flexiblefullpage -
billboard - default
interstitial1 - interstitial
catfish1 - bottom
Currently Reading

New York City opens SOM-designed net-zero school

K-12 Schools

New York City opens SOM-designed net-zero school

The Kathleen Grimm School for Leadership and Sustainability at Sandy Ground will produce 662,500 kWh of energy, which will offset the amount of energy it consumes.


By Mike Chamernik, Associate Editor | November 10, 2015
New York City opens SOM-designed net-zero school

The Kathleen Grimm School for Leadership and Sustainability at Sandy Ground is the first net-zero energy school in New York City. Rendering by SOM/Courtesy of the SCA

This fall, the Kathleen Grimm School for Leadership and Sustainability at Sandy Ground was opened and dedicated on Staten Island, N.Y. It is the city’s first net-zero energy school.

Designed by SOM and built by the Leon D. DeMatteis Construction Corporation, the 68,000-sf primary school will produce as much energy as it uses on an annual basis. It will comply with the NYC School Construction Authority’s Green Schools Guide, a rating system for New York City public schools that mirrors the LEED certification process. The school will have a 50% reduction in energy use compared to other new NYC public school buildings.

Photovoltaic panels on a sloped roof will produce 662,500 kWh of energy. Skylights and reflective ceiling panels bring in natural light. The Grimm School also has energy recovery ventilators, demand-control ventilation, a geo-exchange heating and cooling system, and a solar thermal system for hot water.

The building has a gym, library, cafeteria, and offices, with playgrounds on the north and south sides. It sits on 3.5 acres of land, and is configured into an L shape that allows for more natural light exposure. 

See SOM's press release for more on the project.

Related Stories

Giants 400 | Sep 1, 2022

Top 100 K-12 School Contractors and CM Firms for 2022

Gilbane, Core Construction, Skanska, and Balfour Beatty head the ranking of the nation's largest K-12 school sector contractors and construction management (CM) firms for 2022, as reported in Building Design+Construction's 2022 Giants 400 Report.

Giants 400 | Sep 1, 2022

Top 70 K-12 School Engineering + EA Firms for 2022

AECOM, Jacobs, WSP, and CMTA top the ranking of the nation's largest K-12 school sector engineering and engineering/architecture (EA) firms for 2022, as reported in Building Design+Construction's 2022 Giants 400 Report.

Giants 400 | Sep 1, 2022

Top 160 K-12 School Architecture + AE Firms for 2022

PBK, DLR Group, Huckabee, and Stantec head the ranking of the nation's largest K-12 school sector architecture and architecture/engineering (AE) firms for 2022, as reported in Building Design+Construction's 2022 Giants 400 Report.

| Aug 24, 2022

California’s investment in ‘community schools’ could transform K-12 education

California has allocated $4.1-billion to develop ‘community schools’ that have the potential to transform K-12 education.

Giants 400 | Aug 22, 2022

Top 90 Construction Management Firms for 2022

CBRE, Alfa Tech, Jacobs, and Hill International head the rankings of the nation's largest construction management (as agent) and program/project management firms for nonresidential and multifamily buildings work, as reported in Building Design+Construction's 2022 Giants 400 Report.

Giants 400 | Aug 22, 2022

Top 200 Contractors for 2022

Turner Construction, STO Building Group, Whiting-Turner, and DPR Construction top the ranking of the nation's largest general contractors, CM at risk firms, and design-builders for nonresidential buildings and multifamily buildings work, as reported in Building Design+Construction's 2022 Giants 400 Report.

Giants 400 | Aug 22, 2022

Top 45 Engineering Architecture Firms for 2022

Jacobs, AECOM, WSP, and Burns & McDonnell top the rankings of the nation's largest engineering architecture (EA) firms for nonresidential buildings and multifamily buildings work, as reported in Building Design+Construction's 2022 Giants 400 Report.

Giants 400 | Aug 22, 2022

Top 80 Engineering Firms for 2022

Kimley-Horn, Tetra Tech, Langan, and NV5 head the rankings of the nation's largest engineering firms for nonresidential buildings and multifamily buildings work, as reported in Building Design+Construction's 2022 Giants 400 Report.

Giants 400 | Aug 21, 2022

Top 110 Architecture/Engineering Firms for 2022

Stantec, HDR, HOK, and Skidmore, Owings & Merrill top the rankings of the nation's largest architecture engineering (AE) firms for nonresidential and multifamily buildings work, as reported in Building Design+Construction's 2022 Giants 400 Report.

Giants 400 | Aug 20, 2022

Top 180 Architecture Firms for 2022

Gensler, Perkins and Will, HKS, and Perkins Eastman top the rankings of the nation's largest architecture firms for nonresidential and multifamily buildings work, as reported in Building Design+Construction's 2022 Giants 400 Report.

boombox1 - default
boombox2 -
native1 -

More In Category




halfpage1 -

Most Popular Content

  1. 2021 Giants 400 Report
  2. Top 150 Architecture Firms for 2019
  3. 13 projects that represent the future of affordable housing
  4. Sagrada Familia completion date pushed back due to coronavirus
  5. Top 160 Architecture Firms 2021