
PHOTO © ED WONSEK
installations are usually the product of an interdisciplinary team effort by an architect; structural, civil (for stormwater), and mechanical/electrical/plumbing engineers; landscape archi- tect; botanist; and possibly irrigation specialist. State and mu- nicipal agencies can be important allies because of the overlap- ping trades involved and as more political advocates press for features such as this to increase climate resiliency.
Green roofs provide many benefits, from increasing a roof’s lifespan, promoting biodiversity, and improving building energy performance to improving the efficiency of solar photovoltaic systems. While directly benefitting the school community, green roofs are also benefitting the broader community by cooling the immediate environment and reducing storm water runoff. Designing green roofs for schools offers even more opportunity: they can enhance the learning experience, improve health and wellness, and connect with a school’s curriculum and program goals.
A champion for sustainable design, Gary Brock, AIA, LEED AP BD+C, is a senior associate and sustainability leader at HMFH Architects with over 30 years of experience. His practice focuses on learning environments that support student well-being and environmental stewardship. In his recent role as project architect for the LEED Platinum Saugus Middle High School, he integrated sustainability features such as a green roof classroom, on-site energy generation, and a stormwater reuse system into the design. Gary holds a bachelor’s degree in environmental design from Texas A&M University and a Master of Architecture from the Boston Architectural College (BAC).
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