Zero Energy
Founded in 1883, Sidwell Friends School is a co-educational Quaker day school located in Washington, DC. The PK-12 school is internationally recognized for its high academic achievement and commitment to social responsibility. This new construction project involves a ten-year campus reunification project, including the renovation of the recently acquired adjacent healthcare property for conversion into the new Upper School, beginning construction in 2024. This will allow Sidwell Friends to renovate their current Upper School and transform it into the new Lower School, taking place in the near future. The Upper School serves approximately 500 students in grades 9-12.
Zero Energy and Operational Carbon Neutrality are currently being pursued for the entire campus. The fundraising goal for the first phase was increased by $2 million in order to drill a substantial geothermal wellfield to heat and cool the school buildings. The wellfield will become the new main component of a hybrid central plant supporting not just the project renovations and additions, but the entire campus. This ultimately allows the design team to eliminate combustion on campus. CMTA designed the geothermal heat pumps, a high performance kitchen, enhanced indoor air quality, and daylighting strategies to achieve significant energy use reduction and push the project further to achieve Zero Energy, Carbon Neutral status.
