The Marin Country Day School recently welcomed students to the first zero energy school building in North America. This LEED® Platinum certified project is the second phase of the MCDS Master Plan (also by EHDD) which includes the Learning Resource Center with library, tech labs, art studios and high-performance classrooms.
Life at MCDS is close to nature:the campus occupies an entire watershed; in its first year class was conducted from a tent.The new buildings, inseparable from their landscape, hold close to these campus traditions. Students walk outside from class to class. The footprint of the new project weaves around to create a central outdoor gathering space. Windows open to a riparian view along an adjacent seasonal stream, and daylight is carefully balanced allowing the interior spaces to be bathed with natural light.
Awards:
LEED® for Schools Platinum Certification, U.S. Green Building Council
2011 Honor Award- Excellence in Architecture, AIA San Francisco
2010 Award of Merit: K-12 Schools for Energy Efficiency Integration, Savings by Design