Due to increasing student enrollment and the state of their outdated building, the Town of Arlington looked to construct a new, all-electric high school. The new building reflects the Town's commitment to a carbon-free future and future-ready learning for students.
Consisting of 4 wings, this new school facility with feature a STEAM center, performing arts center, athletics center and humanities center. A central spine will connect the wings, with a cafeteria and library learning commons connecting everything in the center.
Honoring the Town of Arlington’s ambitious sustainability goals, the building is set to consume less than half of the total site energy as the former high school building. Sustainable design systems include an extensive roof-mounted PV array, air-source heat pumps serving the classrooms, rooftop air handling units with VRF heat pumps, total energy recovery heat wheels and heat pump pre-heating for domestic hot water.
Bala was involved in the carefully planned zoning of VRF systems which will supply heating and cooling throughout the school without relying on fossil-fuels. Through grouping programs and systems with similar operational schedules, excess energy use is limited in unoccupied areas, providing 33% energy cost savings over baselines for the school.
All-Electric Building
800 Seat Auditorium